ukwirednews
Business
'Bill of Rights' proposed for shoppers
Published: 13th Jul 2012 15:34:40
Stronger consumer protection laws are being proposed by the government that will take into account e-commerce.
It is consulting on a Consumer Bill of Rights, which will update some laws that have been unchanged for decades.
Shoppers will be give stronger rights to complain and gain redress for faulty services.
Consumer Affairs Minister Norman Lamb said new laws were needed to cover the sale of digital material, where customers have little protection.
"The UK's consumer law is complex and difficult for consumers and businesses to understand," he said.
"We want consumers to feel confident about their rights so they can challenge businesses when they buy poor quality goods, services or digital content such as music or games."
He said the law would be brought up to date to provide protection for purchasers of digital music, games and software.
Consumer law on the supply of goods will be simplified, which the minister said was "unnecessarily complex".
The suggested changes were welcomed by the consumers' association Which?.
"This should help people know what they're entitled to and what they can do when things go wrong, which is good for consumers, better for businesses and benefits the economy," said Richard Lloyd of Which?.
"To catch up with the 21st century the legislation will also need to make clear the rights of consumers when they are buying services or shopping in the digital world."
Adam Scorer, of Consumer Focus, said: "Our laws are totally outdated for digital products like ebooks and downloaded film and music, which weren't even a pipedream when much of the current consumer rights legislation was written."
Harvard Citation
BBC News, 2012. 'Bill of Rights' proposed for shoppers. [Online] (Updated 13 Jul 2012)Available at: http://www.ukwirednews.com/news.php/1440416-Bill-of-Rights-proposed-for-shoppers [Accessed 19th May 2013]
More Business News
-
Google: Eric Schmidt defends company's tax affairs
Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt has defended the company's tax affairs after it came in for heavy criticism this week.... -
Miliband pledges corporate tax avoidance crackdown
Labour leader Ed Miliband says he will write new rules to tackle corporate tax avoidance if he wins the next election, even without internat... -
Scottish Independence: Treasury claims banks 'safer in UK'
The latest UK government paper on the impact of Scottish independence will claim the UK is better placed to manage the risk of a financial c... -
Sir Mervyn King concern over Help to Buy mortgage scheme
The outgoing governor of the Bank of England has warned that a government plan to boost the housing market should not become permanent.... -
Italy coalition: Thousands rally in Rome against cuts
Thousands of protesters, led by trade unionists, have rallied in the Italian capital Rome against the policies of the new coalition governme... -
Should we all be a bit psychopathic at work?
Most of us will probably think of psychopaths as dangerous knife-wielding maniacs who are better off behind bars.... -
Contactless 'charging errors' at M&S
Some Marks and Spencer customers have told the BBC of cases where its contactless payment terminals have taken cash from cards other than th... -
Phone cost confusion putting off callers, Ofcom says
Some people are "put off" making important calls because of confusion over the amount they will be charged, according to the telec... -
Europe's outlook: Cheer or jeer?
We have heard no end of views from the political world about what Europe needs to do to come out from the economic mess it's now in. Bu... -
Spain reports trade surplus as imports slump
Spain has reported its first monthly trade surplus for more than 40 years....
Latest News
-
At 15:48:40 in England
Boxer Roy Jones Jr aids hen party crash fundraiser
A former world boxing champion has donated memorabilia in support of the victims of a fatal hen party minibus crash on the M62.... -
At 15:44:39 in Headlines
French ex-budget minister Jerome Cahuzac bows out
France's disgraced ex-budget minister Jerome Cahuzac, who stood down when he was found to have an undeclared Swiss bank account, says h... -
At 15:42:53 in England
Derby fire deaths: Mairead Philpott to appeal against jail term
A lawyer for Mairead Philpott, who killed her six children in a fire, said she would appeal against her jail term.... -
At 15:42:18 in Wales
Caernarfon plane crash leaves one person dead and two injured
One person is understood to have died and two others have been injured after a light aircraft crashed at Caernarfon Airport in Gwynedd.... -
At 15:28:22 in England
Coronation Street cleans up at British Soap Awards
Coronation Street has won eight prizes at the British Soap Awards, compared with just one for its rival EastEnders.... -
At 15:20:21 in England
New Sikh association for West Midlands police officers
A new association has been set up by West Midlands police officers to improve relationships between the force and the Sikh community. ... -
At 15:09:59 in Headlines
PTI's Zahra Shahid Hussain is buried in Karachi
The funeral of the murdered vice-president of Pakistan's PTI party, Zahra Shahid Hussain, has been held at a mosque in Karachi.... -
At 15:05:27 in Headlines
Tunisia police clash with Salafists over meeting ban
Tunisian police have clashed with hundreds of hardline Islamists whose group was prevented from meeting.... -
At 14:56:26 in England
Aston Martin DB4 fetches record auction price
An Aston Martin road car has fetched a record price at auction in Buckinghamshire - where it was made in 1960.... -
At 14:54:51 in Politics
Clegg leadership plot claims 'ridiculous' says Danny Alexander
Claims that Deputy PM Nick Clegg could face a Lib Dem leadership challenge from Vince Cable are "ridiculous", Lib Dem minister Dan...
News In Other Categories
-
Clegg leadership plot claims 'ridiculous' says Danny Alexander
Claims that Deputy PM Nick Clegg could face a Lib Dem leadership challenge from Vince Cable are "ridiculous", Lib Dem minister Dan... -
Caernarfon plane crash leaves one person dead and two injured
One person is understood to have died and two others have been injured after a light aircraft crashed at Caernarfon Airport in Gwynedd.... -
Coronation Street cleans up at British Soap Awards
Coronation Street has won eight prizes at the British Soap Awards, compared with just one for its rival EastEnders.... -
Revision techniques - the good, the OK and the useless
It's the time of year where students are poring over their books, trying to ensure they are prepared for their exams.... -
Rahul Dravid 'devastated' over India cricket team arrests
Legendary Indian batsman Rahul Dravid has spoken of his anguish after three players from the team he captains in the Indian Premier league w... -
Riverside Museum is European Museum of the Year
Glasgow's Riverside Museum has been named European Museum of the Year (EMYA) at a ceremony in Belgium. ...



