Do businesses know your consumer rights?

July 20, 2023

Businesses are today marking ‘Get to Know your Customers Day’ across the globe. The initiative serves as a gentle nudge for those in business to reach out to their consumer base and get to know them better.

But do all businesses understand what rights consumers have and their obligations to consumers as a whole? Let’s take a closer look at your consumer rights.

Stronger consumer rights

When selling goods or services to the public, businesses must comply with certain obligations.

If something goes wrong, businesses are required to resolve the issue for you. Your legal rights depend on if you bought goods, a service or digital content/services.

Your consumer rights were strengthened by the Consumer Rights Act 2022 (CRA).

Your rights include:

Right to information

You should be provided with specific information before buying. The information should be clear and easy to understand. It must include a full description of the goods or services being provided, the total price and any extra costs.

There are additional rights to information when you buy online or at your doorstep. For example, you should be told about your cooling off period where you can get a refund. If any dispute arises about the information provided, the business must show that it gave you the information.

Getting a refund

Products and services must match any description you were given. For example, if you agree to buy a 6ft king size bed, the bed delivered must match what was agreed. If the wrong size bed gets delivered, you have a short-term right to cancel the contract and get a refund. In these cases, and in cases of a faulty product, you can ask for a refund and return the item within 14 days of getting it. This extends to 30 days for doorstep sales.

Redress

Businesses must provide solutions if they haven’t met their obligations to you. You have a right to repair or replacement if a product is faulty. Learn more about other kinds of redress.

Businesses may be in breach of consumer protection if they refuse or fail to provide a remedy for goods, services and digital content/services that are faulty or don’t match what was agreed.

The CCPC can take enforcement action if we believe that a business has breached your rights. If you feel that a business has breached your consumer rights, you can report the business to us.

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