Last August, I ordered and paid £795 for a shed from the company Shedrite Sheds Ltd in Wolverhampton.

I was aware the situation with deliveries and materials was not simple due to Covid and Brexit, and was prepared to wait a bit longer for my shed to arrive.

During the months that followed, they emailed me a number of times with delivery dates, but all of them were later cancelled.

I was trying to be understanding but my patience has not been rewarded.

In the middle of May I received the “definite confirmed date” of 11 July for the works (the shed delivery and its construction), only to receive another email the same day from a director of the company informing me that it had ceased trading.

I wrote back immediately requesting a refund but did not get any response. This sort of business practice cannot be within trading standards rules. I would appreciate your advice in this matter.

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JJ, Hassocks

Your experience mirrors that of another trusting reader who wrote to me recently, having lost even more money due to the smokescreen provided by Covid disruption.

In an email, Carl Lucas, one of Shedrite Sheds directors, confirmed the company had ceased trading and, owing to the company’s lack of assets and funds, that he expected it to go into liquidation.

Customers with outstanding orders should be trying to get their money back now. If you paid with a credit card, ask for your money back using section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. If you used a debit card, ask for a “chargeback”.

Unfortunately, these options are not open to you, due to the amount of time that has passed since you handed over your money. You paid with your debit card but, because the payment was made last August, you have run out of time. You can only raise a chargeback within 120 days. Also, when a limited company stops trading, you can’t go to court.

This case reinforces the need to proceed carefully when making big purchases online or in store. Do your research thoroughly including checking online reviews for the company. If you can, use a credit card and think twice about accepting a long delivery window unless buying from a well-known name.

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