Category: consumer protection

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

Posted December 15th, 2014 in animal cruelty, consumer protection, EC law, health & safety, interpretation, news, vivisection by tracey

‘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.)’

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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.’

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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.’

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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.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

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

Posted October 28th, 2014 in complaints, consumer protection, financial regulation, financial services ombudsman, jurisdiction, law reports by sally

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

Posted October 27th, 2014 in appeals, complaints, consumer protection, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by sally

‘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.’

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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.’

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The Independent, 13th October 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

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

Posted October 13th, 2014 in advertising, consumer protection, EC law, gambling, Gibraltar, internet, judicial review, licensing, news by sally

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

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th October 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

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

Posted October 10th, 2014 in alternative business structures, company law, consumer protection, disclosure, law firms, legal services, news by sally

‘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”.’

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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.’

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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.’

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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.’

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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.’

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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.’

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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.’

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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

ICO needs to rethink how to tackle mobile apps privacy failings, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 15th, 2014 in codes of practice, computer programs, consumer protection, data protection, internet, news, ombudsmen, privacy, telecommunications by tracey

‘The UK’s data protection authority needs to rethink its strategy for combatting failings in mobile apps privacy, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th September 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

We need more independence, BSB director says – Legalfutures

Posted September 12th, 2014 in barristers, consumer protection, legal representation, legal services, news by tracey

‘Dr Vanessa Davies, director of the Bar Standards Board (BSB), has made it clear that the regulator will push for more independence in the future.’

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Legalfutures, 12th September 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government agrees to set up Food Crime Unit following Elliott Review – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 8th, 2014 in consumer protection, food, fraud, health & safety, news, quality assurance by sally

‘A new Food Crime Unit is to be set up after the Government accepted all of the recommendations of the Elliott report on food integrity and assurance of food supply networks.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th September 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

British Standards enter the electronic age with new digital Kitemarks – The Independent

Posted August 27th, 2014 in banking, consumer protection, data protection, internet, news by sally

‘For almost a century it has appeared with reassuring mundanity on everything from manhole covers and condoms to fire extinguishers and motorcycle helmets, comforting the consumer that the product they are about to use is safe.’

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The Independent, 27th August 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk