Sir,

Last week I purchased a Morphy Richards White Essentials microwave from a store after seeing it advertised in their catalogue. I have bought Morphy Richards items before, over the years, and have been quite pleased with their products.

It was delivered to me last Friday. However, when I opened up the microwave oven, there was no guarantee card inside, nor instruction manual on timing etc for cooking, heating up different items (only the microwave manual included on its own). This was most usual, as when I have had electrical appliances before, I have had to fill in a guarantee card and send it back to the makers, being as I thought in this case Morphy Richards.

I rang up the store on the Sunday and, after going through several different phone numbers and departments, explaining my query to them, I was told I had to ring Morphy Richards as they couldn't help me with my problem.

Monday morning, after going through the whole procedure again, I did eventually get through to a lady from Morphy Richards. I explained the details to her, only for her to come up with the answer that she couldn't help me, as 'Morphy Richards didn't make microwaves' and I would have to get back to the store.

I would like to know if this is legal, as to me this is deceiving purchasers into buying products that big name companies haven't even made. It should be stopped surely. These stores put well known names to items, in their catalogues and on their delivery boxes, when it is untrue.

How can one ever know if you can get a really true guarantee, from the supposed makers, when all you have is the receipt, and Morphy Richards didn't even make your appliance in the first place.

P. B. Skey (Miss),

PS. I wonder if any other Observer reader had to deal with this sort of problem? I would like to know.