Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West has urged Christmas shoppers in Stone to get to know their consumer rights so they know what to do if they buy faulty goods or suffer misleading claims this Christmas.
Analysis by the national Citizens Advice charity shows that people from the West Midlands are more likely to call its consumer helpline with complaints about items like toys, jewellery and computers in January than any other time of year. Complaints about consumer goods more than doubled, showing a rise of 149% in January compared to the rest of the year.
The findings come as Citizens Advice, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, and Central Trading Standards Institute launch National Consumer Week 2015 in November.
Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West is urging people in Stone get to know their consumer rights as Christmas shopping gets under way. The charity is highlighting how the new Consumer Rights Act, which came into effect on 1st October, can help people to shop with confidence and get their money back when things go wrong.
[box type=”shadow” ]Sue Nicholls, chief executive of Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West, said: ‘Many families save up for their Christmas shopping and it can be a real disappointment when their purchase isn’t up to scratch. Time and again we see people stuck with faulty or substandard products struggling to get their money back. We’re encouraging people to do their homework before they start their Christmas shop, so they know what their rights are and what they can do when things go wrong.”[/box]
Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West is sharing a ‘Know Your Rights’ guide explaining the big changes to consumer law that Christmas shoppers should know.
Christmas shopping – know your rights
Check the date!
[box type=”info” ]Everyone knows someone who starts their Christmas shopping in August – and sometimes even in January. The new rights in the Consumer Rights Act only apply to goods bought after 1st October 2015 when the Act came into force[/box]
Want your money back?
[box type=”info” ]You may have tried to take a faulty item back and been offered an exchange or a credit note. Now, if you get a product that’s faulty, poor quality or not fit for purpose, you can return it within 30 days for a full refund[/box]
Poor quality purchase?
[box type=”info” ]It can be hard to prove that something just isn’t as good as you were expecting. The new Act states that products must match the description given. If they don’t, your rights to a refund can come into play[/box]
Delivery not explained?
[box type=”info” ]If you’re shopping online or with a salesperson who’s visiting your home, certain information including any cancellation rights, delivery charges, delivery restrictions and returns policies must all be clearly given. If cancellation information isn’t provided, this could extend a right to cancel from 14 days and possibly up to one year[/box]
Bamboozled by the small print?
[box type=”info” ]In the past, terms and conditions were often tucked away in the small print. Now, important terms and conditions must be made more prominent. This makes it easier to know what you’re signing up to, and to compare contracts so you know you’re getting the best deal[/box]
Can’t resolve a dispute?
[box type=”info” ]Resolving a dispute has been made easier. Previously consumers would often have to pay to take businesses to a small claims court to get their problem sorted. Now it’s simpler for people to go via Alternative Dispute Resolution, which uses other routes to solving disputes such as going to an Ombudsman for free[/box]
If you want advice on goods and services you’ve purchased, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06, or visit the free advice pages at www.citizensadvice.org.uk
