What's the point of Nectar's negative attitude?

Last November, my purse, including my Nectar card, was stolen. I did not report it immediately because my priority was to cancel my debit and credit cards. The thief redeemed points on the Nectar card, which sent me into a negative balance. I had no idea that anyone could incur a negative balance. Nectar has not answered my letters querying this. RG, Romford, Essex Nectar says it replied to your two January letters on 3 February and would send you a copy. That didn't arrive, either. Eventually you received a letter which told you that two redemptions, made within minutes of each other, before your card had been updated, had sent you overdrawn. You had spent 3,000 points in Argos, and shortly after this the thief spent 4,000 in Sainsbury's. He could not have spent more than you had on your account at the last update. Nectar refused to refund the stolen points because you hadn't, at that time, reported the card stolen. Realising this is unfair, it has now changed its mind and restored 4,000 points. • Email Margaret Dibben at [email protected] or write to Margaret Dibben, Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU and include a telephone number. Do not enclose SAEs or original documents. The newspaper accepts no legal responsibility for advice.