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Consumer protection organisation UK International Consumer Centre (UKICC) has welcomed continued funding from Department for Business and Trade (DBT), which will enable it to continue to help and support consumers who have encountered problems when buying items from abroad.

The service currently helps over 10,000 consumers each year and assists them with issues encountered with products and services that have been purchased anywhere in the world. The number of cases dealt with from non-EU countries has grown since 2019 from just 9 to 2,500 cases as the organisation continues to strengthen ties with consumer protection organisations outside of Europe.

John Herriman, CEO of Chartered Trading Standards Institute, which runs the service, said:

“We are really pleased that DBT is continuing to provide support for the UKICC and the essential service it provides for consumers who have purchased products from abroad. With consumers increasingly purchasing items from overseas, this of course brings with it a range of risks and the UKICC offers a vital service to those consumers, enabling them to make their purchases from abroad with confidence.

“This funding also enables us to continue to provide data to central government organisations to help inform policy and regulatory priorities, which is increasingly important with changes in trade agreements and the growing international status of the UKICC.”

You can find out more on the UKICC website