Customer Protection Legislation.

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Customer service         E3

Customer Protection Legislation

What is Customer Protection?

In the UK, several Acts of Parliament lay down the responsibilities of the seller to the buyer. As a member of the EU, the UK must also implement legislation passed by the EU.

Consumer Protection

  • Consumer Protection and Customer Service

  • Legal and Ethical Responsibilities

  • Trading Standards

  • Ombudsman

  • Principles of Fair Trading

  • Effects of non complance

  • Legal action
  • Investigation
  • Corporate image and sales

  • Customer policies

  • Charter
  • Commitment to quality

  • Legislation

  • Independent consumer organisation

  • Office of fair trading and competition commission

Consumer Protection Legislation

These are the acts that deal with consumer protection

  • Sales of goods Act 1979

  • Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994

  • Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982

  • Supply of Goods Act 1973

  • The Trade Descriptions Act

  • Consumer Protection Act 1987

  • Data Protection Act 1984

The Sales of Goods Act

The Sales of Goods Act (SOGA) 1979 was passed in order to offer a statutory entitlement of protection to the consumer. It was passed to fill some holes in a previous Act of 1893, which sought to protect customers that purchased goods from sellers. The most prevalent part of the Act consists of four main parts:

Section 13 - Description - Goods, when bought, should be the goods that have been advertised. For example a coat that has been advertised as waterproof should not leak in the rain.

Section 14 Subsection (2) - Satisfactory Quality - Goods should be of an adequate quality free from defects or flaws.

Section 14 Subsection (3) - Fitness for Purpose - Goods should be fit for the purpose they are intended. For example, outdoor paint should not run off the walls in the rain.

Section 15 - Sale by Sample - Where goods are sold by way of sample the bulk of the ordered goods should correspond to the sample.

It is clear that by having these implied terms the consumer is well protected when purchasing goods from retailers. Many people state the SOGA when returning faulty/unsatisfactory goods to retailers.

The Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994

This act is important for its substitution of the term ‘satisfactory quality’ for the previously used phrases ‘merchantable quality’ and ‘fit for the purpose’. The guidelines quoted above were set out in the sale and supply of goods act 1994, but are implemented through the sale of goods act.

The Supply of Goods and Services act

Service standards are covered by this act, as in buying the services of a plumber to repair central heating or a garage to service a car. Buyers are protected from shoddy workmanship, delays and exorbitant charges the act states that all services should be carried out:

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For a reasonable charge

  • Within a reasonable time

  • With a reasonable care and skill

  • Using satisfactory materials

The Supply of Goods Act

This act deals with the responsibilities of the seller in relation to hire purchase contracts.

Anyone buying goods on hire purchase has the some protection under the law as a person who buys the goods outright

The supplier must ensure that

  • He or she has legal title to the goods (has the right to sell)

  • The description of the goods is accurate and not misleading

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