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Consumer Rights - Your Rights!

There are laws in the UK to offer protection to people when they buy products or services from businesses or shops – you have a right to expect good quality service and products when you buy things. If a business or shop sell services or goods that aren’t as they’ve described them, that are not ‘fit for purpose’ or are not of satisfactory quality, there are things you can do to get your money back or get a replacement. For example, if you have bought a new watch and it stops keeping the time, there are laws that may help you get a replacement watch or a refund.

With so many products and services bought and sold every day in the UK, it’s inevitable that things will go wrong sometimes – a product might fail or stop working long before you might expect them to develop a fault. Very often, businesses and shops are happy to help their customers with any legitimate complaint; after all, companies want to keep their customers satisfied and to build a good reputation for themselves. However, that isn’t always the case.

If you buy a product or service, it’s almost always a good idea to first try and settle the problem with the people or company who supplied the product or service. If you’re then not happy with the outcome and what the company have offered you, the laws and regulations are there to help find a reasonable and fair outcome to the dispute.

The UK Government has set up a website – called Consumer Direct – that offers loads of information about what your rights are as a consumer. It also provides plenty of advice on what to consider before buying a product or service and how to avoid being the victim of a scam or fraud. It then goes on to advise you what you can do if something goes wrong after you have bought an item or service. Consumer Direct also has a telephone information line with local advisors available to offer information and guidance. Links and contact details below!

Be aware that laws in England and Wales are different to those in Scotland. Also, if you buy whilst abroad or at home whilst online from companies outside the UK your consumer rights will not be the same as when you shop from a UK based company. If you have a problem with a trader based in another European Union country, visit the UK European Consumer Centre (UK ECC) website for info – link below.

Links and contact details

Name: Consumer Direct
Web: www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
Email: Online form on the website.
Tel: 08454 040506
Info: Government funded website and telephone service providing loads of info and advice on consumer issues and all aspects of consumer rights.

Name: Citizens Advice Bureau
Web: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Info: Citizens Advice Bureaux provide free, confidential and independent advice from over 3,000 locations including in bureaux, GP surgeries, hospitals, colleges, prisons and courts.

Name: Community Legal Advice
Web: www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk
Tel: 0845 345 4345
Email:
Info: Community Legal Advice is a free and confidential advice service paid for by legal aid.

Name: Direct Gov – Consumer Rights Pages
Web: www.direct.gov.uk
Info: Directgov is the website of the UK government. It provides information and online services for the public all in one place.

Name: Office of Fair Trading (OFT)
Web: www.oft.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: The OFT is the UK’s consumer and competition authority. The Office of Fair Trading publishes a range of consumer advice for shopping in the high street, shopping from home and shopping over the internet.

Name: Department for Business Innovations and Skills – Sale of Goods Act Fact Sheet
Web: www.berr.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: Good intro to the Sale of Goods Act – with FAQ sheets for more info

Name: Trading Standards Institue
Web: www.tradingstandards.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: The Trading Standards Institue represents trading standards professionals in the UK and overseas – in local authorities, the business and consumer sectors and in central government.

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