I ordered a sofa bed six months ago and paid £600 in full by cheque. The firm has gone into voluntary liquidation, and although I was sent a claim form they say I am unlikely to get anything back. However they said I could reclaim the VAT after six months. How would I go about this?
You can only reclaim the VAT if you are VAT registered, although there are one or two rare exceptions to this rule, such as where you are building a new home to live in. As you are probably aware, you would in all likelihood have been entitled to a full refund if you had paid by credit card. I presume you have explored all the options, but if for example the firm was a member of any trade association you should contact them for advice. An order from a catalogue or from an advertisement can also afford some protection.