Protección del consumidor
Derechos del consumidor, seguridad de productos, comercio desleal y aplicación de CMA.
Introducción
La legislación de protección del consumidor salvaguarda a los compradores frente a productos defectuosos y prácticas comerciales desleales.
Principios fundamentales
Statutory Rights — Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described (CRA 2015, ss.9–11). Services must be performed with reasonable care and skill (s.49).
Right to Reject — Consumers have a short-term right to reject faulty goods within 30 days for a full refund (CRA 2015, s.22).
Unfair Trading — The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit misleading actions, misleading omissions, and aggressive commercial practices.
Product Liability — Under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, manufacturers are strictly liable for damage caused by defective products without the need to prove negligence.
Unfair Contract Terms — Terms in consumer contracts are not binding if they are unfair (CRA 2015, Part 2). The 'grey list' in Schedule 2 identifies terms likely to be unfair.
Distance Selling — The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give consumers a 14-day cooling-off period for online, phone, and mail-order purchases.
Consumer Credit — The Consumer Credit Act 1974 regulates credit agreements, requiring proper documentation and giving consumers cancellation rights. Section 75 provides joint liability of credit card companies for breaches by suppliers.
Enforcement — The CMA, Trading Standards, and sector regulators (FCA, Ofcom, Ofgem) enforce consumer protection law.
Leyes clave
Casos principales
Bernstein v Pamson Motors
[1987] 2 All ER 220
Escenarios comunes
Faulty product causes injury
Under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, the manufacturer is strictly liable for damage caused by a defective product. No need to prove negligence. The claimant must show the product was defective and caused the damage.
Online purchase doesn't match description
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must match their description. For online purchases, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 also give a 14-day cooling-off period to return goods for any reason.
Aggressive sales tactics at the door
Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, aggressive commercial practices (pressure selling, harassment, coercion) are prohibited. Affected consumers can seek redress including damages and the right to unwind the contract.