MasterCard faces £19bn lawsuit over claims it ripped off shoppers – The Independent

‘MasterCard is facing a claim of up to £19 billion in damages in a UK collective action over card charges that were passed on to shoppers.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th July 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Digital influencers’ must disclose paid-for content, says new guidance – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 4th, 2016 in competition, consumer protection, disclosure, internet, news by michael

‘Online publishers, bloggers, tweeters and other “digital influencers” must “clearly and prominently” label content they are paid to produce as paid-for promotions, new guidance developed by a body of regulators from around the world has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st July 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

First opt-out collective action lodged with Competition Appeal Tribunal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 27th, 2016 in appeals, class actions, competition, consumer protection, damages, news, tribunals by sally

‘The first opt-out collective action seeking damages for breaches of competition law has been lodged with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), following changes to the law in October 2015.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 27th June 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

The UK is leaving – what will it mean for technology and life science businesses? – Technology Law Blog

‘After yesterday’s leave vote, the UK government will need to start the process of disentangling the country from the EU. Formal steps to trigger withdrawal under Article 50 of the EU Treaty are currently expected to await Prime Minister David Cameron’s replacement in the coming months, although informal negotiations may begin sooner. What will be the legal impact for innovative businesses?’

Full story

Technology Law Blog, 24th June 2016

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

Government rules that shoppers have the right to buy items online – as it shames major golf club brand – Daily Telegraph

‘Shoppers cannot legally be denied the right to buy goods online, the Government has ruled, as its consumer arm declared a major golfing retailers’ ban on shops selling its products online as unlawful.’

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Daily Telegraph, 9th June 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Competition watchdog attacks UK cloud storage providers – The Guardian

Posted May 27th, 2016 in competition, consumer protection, contracts, internet, news by tracey

‘Cloud storage providers are treating customers unfairly and risk users losing access to their photos and other personal possessions, the competition regulator said. An investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority found providers offered contract terms and practices that could breach consumer law.’

Full story

The Guardian, 27th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Call for ticket touting to be criminalised – The Guardian

Posted May 23rd, 2016 in consumer protection, criminal justice, enforcement, fines, news by sally

‘Some of the music industry’s leading players are demanding that ticket touting be made a criminal offence for all UK concerts, plays and sporting events, Guardian Money can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 21st May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BSB echoes Bar Council concerns on equality and access to justice – The Bar Council

‘The Chairman of the Bar Council, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC has signalled agreement with the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) concern for equality and diversity in the profession. As the independent regulator reported in its recently published Risk Outlook yesterday, the Bar Council also welcomed the focus on access to justice and on ensuring that consumers’ needs are properly met following the prolonged period of cuts to our system of justice.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 18th May 2016

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

PPI victims ‘should have got £5bn more’ – BBC News

Posted May 13th, 2016 in compensation, consumer protection, insurance, news by tracey

‘Twelve million consumers who were mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) should have got an extra £5bn, a group of MPs has said. That is the total amount that claims management companies charged clients to process their complaints.
MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said they were disappointed the money did not go to the victims of the scandal.’

Full story

BBC News, 13th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

McKenzie Friends: Bar Chairman says consumer protection has to be paramount – The Bar Council

Posted April 29th, 2016 in barristers, consumer protection, McKenzie friends, press releases by tracey

‘The protection of consumers “has to be paramount” when it comes to unregulated, uninsured and untrained McKenzie Friends charging fees to people in court, the Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimee Doerries QC, told BBC listeners.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 28th April 2016

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

“Change in law needed” to open up Legal Ombudsman to clients of unregulated firms, says boss – Legal Futures

Posted April 26th, 2016 in complaints, consumer protection, law firms, legal ombudsman, news by sally

‘Only a change in the law would allow the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) to cover complaints from consumers of unregulated law firms, the chair of the organisation’s governing body has said as he called on paralegals to campaign for access to the redress scheme.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 26th April 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The impact of new consumer regulations – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted April 13th, 2016 in consumer protection, contracts, drafting, EC law, landlord & tenant, leases, news by sally

‘On 1 October 2015 the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (“CRA”) came into force. CRA superseded the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (“UTCCR”). The CRA aims to modernise, simplify and consolidate key parts of consumer law; it is the cornerstone of an extensive consumer law reform programme. Anyone acting in a landlord and tenant dispute or drafting tenancy or lease agreement needs to be familiar with its provisions’

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 11th March 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Opportunity doesn’t knock twice: recovering damages for consequential loss – Hardwicke Chambers

‘Today’s banks are in receipt of the largest fines ever imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), or its predecessor the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and although they are taking responsibility for a number of failings (eg PPI, Derivatives, LIBOR and FOREX), restrictions on recovering loss, in particular where consequential loss is concerned, have come under significant scrutiny. This article examines the measure of loss in tort and contract, and particularly explores investors’ difficulties when making claims for loss of profit caused by mis selling.’

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 31st March 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Cosmetic treatment industry given strict rules to protect vulnerable – The Guardian

‘Doctors carrying out cosmetic treatments must avoid two-for-one offers and allow a minimum two-week cooling-off period before surgery or risk being struck off, under long-awaited guidance to protect patients who may be vulnerable.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th April 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Risk-based approach to regulating the Bar: the regulator publishes its Framework, Index and Outlook – Bar Standards Board

‘The BSB is today publishing three documents about its approach to risk-based regulation.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 5th April 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

ICO gives fresh guidance to businesses on buying in marketing databases – OUT-LAW.com

‘Businesses should not promote products or services to consumers whose contact details they have bought from another company until they have checked that the seller obtained appropriate consent for such marketing activity, the UK’s privacy watchdog has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 1st April 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Why you might not be warned of an online security breach – The Guardian

Posted March 30th, 2016 in banking, consumer protection, data protection, internet, news, notification by sally

‘Surprisingly, under the Data Protection Act companies have no obligation to tell customers there could be a problem.’

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe online fraud refund claim provokes anger – BBC News

Posted March 24th, 2016 in banking, consumer protection, fraud, internet, news, police, victims by tracey

‘A police chief’s suggestion that banks should consider no longer refunding some online fraud victims has been branded as “astonishingly misjudged” by a consumer group.’

Full story

BBC News, 24th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Paddy Power case highlights scourge of fixed-odds betting terminals – The Guardian

‘Damning Gambling Commission report reveals how racing risks being caught in the crossfire over the row raging about the high street betting shop machines.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

FCA ‘lacks evidence’ of whether regulation is reducing mis-selling by financial firms, auditors say – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 1st, 2016 in consumer protection, evidence, financial regulation, news by sally

‘Data collected by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is insufficient to prove whether regulatory interventions have had an effect on mis-selling by financial firms, the UK’s public spending watchdog has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 26th February 2016

Source: www.out-law.com