| Office of Fair Trading Fleetbank House 2-6 Salisbury Square London EC4Y 8JX T: 02072118000 F: 02072118800 www.oft.gov.uk enquiries@oft.gov.uk The Consumer Credit Act 1974 www.oft.gov.uk/Business/Legal+Powers/Consumer+Credit+Act.htm The Act requires that most businesses offering goods or services on credit or lending money to consumers must be licensed by the Director General of Fair Trading. It applies to brokers as well as those who offer credit or lend money directly to consumers, plus anyone who hires out goods, runs a credit agency, collects debts, helps you with clearing debts or provides debt counselling. Each year the OFT issues several thousand new licences. Check whether a trader has a licence or has ever applied for one in the Consumer Credit Public Register. The OFT can refuse or revoke a licence if it decides that a trader is not fit to have one. OFT do not deal with individual complaints. Contact their email address and you will receive a standard response as below - General consumer rights Trading standards departments Advise on everyday shopping problems. They also have powers to investigate complaints about false or misleading descriptions or prices, inaccurate weights and measures, consumer credit and (except in Northern Ireland) the safety of consumer goods. Links to trading standards departments throughout the UK are found at www.tradingstandards.gov.uk Citizens advice bureaux Help on a variety of problems including shopping complaints. To find your local CAB look at www.nacab.org.uk Law centres Provide free advice from qualified lawyers. To find your local office, look at www.lawcentres.org.uk Ombudsmen The British and Irish Ombudsman Association publishes a directory of ombudsman schemes and complaint-handling bodies in the UK and Ireland. This gives brief details about each scheme and how to contact it by telephone, fax, letter or email. Arbitration Chartered institute of arbitrators Details of their consumer scheme is at www.arbitrators.org Scottish council for arbitration Details of their schemes can be found at www.scottish-arbitrators.org Cars The National Conciliation Service Deals with complaints about used cars, repairs and servicing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. More information at www.rmif.co.uk Customer Complaints Service, Scottish motor trade association Deals with complaints about used cars, repairs and servicing in Scotland. More information at www.smta.co.uk The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Complaints about cars still under a manufacturer's warranty. More information at www.smmt.co.uk Credit and debt Federation of information and advice centres Contact independent advice agencies through the FIAC at www.adviceuk.org.uk National debtline Telephone helpline for people with debt problems. More information at www.nationaldebtline.co.uk Consumer credit counselling service Provides free confidential service to help achieve realistic solutions to debt problems, avoid bankruptcy and learn to handle money. More information at www.cccs.co.uk Financial Services Compensation Scheme Acts as a final safety net for consumers who have claims against authorised financial firms who are unable to pay them because, for example, they have gone out of business. It covers deposits, insurance and investments. More information at www.fscs.org.uk Financial ombudsman scheme Provides consumers with free independent advice for resolving disputes with financial firms. More information at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk Electrical goods Radio Electrical and Television Retailers' Association Ltd Find whether a retailer is a member at www.retra.co.uk Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances Find whether a retailer is a member. Contact details can be found at www.aecportico.co.uk/directory/AMDEA.shtm Domestic Appliance Service Association Find whether a retailer is a member at www.dasa.org.uk Estate agents Ombudsman for Estate Agents Scheme Deals with complaints against one of its members. More information at www.oea.co.uk Furniture Qualitas National Conciliation Service Check to see whether a furniture retailer has signed up to the Qualitas code of practice. More details can be found by clicking 'Qualitas' icon on the left hand menu at www.fira.co.uk Holidays Air Travel Organiser's Licence ATOL protects the public from losing money or being stranded abroad because of the failure of air travel firms. More information at www.atol.org.uk Association of British Travel Agents Offers advice on travel related subjects and can verify whether a travel agent or tour operator is a member of ABTA. More information at www.abtanet.com Air Transport Users Council Advise air travellers on their rights. More information at www.auc.org.uk Association of Independent Tour Operators Check whether a tour operator is a member of AITO. More information at www.aito.co.uk Federation of Tour Operators Check whether a tour operator is a member of the FTO at www.fto. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Offers travel and consular advice at www.fco.gov.uk UK Passport Service Offers passport information as well as a facility to apply online at www.ukpa.gov.uk Customs and Excise Offers advice on customs and excise at www.hmce.gov.uk Timeshare Council Provides advice to consumers with timeshare problems at www.timeshare.org.uk DTI timeshare advice Provides timeshare advice at www.dti.gov.uk/access/timeshare/timeshare.htm Legal services Legal services ombudsman Investigates the way complaints about a lawyer are dealt with by the lawyer's own professional body. More information at www.olso.org Scottish Legal Services ombudsman Investigates complaints about the way in which a professional body has handled a complaint against a legal practitioner. More information at www.slso.org.uk Mail order Mail Order Traders' Association Search whether a mail order company is a member. Contact details can be found at www.adassoc.org.uk/members/mota.html Direct Marketing Association Search whether a mail order company is a member at www.dma.org.uk Mail order protection scheme Provides advice about problem mail order purchases at www.mops.org.uk Small claims procedure If you decide to go to court, there is a special, low-cost way of suing for small amounts by using the small claims procedures in the county court (sheriff court in Scotland). The small claims procedure is meant for people to use on their own, without a solicitor representing them. Leaflets explaining the procedure are available from your county court office and the Citizen's Advice Bureau, who can also help you fill in the forms. The most you can claim by using the small claims procedure is: £5,000 in England and Wales £750 in Scotland £2,000 in Northern Ireland The court service Explains small claims procedure and information about fees at www.courtservice.gov.uk Lord Chancellor's Department (now Department for Constitutional Affairs) Explains small claims procedure www.justask.org.uk Scottish courts service Explains small claims procedure and information about fees in Scotland at www.scotcourts.gov.uk Northern Ireland court service Explains small claims procedure and information about fees in Northern Ireland at Unsolicited calls/mail/faxes Mailing preference scheme Removes your postal details from unwanted mailing lists. Contact details can be found at www.dma.org.uk Telephone preference scheme Enables consumers to opt-out of receiving unsolicited sales and marketing calls. More details at www.tpsonline.org.uk Fax preference service Enables consumers to opt-out of receiving unsolicited sales and marketing faxes at home. More details at www.fpsonline.org.uk Utilities energywatch Complaints about gas and electricity companies. To find your local office, look at www.energywatch.org.uk Office of Telecommunications Complaints should go to your telephone company in the first instance. If you want to take it up further, look at www.oftel.gov.uk Office of Water Services Complaints should go to your local water company in the first instance. If you want to take it up further, look at www.ofwat.gov.uk |
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