What is a consumer?
A consumer is someone who is not acting on behalf of a business.
As a consumer, you are protected by various Acts of Parliament which are aimed at consumer problems. Such problems include buying faulty goods, fraud, mis-selling of a product, and buying services which are unsatisfactory.
Our Litigation Solicitors are able to provide advice on all aspects of Consumer Law.
Briefly, these include:
- The Sale of Goods Act – sets out rights additional to your contract relating to the sale/purchase of everyday items. Any item purchased from a retailer should be of satisfactory condition/quality.
- The Supply of Goods and Services Act – this is similar to the Sale of Goods Act but mainly this covers the services you receive from tradesmen and also covers the materials they use.
- The Consumer Credit Act - this sets out the rules governing loans from credit companies and other types of credit services. You will probably recognise this Act from the press surrounding the mis-sold PPI scandal.
- The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations - controls terms and conditions in many standard agreements.
- The Consumer Protection Act 1987 – deals mainly with defective or dangerous goods and applies to anyone selling goods within the European Union.
- Consumer Contracts Regulations (which came into force on 13 June 2014) - give you rights when shopping online, so you’re covered if things go wrong.
- The Unfair Contract Terms Act- controls attempts by the seller to avoid or restrict their liability or non-performance.
- The Holiday Package Regulations - can help remedy holiday disputes where the holiday was bought as a package.
Have you been sold a faulty product, bought services which are unsatisfactory, or have employed a tradesman who has failed to complete the work commissioned to a satisfactory standard? If so, then our specialist Litigation Solicitors can advise you on your options and suggest the best way of either obtaining a refund or suing for compensation.
Legal Consumer Advice you need at a Fixed Cost
Your first consultation will be offered under our Fixed Fee Interview Scheme. This is a cost effective way of obtaining legal advice in a face to face – one to one appointment at one of our offices to suit you. Please see our Spotlight on Fixed Fees for General Litigation for more information about how this scheme can help you.
You can expect to receive clear and concise advice and information on your rights, an assessment of the legal merits of your case and an idea of the likely costs and potential awards from the outset.
You can then choose whether to deal with your case yourself perhaps with additional advice from us on our Pay As You Go Scheme as and when you need it or under our standard retainer scheme if you prefer to instruct us to represent you.
You may have legal expenses insurance cover provided as an add-on or inclusion in a home or motor insurance policy. We would be happy to look at your policy to check whether or not this is available to cover the costs of our retainer services if you are unsure.
