In December last year my sister paid £550 for an electrically adjustable chair from House of Fraser’s Birmingham store for our 97-year-old mother. She explained that our mother has a small frame and was mainly in need of the footrest part of the chair because of poor lower body circulation. She arranged for delivery direct to our mother’s address, and was told this would take approximately 13 weeks.

It was delivered in mid-April and we were told that any problems should be reported within 72 hours. It became obvious, almost as soon as my mother sat in the chair, that it was unsuitable as her feet didn’t touch the ground and there was a six-inch gap between her and the back.

My sister went to the store the next day to explain the problem and said we needed to return the chair for a replacement or refund. The manager was unavailable and my sister was promised a telephone call to resolve this.

No call was received and a further store visit found the manager again not available. An assistant said that refunds were not possible for furniture- and suggested she sell the chair on eBay!

Keen to resolve the matter before the chair lost its immaculate appearance,
I telephoned customer services on
17 April and they were very helpful. They accepted that the chair wasn’t right for my mother and began arranging for a return and refund until they determined that the chair had not been bought online, but in store.

They advised that this would therefore need to be arranged at store level and transferred me to the Birmingham furniture department. After being told the right person was not there, a man phoned me and said the retailer did not offer refunds on furniture.

Midway through my protests that this was ridiculous, he spoke over me to say that he would have to get -someone else to speak to me and cut me off. Nobody has called since.

I have subsequently written to the store and emailed customer relations, but only received an email full of platitudes. Its website states clearly: “If you are not entirely happy with your purchase you can return for a full refund of the original payment within 14 days of purchase.”- Why are we being ignored? PB, Birmingham

We sympathise – £550 is a lot to spend on a chair, and it is unfortunate that it did not give your mother the physical support and comfort she was hoping for. While described as a “power recliner”, it is not sold as a specialist item of mobility equipment. Importantly, what you did not explain in your original letter is that the chair is a bespoke item, made to order with the fabric (in this case leather) of your choice.

The refund details, in line with the terms of the 1979 Sale of Goods Act, do not apply to -made-to-order -furniture but to items in standard ranges. We -contacted House of Fraser which checked its paperwork and said “the customer” – presumably your sister – signed a declaration when purchasing the chair which makes it clear that the item is not returnable. It said your sister was contacted on 17 April by the regional manager to confirm this.

There are two issues. One is your sister’s eligibility – or (we believe) not – for a refund. You suggest the chair is not fit for purpose, although your sister did check it out in store, and there are no mechanical issues. The other, where you are probably on firmer ground, is your claim of poor customer service, although the company maintains it did not receive your letter.

However, House of Fraser has generously agreed to give a full refund and has arranged to collect the chair. It says: “Our policy on bespoke furniture states that, because the piece is made to the customer’s specification, it cannot be returned or refunded unless defective. The customer was made aware of this when they signed the sales document, with access to full terms and conditions. On this occasion, as a goodwill gesture, we have agreed to a full refund.”

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number