Shoppers' Rights - A guide for business

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Shoppers' rights

Occasionally you may have concerns about what rights a consumer might have when making a complaint against a product or service you have supplied. Sometimes consumers can misunderstand what their rights are or traders might not fully understand what their obligations may be.

If you are unsure what to do in a situation like this, contact us using the details below. We offer a free mediation service which can assist you in resolving outstanding civil complaints. Renfrewshire trading standards officers can also arrange a visit to your premises and give training talks to your staff on trading standards issues and the law.

Free advice booklet

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skill (BIS) have produced a free booklet - 'A Trader's Guide' that you can download from the Department for BIS website. The booklet gives expert advice on sales receipts, rights and remedies, credit notes, exclusion clauses and many other issues of interest and relevance to traders.

Sale of Goods Act

The Office of Fair Trading have produced an easy to follow reference guide for the Sale of Goods Act. Please refer to this to ensure you are complying with the law when dealing with returned goods.

Distance Selling

If you sell goods or services to consumers without face-to-face contact, e.g. via the internet, email, text messaging, video and picture messaging, telephone, fax, interactive TV and mail order, then you are required to abide by the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. The Office of Fair Trading have produced an easy to follow reference guide for Distance Sellers. Please refer to this to ensure you are complying with the law.

Contact information

• email: ts.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• phone: 0141 840 3184 (option 2)
• call in or write to us at:
  Renfrewshire Council
  Environmental Services
  Trading Standards
  Renfrewshire House
  Cotton Street
  Paisley
  PA1 1BR