Unfair Trading

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) have introduced new regulations to clamp down on unfair sales and marketing practices. They are designed to protect consumers and honest businesses. Everyone who deals with consumers is affected including retailers, builders and second-hand motor traders.

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Practice Regulations 2008 (The CPRs) came into force on 26 May 2008. These Regulations replace a lot of consumer protection legislation including Part III of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (which dealt with misleading prices), the majority of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, and the Control of Misleading Advertising Regulations 1988. Many detailed rules around trade descriptions and misleading price indications are being replaced with a general ban on unfair trading. This broadly means traders will have to act in a way that enables the average consumer to make free and informed purchasing decisions.

In addition, they will put a stop to aggressive selling techniques and misinforming and misleading people about products or services. 

The CPRs will ban 31 types of unfair commercial practices outright. However, this list is not exhaustive, as any other commercial practice that is unfair will come under a general ban.

For instance, specifically banned practices include:

  • bogus closing down sales

  • prize draw scams

  • aggressive doorstep selling

  • offering free gifts that aren't really free

  • displaying false accreditations - such as wrongly claiming to be a CORGI-registered plumber. 

For further information, please download the leaflet in the more information section of this page. Further information can also be found on the DBERR website.

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