Laptop was a steal

I bought a laptop using my Egg credit card from a branch of CashXchange in London last October and, once I started using it, became increasingly convinced that something was wrong.

The previous owner's files and personal details were still on the hard disk.

I called the owner who confirmed that the laptop had been stolen the previous Tuesday. I reported this incident to the police, and they asked me not to contact CashXchange, as they wanted to investigate what had happened first.

I immediately called Egg customer services and warned them about the ?590 payment. They were very sympathetic, assured me that I would not be held responsible and gave me the option of cancelling the payment. However, because the police had asked me not to contact the shop, I declined this offer, so Egg said that the appropriate forms would be sent to me in the next few days. I completed and returned them.

I then made a statement to the police and left the laptop with them to be returned to the original owner. Over a month later, I received a letter telling me that I was liable for the payment and any interest charges. I am now having to pay interest on the original ?590 and cannot believe that honesty has not been the best policy!

JC

By law, shops shouldn't sell stolen goods, but if they do, you do not become the legal owner of what you have bought - shops can't sell you ownership of goods which they themselves do not own.

Once you discover you have bought stolen goods, you should contact the police, which you did. They will recover the goods from you and return them to their rightful owner, if possible. They may also help you to claim a refund from the shop, although in your case they did not.

Unfair though it may sound, Egg was not then liable to refund your purchase price. If you had bought for cash, you would have had either to accept the loss or - more likely - pursue the shop for a refund. If the shop had refused, you would have had to take it to the small claims court, where your claim would almost certainly have been upheld, as it was a clear case of you unwittingly buying stolen goods.

I'm happy to report that Egg has now agreed to write off the ?590 plus interest so you are no longer saddled with an unfair debt, though I should point out that it wasn't obliged to do so.