Latest news with #ConsumerRightsAct
ITV News
6 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Wary of making a complaint against your vet ? Here's how to escalate concerns
animals Vet Pet owners feel the odds are "stacked against them" when raising concerns against vets, leaving many put off filing complaints, according to a leading consumer group. New research by Which? found that more than a third of owners did not raise concerns, because they did not want to fall out with their vet, while 16% did not know how to complain. It also showed that more than 50% of pet owners consider the price of vet care was excessive, despite just less than a quarter saying they have issues with the quality of care. How can pet owners escalate complaints? ITV News explains. Are pet owners protected under the law? According to Lisa Webb, a legal expert at Which?, pet owners are protected under the law. If a vet has acted negligently, pet owners can seek compensation or damages from the veterinary practice, Webb said. Under the Consumer Rights Act, vets have a duty to provide a 'service with reasonable care and skills', according to Which? They are also expected to be open and honest about fees under the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Code of Professional Conduct. What can you do if you are unhappy with the service provided? If you are unhappy with the service provided, Which? says you can either complain to the practice directly or request a remedy under the Consumer Rights Act. This could include redoing part or all of the service at no extra cost, or agreeing to a price reduction or refund. How can you complain to the practice? Which? advises that customers should first speak to the practice about their complaint. If this does not resolve the issue, customers can then ask the veterinary practice for its complaints procedure. Each practice will its own way of handling complaints. The practice must provide the complaints handling policy, their regulator and their insurer's details when asked, Which? says. What if the complaint still isn't resolved? You can escalate your complaint further by seeking help from the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS). Which? says they can help if you are seeking: An apology A refund Corrective or further treatment A payment of goodwill As this is a voluntary service, the vet must agree to the VCMS' involvement, according to Which? You can also complain to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. They deal with the most serious complaints including very poor professional performance, criminal convictions and fraud or dishonesty, Which? says.
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Smart Money: Be wary, buy now, pay later comes with risks
If you don't understand this kind of lending you might end up with a massive debt Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The UK Government has been giving a real dusting down of its 'to do' list recently. And I'm pleased to say it's finally got round to dealing with one of the most popular – and unregulated – areas of lending: buy now pay later (BNPL) credit. It's estimated some 11 million people used BNPL last year alone for short term borrowing. Many readers love this way of paying for goods – and let me know they are unhappy with me when I criticise it. Buy now, pay later gives you 14-30 days to decide if you wish to keep something and pay for it (Picture: Adobe) However, I'm not here to be popular (well, maybe a little bit), so buyer beware! The new rules don't kick in until next year, so for now, watch out when you borrow, or you could end up with a huge debt you can't deal with. Here's my guide to how BNPL works. What is buy now, pay later? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad BNPL works by giving you a short-term loan, with or without interest, so you can buy goods or services even if you can't afford to pay the full price up front. Retailers have been actively pushing BNPL credit and you'll be hard pressed to find one that doesn't offer BNPL when you shop online. There are three main types of BNPL credit. Try before you buy You have a short period – usually 30 days but sometimes as low as 14 days – to 'inspect' goods before committing to buy them. These deals let you try things on, check goods out and see if they work for you before committing to buy. However, if you don't return the goods on time, you could find you've bought them. Bear in mind the 14 days just mirrors your existing online shopping rights under the Consumer Rights Act. Limited instalments The most well-known form of BNPL deal lets you pay in a limited number of instalments interest-free – usually three. This means you can buy things up front that you may not have the money for in full at point of purchase. However, you have committed to buy. Credit agreements These deals are closer to the older credit deals in that you pay in instalments over a longer period and pay interest. It's usually less than credit card interest but is still higher than a standard bank loan. What happens if you can't pay? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While BNPL firms may not charge debt interest, many readers have reported that businesses are quick to pass on debts to debt collectors who have a whole range of penalties and pressure tactics they can apply – and they can register financial debts with credit reference agencies. Worryingly, this can happen for relatively small sums. What do the new rules say? According to the Treasury, from next year, businesses offering BNPL will have to: Carry out upfront checks to make sure people can repay what they borrow. Offer 'fairer and faster access to refunds'. You'll also have the right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman, as with other regulated forms of credit. At present, BNPL firms are rather opaque about the checks they undertake to see if you can afford to borrow money. With most forms of lending the business will undertake a 'soft' or 'hard' credit check to see if you can afford to borrow. Soft checks don't go on to your credit file, hard ones do. If the lender doesn't check your credit file, it won't know how much you've borrowed – you might be hopelessly in debt and they won't know. You might also have multiple BNPL loans – at the height of the payday lending frenzy, the average number of loans per borrower was seven. People were drowning in debt and just getting in deeper. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We're still waiting for more details about how the new rules will work. I'd like to see tighter rules on passing people on to debt collectors and helping those in debt. Watch this space.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Millions set to receive up to £70 each after Mastercard settlement terms agreed
Millions of Mastercard holders are set to receive up to £70 each following the final approval of a £200 million settlement against the payment card provider. The Competition Appeal Tribunal gave its final approval on how the settlement should be distributed on Tuesday following the class action against Mastercard, which dates back to 2016. Walter Merricks, the former financial ombudsman, launched his claim after the European Commission ruled in 2007 that Mastercard's 'multilateral interchange fees' charged to businesses had since 1992 infringed competition law. He alleged that 46 million shoppers in Britain were ripped off after fees were wrongly levied on transactions made over a 15-year period between 1992 and 2008. The fees were paid by retailers accepting Mastercard payments, rather than by consumers themselves. But Mr Merricks claimed shoppers had lost out as retailers passed on these fees in the form of higher prices. It followed the arrival of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which allowed for US-style class actions in UK competition claims. A statement from Mr Merricks said millions of UK consumers who are part of the class action could now come forward and claim their share of the £200 million, with individuals potentially getting between £45 and £70 each. He said UK consumers would shortly be able to register to receive a payment by completing a simple online form, regardless of whether they ever held a Mastercard card. It was expected that payments would be made to consumers who register before the end of the year, he added. Commenting on the outcome, Mr Merricks said: 'I started this case because I believed that Mastercard's fees paid by retailers for processing card transactions had been unlawfully high and virtually all UK consumers had lost out for long periods by paying higher prices than they should have done as retailers passed on those costs. 'As the evidence came to be known through the litigation process, this was the position only in a relatively small proportion of transactions and the settlement reflects that. 'The settlement that has today been finally approved represents a fair and just outcome for UK consumers. 'On any view, recovering £200 million by way of a settlement for UK consumers is a huge sum, and that will translate into a meaningful impact in the pockets of UK consumers.'
The Irish Sun
09-05-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
3 key things to check as beauty staple urgently recalled over ‘electric shock' fears & ‘discontinue use' alert issued
AN urgent recall has been issued for a popular beauty staple over fears that it could cause an electric shock when used. The beauty item in question is the BEAUTYLUSHH UV nail lamp, which was available for Irish customers to buy on 2 The lamp has been recalled over safety fears Credit: CCPC The lamp was reported to the The safety bosses said that the power supply cable is "not secure and may make contact with accessible live parts of the product." They concluded that due to this fault, the product could result in the risk of electric shock. The CCPC has also identified three key things to check to see if you are in possession of a UV nail lamp impacted by the recall. READ MORE IN NEWS First, check the type and number of models, which in this case is SUN5 – 6462. Once this is identified, it is advised to check the batch number, which is D24-2024-22427-1. Following this, the bar code needs to be checked, which should read 5902802908650 if faulty. If you are in ownership of the Most read in Irish News It is also advised to contact eBay to rectify the issue. The CCPC said: "Given the online availability of this product, it may have been sold to customers in the Republic of Ireland. "If you purchased one of these products, please discontinue use immediately and discard the product. "You may wish to contact the eBay seller to see if there are any remedies available to you. This can be done via your user account on eBay." WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS WHEN PRODUCT RECALLED? A PRODUCT is recalled if the producer deems it to be unsafe to the public. In this circumstance, customers will be asked to return the product to be repaired, replaced, or refunded. If you have bought a product that has since been recalled, you are protected under consumer law in Ireland. If a product was bought on or before November 28, 2022, Consumer Rights Act helps give protection. If the fault occurs within 30 days of purchasing the good, you can cancel it and get a full refund. This can be done by informing the manufacturer in writing, to which they must give a refund through the same payment method, unless agreed otherwise, within 14 days of receiving the faulty good back. Within these 30 days, you are also entitled to ask for a repair or replacement on the good free of charge. If the seller of the product finds it to be unsafe, they are responsible to take action, which depends on the safety issue in question. This can include issuing new instructions, modifying the product, or recalling the product. If this is carried out, you should follow the advice sent by the producer. ONLINE RECALL A separate recall has been issued to Irish customers who bought an electric Those in possession of the Gertzy Shaver have been urged to "discontinue use immediately" after the product was recalled. The product was sold on the popular online However, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has issued a recall alert as the shaver has not been subject to required safety checks. The CCPC said: "The CCPC has safety concerns in relation to a Gertzy shaver sold by the seller GERTZY DIRECT on the TEMU platform. "It has not been demonstrated to the CCPC that the shaver has been tested to the relevant safety standards." The model number of the concerning product is MG8018. 2 A beauty staple has been discontinued Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Your rights if you buy something second-hand - and how to get your money back
Consumer rights expert Martyn James explains what you need to know about buying pre-loved goods and vintage items Do you love a bargain? I know I do. From spending a big portion of my youth tramping around Affleck's Palace in Manchester to find old army jackets, to exploring a car boot sale for a hidden gem, I love pre-loved gifts. But these days you can shop second-hand from home. There has been a huge increase in websites and apps that specialise in selling second-hand or vintage items. These sites have gone mainstream over the last few years as people consider more about the impact of their spending on the environment. Not to mention you get more for your money. Second hand websites are also great if you're thinking about making a bit of cash to beat the cost-of-living crisis, or you're planning on ditching the clutter in the back of the wardrobe. In fact, many people have found that selling pre-owned items is a career in itself. Vintage websites specialise in everything from garments old and newish to retro items and old technology. If you have something lying around unloved, chances are someone will want to buy it. The sites work in a similar way to other online marketplaces, but there are always things you need to watch out for. Here's my guide for both shoppers and sellers. Am I buying from a retailer or individual? If you are using an online marketplace – a big, online brand that brings together buyers and sellers but doesn't actually provide the goods on sale – then it's not always clear who you are buying from. Despite the best efforts of these sites, fraudsters can lurk online, posing as both buyers and sellers. Before you click to commit, check to see if the person selling goods or services is doing so as an individual or a business. This is an important distinction because retailers in the UK are covered by two laws that govern your shopping rights when it comes to returns and disputes. If you're buying direct from a retailer, you more protections than buying from a person selling their personal items. It's not always so straightforward though. On sites like eBay and Vinted you can buy from both individuals and retailers and it's not always clear who fits in to each category. Online marketplaces usually have their own dispute resolution schemes to offer some protection when things go wrong – and to ensure that everyone is following the law. I've heard mixed responses from readers about whether these schemes are any good. So don't assume you have definitive protection when shopping or selling. Retailer sales The good news is from cars to bras, if you buy second-hand goods through a retailer two all-important laws cover you for disputes that might arise about what you purchase. The Consumer Contract Regulations cover online sales and give you 14 days to change your mind about most purchases. There are a few exceptions though, like made to order or personalised items. The Consumer Rights Act gives you the right to return faulty or misrepresented goods. Any seasoned vintage clothes shopper will tell you that second-hand items will inevitably have wear and tear. However, the retailer must simply tell you about any faults or problems with the goods. Buyers should have realistic expectations and understand that the item will show signs of having been used before. The law says goods or services that you purchase must be: Of satisfactory quality: In general terms, the retailer must not misrepresent the goods, should make it clear what it does and doesn't do and should make sure the item is what it says it is (i.e. not fake). As described: The item or service should be as the retailer said it would be. So if you buy a black leather jacket, it should match the colour, fabric and description given by the retailer. Fit for purpose: You should be able to use the goods or services for the purpose they were supplied for. So if you've bought a hard drive that's designed to work with Microsoft laptops, then it should do precisely that. The law also says that the goods must last 'a reasonable amount of time. Individual sales / private sellers According to the Consumer Rights Act, when you buy from a private seller – an individual, like you - the goods must be 'as they were described'. Sellers can't 'misrepresent' the goods, but they don't have to list every fault either. So a 'jacket with some marks' should be just that. The seller can't claim the jacket is new though as that would be untrue. The best way to counter mis-selling – deliberate or accidental - is to ask for clear pictures of the item and assurances that it functions as advertised, before buying. Sorting out complaints with private sellers Disputes are complex, because you are often at the mercy of the dispute resolution services offered through the online marketplace. Many of the sellers I speak to argue that their customers don't always have realistic expectations, or have damaged the goods on receipt to get a refund. Whereas buyers often argue that the item was wilfully misrepresented. The website's dispute resolution scheme will usually weed out any scammers. So that just leaves problems over the quality of goods. I find it pays to be pragmatic. If you just want a refund and the seller just wants their goods back, then agree a return, documenting the process with photos. Keep those emails or communications though. If you paid by card and a refund isn't forthcoming, your bank might be able to charge back your cash.
