Online Shopping Uk - Legal Protection

With online shopping UK figures showing a
dramatic recovery from the dotcom crash of
2000 and about 90% of consumers planning
to shop at Christmas , it is important for
shoppers to know their rights when buying
online.

It is vital to remember that when you
are buying online, you have the same rights
as when you are buying in a corner shop.

Here are some of the sites where you can get
legal advice and protection when a purchase
goes wrong.

Trading Standards Consumer Complaints
www.consumercomplaints.org.uk
This is a site where you can make a complaint
about a company or request advice.

Office of Fair Trading
www.oft.gov.uk/consumer
This site gives lots of general advice on
consumer rights in the UK and tips on how
to complain.

Trading Standards
www.tradingstandards.gov.uk
An important site for UK shoppers.
Here there is a database of consumer guides.
The site also contains links to the
Advertising Standards Authority and the
Direct Marketing Association.

Advice Guide from Citizens' Advice
www.adviceguide.org.uk
A site with many informative factsheets on
all kinds of consumer topics.

Consumer Direct
www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
This is a site from the Department of Trade
and Industry which has excellent factsheets
on various topics including internet security
and online scams.

Which Online
www.which.net
This is a subscription site with a mass of
consumer information and the latest news
on credit card fraud and general internet
security.

Shopping online is normally a pleasant
experience. However, if things do go wrong
it is important to know your rights when you
are contacting companies as they tend to
respect consumers who demonstrate that they
know the law straight away.

(C) John Lynch

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