Tesco and disability: further follow-up

[Bill Wright]

Hello Sarah-Jayne,

A week or so after your email I had a phone call from Tesco telling me that the problem at Doncaster was ?a staff training issue?, and that it would be resolved. The call might have been from you; I?m sorry but I don?t remember the name.

I think you ought to know that in fact the ?a staff training issue? hasn?t been resolved. Today, wanting to buy further disability equipment, I thought I?d take the precaution of enquiring first at the customer service desk about the VAT. I?m afraid I was given a reply similar to the one I was given on the 14th May. The young man (Arron) made two internal phone calls to ask advice on the matter. The answer given was that I should get a VAT receipt from the store, then go on ?the government website? where I would be able to fill in a form and apply for reimbursement of the VAT. This is, of course, only a slight variation on the incorrect information I was given on the first occasion. The actual procedure is as detailed on my original email (below). Under no circumstances does HMRC hand out refunds: it is the job of the retailer to apply zero rate VAT at the time of purchase.

As you can imagine I am very disappointed that a large retailer like Tesco seems unable to implement a simple administrative procedure that would save their disabled customers 20% of the cost of any disability equipment purchased, and in fact is routinely giving their customers incorrect information about the matter.

Regards

Bill Wright

Dear Bill

I have now had a response from my Business Support Team, who advised a communication was sent to all stores on Monday, so I am sorry that this had still not been passed on to the staff members on the Customer Service Desk.

I have called the store and spoke with Maureen on the Customer Service Desk, who will ensure the Checkout Manager prints this and ensures all staff are aware how to process. I am confident that you should not encounter any problems in future.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and if I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Sarah-Jayne Moynihan Tesco Customer Service

[Peter Crosland]

Just because you are buying it for a disabled person does not, repeat not, automatically mean it is VAT free. The HMR&C rules state that it must be catalogued, or described as specifically for disabled people. Thus you might find an item in one catalogue that was so described and the supply to disabled people would be VAT free but exactly the same item in another that was not so described and would therefore be subject to VAT. If this sounds crazy well it is but that is the rule. Also bear in mind that the retailer can be subject to severe penalties if they get it wrong. Having had to deal with this matter for more than twenty years I can tell you that many, if not most, retailers simply don't understand the rules. It must also be said that many disabled people don't either. It is absolutely not a carte blanche to get things VAT free as many people think it is.

[Bill Wright]

None of which excuses Tesco.

Bill

[polygonum]

Would that include telling customers incorrect information about the procedures?