Consumer Advice
Last year our advisers dealt with more than 2000 consumer complaints from North Somerset residents as well as many hundreds of enquiries regarding shoppers rights and other issues. This web site is designed to provide information and advice 24 hours a day to help North Somerset consumers solve their own problems.
Things we can and cannot do
Things we can do:
- give impartial advice on consumer law and your rights
- suggest action you can take
- advise on civil court procedure
- investigate complaints to determine whether criminal law has been breached
- investigate the activities of 'rogue' traders
Things we cannot do:
- close businesses down
- automatically obtain a refund for you
- mediate on your behalf (other than in very exceptional circumstances)
- tell you which businesses to avoid
- recommend businesses
- tell traders what to charge for goods or services
- take action when the criminal law has not been broken
How to write a letter of complaint
Have you received faulty goods or poor service? Do you want to write a letter of complaint but aren't too sure what you need to write?
Why not make use of our simple complaint letter templates to put your complaint in writing?
Do you know what's in your food?
Try this simple test - if you don't know the answer to at least 4 of the following questions then you could be putting your wallet (and your well-being) at risk:-
- Is "Lightly salted" the same as "Low salt"?
- Did you know that ham can legally contain up to 10% added water without your knowledge?
- What is the difference between "Chocolate flavour" and "Chocolate flavoured"?
- Do you know what all those 'E' numbers are and why food producers put them in?
For example: Did you know that "E300 L-ascorbic acid" is simply vitamin C?
- Is "low fat" the same as "reduced fat"?
- "Orange juice" contains 100% juice, but ....
.... how much real juice is in an "Orange juice drink" - 100%, 60% , 40%, 20%, 10% ? You may be surprised at the answer.
If you would like to know the answers to these and a host of other questions about your food check out the CHEWONTHIS website.
The website is produced by the Food Commission, a non governmental organisation that is totally independent of the food industry. Although it is designed for independent use by secondary school students the website will also be of great interest to anyone who is concerned about how our food is produced and it's effect on our health and the environment.
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Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an independent Government department set up by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to protect the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food.
The Agency's (FSA) website also contains a host of information and advice concerning a wide range of food topics.
For example their website offers advice and guidance on:-
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Food Alerts
From time to time the Food Standards Agency issues warnings regarding foods which they consider pose a risk to health.
These alerts can be viewed at: Food Alerts
Financial advice
Two million households in the UK are living on a financial knife-edge, susceptible to an economic downturn, a Financial Services Authority (FSA) survey suggests.
A further half million UK households are already having difficulty paying bills and meeting debts, the report found.
The FSA identified a lack of consumer knowledge, particularly amongst the 18-40 age group, as key to low levels of saving in the UK.
The FSA (in conjunction with the BBC) has developed a Financial Healthcheck and Debt Test. These are available on the
Money Made Clear website.
General advice and guidance about all things financial can be found on the FSA home page
Mine's a Pint
It's well known that a one pint or half pint beer glass or tankard, bears a mark, put there by a Trading Standards Officer (Weights & Measures Inspector). The mark proves that the glass has been individually tested to ensure it can hold the stated amount.
The format of these marks has recently changed and we have produced a poster for businesses and consumers to show what the new marks look like.
To download a copy of the "Mine's a Pint Poster" or to see see the new marks click here
Bank Charges
Over recent months bank charges have been the subject of a great deal of speculation, particularly in relation to their 'fairness' or otherwise.
Following the test case in the High Court in April 2008 the Office of fair Trading has issued a Press Release.
Shopping across Europe and on-line
ECC United Kingdom is a website delivered by the
Trading Standards Institute to provide free
information on consumer rights across Europe
and assists in cross-border disputes.
The aim is to make consumers feel as confident when shopping in another country as they do at home.
The following is just a sample of the subjects included:-
- Air travel: advice on what to do if your flight is cancelled, delayed or overbooked or your baggeage is lost or delayed.
- Internet auction sites: what are your rights when buying and what are your obligations when selling.
- Package holidays: What to do if your holiday is cancelled or the price increases and how to complain.
- Cars: What are your rights when buying a car from mainland Europe - what are the problems and hidden costs.
To access this invaluable website click here.
Small Claims Court
The County Court now has an online facility for making claims. The "Money Claim Online" (MCOL) is Her Majesty's Courts Service Internet based service for claimants and defendants.
Money on line is a simple way to make a claim against an individual or company, if the amount claimed by yourself is a known fixed sum.
For example an unpaid invoice, a full or partial refund or the cost of damages are all the types of claims that can be made using this service.
When preparing to make your claim on line you must have the following information available:-
- Full name and address of the person(s) you wish to make a claim against
- Amount you wish to claim
- Facts relating to the claim, e.g. dates, times, events, invoice numbers etc.
To access Money Claim Online click here
The County Court in Weston super Mare has it's own webpage containing contact details and other useful links.
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Weekly Consumer Quiz
Test your consumer skills with our weekly
on-line quiz
Guidance notes and leaflets
From this page you can go to our self-help advice sheets which you can view on-line and download if you wish.
If you are a North Somerset resident we can send you leaflets including those produced by other organisations such as The Office of Fair Trading and The Department of Trade and Industry.
It is also possible to search the notes and leaflets for a relevant word or words. Check latest news for updates.
Contact us for further information
Either go to ....
.... or search the advice sheets and leaflet titles
This search will return all pages which match any of your selected words. Searching for 'food health' will find pages which include the words 'food' OR 'health' but will not find part words, for example, a page containing the word 'heal'. The search is not case sensitive.
Avoiding scams
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has a series of interactive 'scams guides' designed to help you avoid being tricked into losing money. The guides expose the clever tactics used by scammers and are the OFT’s latest tool in the fight against the scams that cost UK consumers an estimated £3.5 billion every year.
There are three interactive guides available –
- a ‘prize draw’ scam mailing,
- a bogus ‘lottery’ mailing and
- a fake ‘clairvoyant’ mailing,
All three are similar to the type that drop onto the doormats of thousands of people across the UK every day. Each guide contains ‘pop-up’ text highlighting the tricks used by the scammers to convince people that the letters are genuine. For example, clairvoyant mailings use the recipient’s name over and over again, and include printed sections that look like they have been hand-written, when in fact the exact same letter will have been sent to thousands of other people at the same time.
The OFT's interactive guide.
Report a Scam
To report a scam please go to the Consumer Direct Report A Scam web page and complete the simple on-line form.
No Univited Doorstep Sellers Zones
For the latest information on No Unvited Doorstep Sellers Zones (also known as No Cold Calling Zones) click here
Cancellation of Contracts Made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008
With effect from 1 October 2008 the Government is introducing new regulations to protect consumers and simplify the law. The ‘Cancellation of Contracts Made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008’ (the new Regulations) are aimed at traders who enter into a contract with a consumer at their home or workplace. They also cover contracts made at another individual’s home or on an excursion organised by the trader away from their business premises.
More information can be found on the BERR website
A copy of the new regulations can be downloaded here.
Home credit comparison web site
A useful new website is now available to help consumers obtain a better deal when getting credit from companies who call at their home to collect payments.
The Home Credit Comparison website is an independent resource, established following a report by the Office of Fair Trading into home credit companies.
More data will be added to it until, by October 2008, it should contain comprehensive data on the loans available to consumers in their area.
The web site will provide home credit customers with information about the price of home credit loans and loans from other providers, including credit unions. They will be able to search for loans available in their own post code area, making it easier to shop around and compare offers from different lenders.
The website has come into being as a result of the Home Credit Market Investigation Order 2007, which:
- requires all relevant lenders to publish prices on lenderscompared.org where customers can compare the prices and terms of loans on offer;
- requires all lenders to include the above web site address in all advertisements and payment books and to indicate in advertisements delivered to individuals and payment books the right (after October 2008) to free quarterly statements;
- makes early settlements more favourable to the consumer.
More information can be obtained via the OFT website.
Home Information Packs (HIPs)
If you're buying a home, make sure you see the Home Information Pack.
Since 14 December 2007 every home put on the market, no matter what size, must have a Home Information Pack. It brings together valuable information at the start of the process - such as a sale statement, local searches and evidence of title - which could save you money, time and stress. The Pack also includes an Energy Performance Certificate that contains advice on how to cut CO2 emissions and fuel bills.
Make sure your estate agent shows you the Pack.
HIPs provide key information needed by buyers and sellers at the very start of the home-buying process, making transactions more efficient and less likely to fall through between offer and exchange. HIP documents give consumers a clear, up front picture of what they are buying and selling.
For more information vist the Government's Home Information Packs website.
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North Somerset Council Trading Standards
