Dear Sun Spots: I ordered a massage cushion from EverythingHome in December of 2005. On Feb. 8, 2006, I shipped it back, asking for a refund as it wasn’t the quality I expected. I never heard anything back from them and wrote another letter dated April 10 with all the documenting paperwork. To date, I have still received no refund, reply or never received anything in return mail. Thanking you in advance. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Based on the information you provided, Sun Spots contacted the company in California only to learn that the company you are referring to sold their Internet domain to another company at the beginning of September. They have no record of the order number you provided. A spokesman noted that orders prior to September 2006 are the responsibility of the previous company to fulfill or provide a refund. The company you need to contact is www.everythingforsaleonline.com, 877-877-7087, 1117 Desert Lane, Suite 1403, Las Vegas, NV 89102. Please note that when Sun Spots called the number she was redirected to a 101515800 (national directory) number and a recording which noted there was a $5.49 charge for each call. You might consider either e-mailing the company via their Web site above, or writing to them at their postal address. Or, if you are willing to pay the $5.49 cost, call the number yourself to see if you can reach their customer service department and find an answer to your problem.

Dear Sun Spots: I am wondering what happens to all the unclaimed lottery winnings now? It used to be added to the jackpot during Christmas week. This practice has stopped so who gets it now? – J.V., Lewiston.

Answer: You may have seen Sun Spots’ response featured in the Jan. 19, 2006, column which noted that the unclaimed and expired winnings go back to the players in the form of smaller prizes. Instead of one winner winning an annuitized million dollars, thousands and thousands of winners receive smaller prizes. So it sounds like there are many more winners.

You might be interested in noting that according to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, total fiscal year 2004 sales in Maine were $185.88 million and $164.60 million for 2003. Maine state revenues for 2004 were $42.53 million and $39.25 million in 2003.

The NAASPL had some interesting lottery trivia that Sun Spots would love to share with readers. For instance, did you know that our Founding Fathers played and sponsored lotteries? Benjamin Franklin used lotteries to finance cannons for the Revolutionary War; John Hancock operated a lottery to rebuild historic Faneuil Hall in Boston; George Washington operated a lottery to finance construction of the Mountain Road, which opened westward expansion from Virginia and Thomas Jefferson, $80,000 in debt at the end of his life, used a lottery to dispose of the bulk of his property.

While the Maine state lottery started in 1974, lotteries have been referenced since the Bible. The NAASPL also had these fun lottery tidbits to share:

In 100 BC: The Hun Dynasty in China created keno. Funds raised by lotteries were used for defense, primarily to finance construction of the Great Wall of China.

In 1446: In one of the first recorded European lotteries, the widow of the Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck holds a raffle to dispose of his remaining paintings.

In 1465: Lotteries were held in Belgium to build chapels, almshouses, canals and port facilities.

In 1539: King Francis I of France authorized a lottery to replenish depleted funds in the treasury. Many of these funds had been flowing to foreign lotteries.

In 1567: Queen Elizabeth I establishes the first English state lottery. Prizes include cash, plate, and tapestry, with 400,000 tickets offered for sale.

And according to www.winningwithnumbers.com, the Netherlands Lottery, which was founded in 1726, is still in operation today. It is officially the oldest lottery in the world.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be posted at www.sunjournal.com in the Advice section under Opinion on the left-hand corner of your computer screen. In addition, you can e-mail your inquiries to sunspots@sunjournal.com.