Distance selling legislation in the UK is changing. The EC Directive on Consumer Rights (2011/93/EC) is due to be implemented across all Member States by June 2014 and replaces existing EU Directives on doorstep and distance selling, including off-premises contracts and online retailing whether via a business’ own website or an online auction site.
The UK has implemented the Consumer Rights Directive by means of two sets of Regulations. The first, banning excessive payment surcharges, is already in force and from 13 June the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 also come into force.
Businesses should:
- review their terms and conditions to ensure that they take account of the new provisions
- ensure that their procedures are robust enough to provide customers with all the appropriate information
- for any online sales, check that their website is clear, particularly in relation to payment obligations.
For more information, see our article New Consumer Rights Regulations.
For more information please contact our Commercial and Technology, Media and Telecommunications teams.