Consumer protection laws

Consumer protection laws are the rules and regulations that make up the legal framework of consumer protection. Consumer protection laws have been designed to ensure that the interests of consumers are protected. There are two main issues these rules deal with in order to perform this role - competition and contractual fairness.

Consumer protection laws were put in place to ensure that a marketplace benefits from the appropriate level of competition. Without such competition the consumers in that market will not benefit from the improved service and pricing that competition is associated with. In the UK the Competition Authority is charged with the responsibility of ensuring competition guidelines are kept.

When it comes to fairness, consumer protection laws ensure that unfair contract terms are not enforceable in law. This is mostly done through statutes such as the Unfair Contract Terms Act which declares that specific terms which are deemed by the courts to be unfair are not legally binding. Consumer protection laws include guidance from past cases which help predict which type of terms will be deemed unfair.

If you are involved in a dispute regarding a consumer protection issue, you are advised to seek legal counsel. Commercial solicitors are able to offer you significant insight regarding your case, as they are able to draw on their knowledge and understanding of consumer protection laws. Merely knowing all the rules would not be enough, as the exact application of each law depends on the individual circumstances of each case.

If you would like to obtain legal advice on consumer protection laws, Contact Law can put you in touch with a local commercial / consumer / solicitor free of charge. So, if you have any questions or would like our help in finding local commercial / consumer solicitors please call us on 0800 1777 162 or complete the web-form above.