Challenges Arising from Brexit – Henderson Chambers

‘In the light of Brexit, uncertain times lie ahead! How can small businesses cope with the challenges which the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union will necessarily entail and with the uncertainty that will persist so long as no concluded agreement(s) has/have been struck between the British Government and its EU counterparts.’

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Henderson Chambers, 5th April 2017

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

Plusnet fined £880,000 for charging more than 1,000 ex-customers – The Guardian

Posted March 23rd, 2017 in consumer protection, fines, internet, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Plusnet, the BT-owned broadband and landline company, has been fined almost £900,000 by Ofcom for continuing to charge more than 1,000 customers even though they had cancelled their accounts.’

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The Guardian, 22nd March 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ticket touts face unlimited fines for using ‘bots’ to buy in bulk – The Guardian

‘Touts who use computer software to harvest concert tickets in bulk and resell them at vast mark-ups face unlimited fines as part of a crackdown on highly profitable resale sites such as Viagogo, StubHub and GetMeIn.’

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The Guardian, 10th March 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Black Friday’ promotion breached advertising rules, says watchdog – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 9th, 2017 in advertising, consumer protection, internet, news, sale of goods by sally

‘A short-term promotion for the sale of Apple Watch devices at a discounted price breached UK advertising rules because the promotion was not fair and resulted in “unnecessary disappointment” for consumers, the UK’s advertising watchdog has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 8th March 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

CQC warns online doctor services may pose risk to public – The Guardian

Posted March 3rd, 2017 in consumer protection, doctors, internet, news by tracey

‘Patients could be at risk from online companies offering doctors’ services, the Care Quality Commission has said.’

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The Guardian, 3rd March 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Landline charges for 2m customers to be cut as telecoms watchdog steps in – The Guardian

Posted March 2nd, 2017 in competition, consumer protection, elderly, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Ofcom has slammed telecom providers for offering landline-only customers poor value for money, as it unveiled plans to force BT, the dominant provider, to cut bills by at least £5 a month, benefiting about 2.3 million people.’

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The Guardian, 28th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Price promotions – making sure your price is right – Technology Law Update

Posted February 3rd, 2017 in consumer protection, news, sale of goods, trading standards by sally

‘New guidance on price promotions has been issued by the UK Chartered Trading Standards Institute to replace the previous Pricing Practices Guide by BIS (now merged into the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy). The guidance applies to all consumer sales of goods, services and digital content, and includes online transactions as well as those in retail premises. Enforcers are likely to allow traders until April 2017 to bring their practices into line with the guidance.’

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Technology Law Update, 2nd February 2017

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

3D printing – two key legal issues – Technology Law Update

Posted January 30th, 2017 in consumer protection, intellectual property, news by sally

‘3D printing is moving from a narrow role as a prototyping technology to offer an exciting new spectrum of possibilities. From home printing for the consumer to high-end manufactured products in applications ranging from aerospace and automotive parts, medical and dental prostheses to fine arts and jewellery, the possibilities are widening all the time. Uniting digital manipulation with additive manufacturing, 3D printing offers huge potential for many sectors, with even digitally printed foods now being explored.’

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Technology Law Update, 30th January 2017

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

Ofcom fines EE £2.7m for overcharging customers – The Independent

Posted January 18th, 2017 in consumer protection, fines, news, repayment, telecommunications by sally

‘The communications regulator found that the company broke a “fundamental billing rule” on two separate occasions, resulting in nearly 40,000 customers being overcharged around £250,000.’

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The Independent, 18th January 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

London cosmetics firms fined for selling unsafe beauty products – BBC News

Posted January 12th, 2017 in consumer protection, fines, health & safety, news, trading standards by tracey

‘Fifteen London businesses selling unsafe cosmetics products have been fined in a crackdown by Trading Standards.’

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BBC News, 11th January 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ticket resale websites run risk of fines after CMA launches inquiry – The Guardian

Posted December 20th, 2016 in competition, consumer protection, inquiries, internet, news by sally

‘Ticket resale websites and the touts who use them could be fined after the competition watchdog launched an investigation into how the best seats are harvested and then sold on at huge mark-ups before fans can buy them at face value.’

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The Guardian, 19th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

FCA to review ‘close relationships’ in mortgage market – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2016 in conflict of laws, consumer protection, financial regulation, mortgages, news by sally

‘Britain’s financial watchdog has launched a review of the mortgage market that will probe the “inducements” routinely paid to brokers and other industry players, to see whether consumers are losing out as a result.’

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The Guardian, 12th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Landline phone prices review launched by Ofcom – BBC News

Posted December 1st, 2016 in consumer protection, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Telecoms regulator Ofcom has launched a review of landline rental prices after concerns that people may not be getting value for money.’

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BBC News, 1st December 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Broadband advert rule changes come into effect – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2016 in advertising, consumer protection, contracts, internet, news by sally

‘New rules forcing broadband firms to be clearer in adverts on the costs of their contracts have come into effect.’

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BBC News, 31st October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Online gambling operators being scrutinised for compliance with UK consumer protection rules – Out-Law.com

Posted October 25th, 2016 in consumer protection, gambling, internet, news by michael

‘An investigation into online gambling operators’ compliance with UK consumer protection rules has been opened by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).’

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Out-Law.com, 25th October 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Competition watchdog to investigate online betting firms – The Guardian

Posted October 21st, 2016 in competition, consumer protection, fines, gambling, news by sally

‘Online betting companies could face fines and be forced to changed their practices after it was announced they are to be investigated by the competition watchdog over whether they are treating customers fairly.’

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The Guardian, 21st October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Dressing gown loophole: Outdated laws let shops sell highly flammable robes – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 21st, 2016 in consumer protection, fire, health & safety, news by sally

‘Dressing gown owners are being warned to stay away from candles and open fires while wearing them, as a loophole in UK safety law means they can be made with highly flammable material.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Millions of rail travelers to be eligible for compensation if trains are 15 minutes late – but new terms will not be UK-wide until as late as 2025 – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 13th, 2016 in compensation, consumer protection, delay, news, railways, transport by tracey

Millions of commuters will be eligible for compensation if their trains are more than 15 minutes late, ministers will announce today but some passengers will have to wait up to a decade for the change to come into force.’

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Daily telegraph, 13th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Trading standards body in court threat over cuts and statutory duties – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has warned councils to “think carefully about their statutory duties when making cuts – or risk being hauled before the courts”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th October 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Price comparison sites to be probed by watchdog – BBC News

Posted October 3rd, 2016 in competition, consumer protection, internet, news by sally

‘The way price comparison websites work is to be examined by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).’

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BBC News, 29th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk