Consumer LawLegislative controls to protect the consumer

Resource 2H – Legislative Controls (KS4) Slide 1 of 8Hampshire County Council – Consumer Education Project within the Citizenship Curriculum

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008

• Sellers must not trade unfairly.• Seller may be trading unfairly if he misleads, if he

leaves out important information, uses bully-boy or guilt techniques to get you to buy his products.

• “Second-hand” mobile phone sold as new.• Football shirt on sale “one day only”.• “Genuine Leather” trainers.• Salesmen – “I’ll lose my job if you don’t buy this”.

Resource 2H – Legislative Controls (KS4) Slide 2 of 8Hampshire County Council – Consumer Education Project within the Citizenship Curriculum Last updated: 16/03/09

Sale of Goods Act• Goods must be of satisfactory quality,

match the description, be fit for the purpose, safe, and durable.

• Eg a CD should not be scratched• Or a pair of shoes should not fall apart

after a week

Resource 2H – Legislative Controls (KS4) Slide 3 of 8Hampshire County Council – Consumer Education Project within the Citizenship Curriculum

Distance Selling Regulations• Business cannot demand payment for

goods they have sent but you have not ordered

• E.g Packets of Christmas cards are often sent through the post when they haven’t been ordered

Resource 2H – Legislative Controls (KS4) Slide 4 of 8Hampshire County Council – Consumer Education Project within the Citizenship Curriculum

Enforcement Orders• Business must honour your legal

rights E.g If a shop persistently and wilfully

refuses to refund you for faulty goods, sells goods which are unsafe, or are not as described, they can be taken to court and ordered to change their ways. If they continue to misbehave they can be fined or the owner imprisoned

Resource 2H – Legislative Controls (KS4) Slide 5 of 8Hampshire County Council – Consumer Education Project within the Citizenship Curriculum Last updated: 09/03/04

Consumer Protection Act

• Goods must be safe

Resource 2H – Legislative Controls (KS4) Slide 6 of 8Hampshire County Council – Consumer Education Project within the Citizenship Curriculum

e.g Your new television should not give you an electric shock

Food Safety Act

• Controls the quality and labelling of food

Resource 2H – Legislative Controls (KS4) Slide 7 of 8Hampshire County Council – Consumer Education Project within the Citizenship Curriculum Last updated: 10/05//04

E.g It is an offence to sell food past the “use-by” date“Orange juice” must only contain real orange juice

Weights and Measures Act

• Requires quantities to be stated on goods and to be accurate

• E.g meat, fish, cheese and sausages must have their weight marked on the packet

Resource 2H – Legislative Controls (KS4) Slide 8 of 8Hampshire County Council – Consumer Education Project within the Citizenship Curriculum