Published on:
09
November 2007
'Buying from afar? - Know what your rights are' that's the message for this year's National Consumer Week from Stirling and Clackmannanshire Trading Standards Service.
Starting from Monday November 12, 2007, National Consumer Week will focus on purchases made by consumers over the internet or by other forms of distance selling. Trading Standard Officers want to ensure that local consumers are aware of their rights when buying at a distance.
The Trading Standards Service is aware of consumers being contacted by mobile telephone companies and signed up to new contracts without all relevant information being imparted, in some instances the consumer believes that they are being contacted by their current supplier. It is only when the new handset arrives that they realise that this is a completely new contract.
Trading Standards Consumer Adviser, Claire Conlan is advising consumers that if they are contacted and offered a new handset that they should first clarify who they are speaking to and note down details of the company name. Claire said: " If you are unsure about committing to a contract on the telephone then just say no, you can always look on the internet to see who is offering the best deal. You should not give out personal information such as bank details unless you know exactly who you are speaking to."
Once the consumer has received the goods, where the purchase has been made at a distance, under Distance Selling Regulations (2000) the consumer has 7 days from the day after they receive the goods to return them and cancel the deal. Certain items are exempt from this, such as personalised goods and provision of services, which will commence straight away.
"I would advise consumers to act quickly in these matters, if you decide straight away that you do not wish to keep the goods then arrange for their return as soon as possible. In some instances, you will be liable for the return postage costs, this information should be detailed in the company's terms and conditions. A certificate of posting should always be obtained for returned items and if an item is valuable it should be returned by special delivery to ensure that there is insurance in force should the item be lost in the post.
"Please read all the information provided with goods, you should receive details of how to cancel the order and how to return goods. If a retailer does not provide you with this information then your cooling off period does not start until this has been supplied," adds Claire.
Many issues that Trading Standards deal with are a result of consumers not being aware of the 7 day cooling off period and delaying returning items. In some instances the goods are sent straight back if the consumer returns them outwith the statutory cooling off period.
Consumers should ensure that they know who they are making a contract with, whether is through tele-sales calling or a website. If there are any doubts about a website, consumers can look on one of the popular search engines. Often, if there have been problems with a company, someone will have posted their experiences as a warning to others. Remember if a site is offering items at a vastly reduced rate, consumers should ensure they know who they are and where they are based. If items cost over £100 consider paying with a credit card as an extra protection as if the company disappears the credit card company would reimburse their customer for the purchase.
Some websites can appear to be UK based but only on closer inspection does the consumer discover that they are based overseas. If this happens it can be difficult to reclaim money if something goes wrong.
Anyone with concerns about the purchase of goods or services, whether made at a distance or not, please contact Trading Standards on 0845 2 777 000 or by email on tradingstandards@stirling.gov.uk