Consumers

Leaflets you can order from us

If you are a South Tyneside trader or resident we can send you guidance leaflets listed below free of charge. Just click on the button beside the title.

The leaflets available are organised in the following categories :

• Problems with goods
• Problems with services
• Problems with vehicles
• Holidays
• Mortgages, Debt and Financial
• Credit
• Property and Home Improvements
• If you are in dispute
• Food
• Safety in the home
• Gas appliance safety
• General Safety
• Child Safety
• Road Safety
• Europe
• General

Problems with goods

• Buying goods (OFT)
     Your rights, and what you can do if things go wrong
• Buyers guide (OFT)
     Your legal rights, How to complain, Where to get help
• Buying by post (OFT)
     Your rights when buying from a catalogue, newspaper or magazine
• Prepayments (OFT)
     Paying in advance? How to minimise the risks
• Shopping by post (Royal Mail)
     How to get the most out of shopping by post
• Shoes (OFT)
     Faulty shoes? A four step plan for when things go wrong

Problems with services

• Buying Services
• Estate Agents - your legal rights and other practical advice
• Gas Competition - All you need to know
• Local Government - complaining to the Ombudsmen
• Prepayments - paying for goods/services in advance
• Shopping by post - a practical guide on buying goods/services by post
• Working with your Solicitor

Problems with vehicles

• How to get satisfaction from your car repairer (Retail Motor Industry Federation)
     Advice from a trade association
• The car buyers guide (Greater Manchester Police)
     Checklist of precautions for when buying a car
• Buying a used car? (OFT)
     Booklet on how to get the best deal

Holidays

• If it hasn't got an ATOL don't book it at all (OFT)
     Outline of the protection scheme for air travel tickets
• Flight plan (AUC)
     Planning and using air travel, what to do if things go wrong
• The timeshare guide (DTI)
     Your rights under UK law

Mortgages, Debt and Financial

• Your mortgage (OFT)
     A guide to the different types of mortgage
• Debt (OFT)
     What to do when bills pile up
• The Banking Ombudsman scheme (Office of the Banking Ombudsman)
     When and how they can help
• Using a pawnbroker (OFT)
     Just another way of borrowing money

Credit

• No credit? (OFT)
     Credit reference agencies
• Extortionate credit (OFT)
     Safeguards for consumers under the Consumer Credit Act 1974
• Equal liability (OFT)
     Valuable rights for those who buy on credit. The lender’s liability under the Consumer Credit Act 1974

Property and Home Improvements

• Buying property abroad (CRC)
     Useful information if you are buying a house in France or Belgium
• Home improvements - Having work done on your home? (OFT)
     This guide explains how you can protect yourself

If you are in dispute

• I have a judgement but the defendant hasn't paid (The Court Service)
• The Small Claims Court (Lord Chancellors Department)
     Users guide to this inexpensive arbitration scheme

Food

• Foodsense (Foodsense) - food facts not fads
• Food safety (Foodsense)
• Food additives (Foodsense)
• Food labels (Foodsense)
• Food protection (Foodsense)
• Healthy eating (Foodsense)
• The new microwave labels (Foodsense)
• Chemicals in food - managing the risks (Foodsense)
• Food allergy and other unpleasant reactions to food (Foodsense)
• Organic food (Foodsense)
     How to tell if organic food is genuinely organic
• Use your label: making sense of nutrition information (Foodsense)
• More foods go metric (DTI)
     Guidelines to the latest stage of metrification

Safety in the home

• So you think you're safe at home (DTI)
     How to spot the risks before they become dangers
• Danger! Fires and heaters need air (DTI)
     How to make sure your fire is safe
• DIY Guide to Safety (DTI)
     Safety tips from the experts for the home and garden
• Making furniture safer (DTI)
     Regulations and labelling for domestic furniture
• Choosing glass for safety (RoSPA)
     The danger spots and the types of glass you should use
• Residual Current Devices — your questions answered (DTI)
     Safety devices to prevent electric shock from faulty wiring
• Your old electric blanket could be dangerous (DTI)
     Warning signs and what to do

Gas appliance safety

• Carbon monoxide — a killer in your digs? (Gas Consumers Council)
     Warning signs and what to do
• It's invisible and silent..... but deadly Carbon Monoxide (Gas Consumers Council)
• Gas appliances — Get them checked, keep them safe (HSE)
     How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
• The lives of your tenants are in your hands (British Gas)
• Gas problems? We can help (Gas Consumers Council)
    

General Safety

• Shoppers' guide to safer nightwear and babywear
• In the garden - do it safely
• Take care - be plant aware - plants that can be dangerous
• Keep safe - ideas for older people and those with disabilities
• Surma - the gift that can be dangerous
• Gas fired water heaters in caravans
• This piece of paper could save your life

Child Safety

• The toy safety code
• Toy safety
• How to buy safe toys
• The toy safety code
• Hands off - how to stop children getting burnt
• Stop children swallowing hazardous chemicals
• Thinking secondhand baby products? - try second thoughts
• First Ride Safe Ride
• Pesticides - use them safely

Road Safety

• Cycle helmets (RoSPA)
     Choosing the right helmet
• Who cares if you belt your kids? (BSI)
     The law on seatbelts for babies and children
• Seat belts and child restraints (DTP)
     Advice for pregnant women and on choosing the right restraint

Europe

• Advertising in the single market (CEG)
     Consumer information on European-wide protection
• Buying on credit in the single market (CEG)
     Consumer information on European-wide protection
• Buying insurance in the single market (CEG)
     Consumer information on European-wide protection
• Banking in the single market (CEG)
     Consumer information on European-wide protection
• Safe products in the single market (CEG)
     Consumer information on European-wide protection
• Medicine in the single market (CEG)
     Consumer information on European-wide protection
• Cosmetics in the single market (CEG)
     Consumer information on European-wide protection

General

• ASA — easy reference (ASA)
     Outline of the work of the Advertising Standards Agency
• Legal Decent Honest Truthful (ASA)
     A consumer guide to the Advertising Standards Agency
• Energy labelling (DETR)
     A guide to the law - some household appliances now need to show how efficient they are
• How you can reduce unwanted faxes (FPS)
     Outline of the fax preference service
• How you can reduce unwanted telephone sales calls (TPS)
• The trading schemes guide (DTI)
     The law on pyramid, snowball, homeworking and other schemes

Key to Other Organisations

Further information on these and other organisations.