Christmas morning always dawns full of promise, unwrapped presents beneath the twinkling tree. By the end of the over- fed day, there's often a less-than-glorious pile of wrong-size, unwanted or broken gifts.

When things do go wrong, you need to make sure you know your rights to return or exchange goods. And, as thousands of angry customers at Courts, the beleaguered furniture retailer, have found out, if a company gets into financial trouble and leaves you without the presents you have already paid for, there is little chance of getting a refund.