Court of Appeal: conditional fee agreement with consumer unenforceable if notice of right to cancel not given – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 3rd, 2015 in appeals, consumer protection, contracts, fees, news by tracey

‘A conditional fee agreement (CFA) that was signed at a client’s home, rather than at the lawyer’s office, was unenforceable because the client had not been given notice of her right to cancel, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 3rd February 2015

Source: www.outlaw.com

Ofgem tightens up rules for comparison websites – The Guardian

Posted January 22nd, 2015 in consumer protection, energy, internet, news by sally

‘The energy regulator Ofgem has announced new rules for comparison websites which will force them to give consumers more information on the tariffs they show, amid allegations that they are hiding the best deals from consumers.’

Full story

The Guardian, 21st January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Australian litigation funder plans more mass claims against big UK firms – The Guardian

Posted January 19th, 2015 in bills, class actions, consumer protection, foreign jurisdictions, news by tracey

‘The Australian litigation funder coordinating shareholders’ legal action against Tesco is promising to launch more mass claims against large firms in the UK.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Private renters’ rights are stuck in the dark ages, Citizens Advice warns – The Guardian

‘Currently landlords obligated to repair fundamental fault in property – but can evict tenants if they pursue rights to repair.’

Full story

The Guardian, 13th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cosmetics tested on animals banned in the EU – or are they? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘R (on the application of the European Federation for Cosmetic Ingredients) v Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Attorney General, British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (intervening) [2014] EWHC 4222 (Admin) 12 December 2014. Conscientious shoppers who check the labelling of shampoos and other cosmetic products for the “not tested on animals” legend may not be aware that there is in place an EU Regulation (“the Cosmetics Regulation”), enforceable by criminal sanctions, prohibiting the placing on the market of any product that has been tested on laboratory animals. Any comfort drawn from this knowledge however may be displaced by the uncertainty concerning the status of cosmetics whose ingredients have been tested on animals in non-EU or “third” countries. (Incidentally the Cruelty Cutter app is designed to enable consumers to test, at the swipe of a smart phone, whether the product they are contemplating purchasing has been tested on animals.)’

Full story

UK Human RIghts Blog, 12th December 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Consumer Rights Bill: new rules on liability proposed for digital content suppliers – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 12th, 2014 in bills, computer programs, consumer protection, contracts, electronic commerce, news by sally

‘Businesses that supply digital content to consumers would be able to insert contract terms that would exclude them from liability for damage caused by their content to consumers’ devices or other digital content, under proposed new consumer protection laws backed by UK law makers.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th December 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

FCA report on complaint handling more optimistic than many feared – RPC Financial Services Blog

Posted November 26th, 2014 in complaints, consumer protection, financial regulation, news by sally

‘The FCA has finally published its report on its review of consumer complaint handling at 15 major retail financial services firms. Despite the expressed intention at the launch of the review last year for phase 2 to “consider firms’ approach to redress and root cause analysis”, the report is explicitly and determinedly forward-looking and does not – as some feared – criticise firms’ failures to root out systemic historic failings and proactively provide redress. In the end, the FCA’s stated aim was to uncover potential barriers to effective complaints handling and developing solutions going forward.’

Full story

RPC Financial Services Blog, 24th November 2014

Source: www.rpc.co.uk

New payday loan rules to cap fees, total cost and default charges – The Guardian

Posted November 11th, 2014 in consumer credit, consumer protection, fees, financial regulation, interest, news by michael

‘The UK’s financial watchdog is clamping down on payday loans, with new rules to ensure that borrowers are never forced to repay more than twice the sum of their original loan.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Bluefin Insurance Services Ltd) v Financial Ombudsman Service Ltd – WLR Daily

Regina (Bluefin Insurance Services Ltd) v Financial Ombudsman Service Ltd [2014] EWHC 3413 (Admin); [2014] WLR (D) 438

‘The question as to whether a complainant was a consumer for the purposes of the Financial Conduct Authority’s compulsory jurisdiction dispute resolution rules was a matter of precedent fact to be decided by the courts; it was not a question for Financial Ombudsman Service to determine that was reviewable only on conventional (“Wednesbury”) grounds.’

WLR Daily, 20th October 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Outlaw ‘revenge evictions’ by landlords, says housing charity – The Guardian

‘Shelter, the housing charity, is calling for a ban on “revenge evictions”, which it says are being carried out by bad landlords on tenants who dare to complain about inadequate conditions or ask for repairs to be made.’

Full story

The Guardian, 25th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jail for masterminds of £21m pyramid scheme with 10,000 victims – The Independent

Posted October 14th, 2014 in consumer protection, fraud, news, retrials, sentencing by sally

‘Two “greedy” women who masterminded a £21m get-rich-quick pyramid scheme that fleeced at least 10,000 victims wept yesterday as they were jailed for six months.’

Full story

The Independent, 13th October 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High Court rejects legal challenge against reforms to remote gambling regime – OUT-LAW.com

‘A legal challenge against UK government plans to reform remote gambling regulation and licensing in Great Britain has failed.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 10th October 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

LSB attacks “arbitrary nature” of separate business rule – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has attacked the “arbitrary nature” of the separate business rule used by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and said the list of what is permitted and what is not is “confusing”.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 10th October 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Payday lenders should wipe out loans in wake of Wonga ruling, experts say – The Guardian

Posted October 6th, 2014 in claims management, complaints, consumer protection, interest, loans, news by sally

‘Thousands of people who have taken out payday loans from firms other than Wonga should also have their interest and charges wiped out, say consumer and legal experts.’

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Competition watchdog bans deals between motor insurance and price comparison websites – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 29th, 2014 in competition, consumer protection, electronic commerce, insurance, internet, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘Exclusive pricing deals between car insurance providers and price comparison websites (PCWs) will be banned, the UK’s competition watchdog has confirmed, as part of its plans to increase competition and reduce the cost of insurance premiums for drivers.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 26th September 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

‘Frankly awful’: energy regulator’s damning verdict on suppliers’ customer service – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 26th, 2014 in complaints, consumer protection, energy, news by tracey

‘The Big Six energy suppliers have been ordered to improve “frankly awful” customer service after regulator Ofgem found more than half of customers were unhappy with how complaints were handled.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th September 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Don’t be misleading or aggressive to your customers – that’s obvious, isn’t it? – Technology Law Update

Posted September 23rd, 2014 in complaints, consumer protection, news, regulations by sally

‘From 1 October 2014 consumers will have new rights to complain that they have been subjected to misleading or aggressive sales practices or demands for payment, thanks to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading (Amendment) Regulations 2014.’

Full story

Technology Law Update, 23rd September 2014

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

Gambling law reforms to have effect from 1 October but prior High Court ruling expected on legal challenge – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 19th, 2014 in consumer protection, gambling, Gibraltar, licensing, news by tracey

‘A new regulatory and licensing regime for online and other remote gambling activity in Great Britain is set to come into effect from the beginning of next month after the UK parliament passed an order specifying 1 October as the date of commencement for the new regime.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 18th September 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

‘Pyramid scheme’ operation sees six women convicted – BBC News

Posted September 18th, 2014 in consumer protection, fraud, news, reporting restrictions, women by tracey

‘Six women have been convicted of operating a “pyramid” scheme in which thousands of investors lost money.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th September 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Swift (trading as A Swift Move) v Robertson – WLR Daily

Posted September 18th, 2014 in appeals, consumer protection, contracts, law reports, Supreme Court by tracey

Swift (trading as A Swift Move) v Robertson: [2014] UKSC 50; [2014] WLR (D) 396

‘A failure by a trader to give written notice of the right to cancel a contract for the supply of goods or services made during a visit to a consumer’s home did not deprive the consumer of his right to cancel the contract pursuant to regulation 7(1) of the Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008.’

WLR Daily, 9th September 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk