LOCAL BETTER
REGULATION OFFICE News Release (LBRO/25/2008) issued by COI News
Distribution Service. 20 November 2008
Consumers are more
likely to stand up for their statutory rights than seek help or
advice from official sources, a major new survey reveals.
Ipsos MORI asked more than 900 people from across England and
Wales about what they would do if they were sold faulty, unsafe or
wrongly described goods or confronted by poor hygiene in a restaurant.
More than half of consumers said they would tackle the owner or
manager about a problem themselves. Only around a third said they
would turn to official sources - such as the local council,
Citizens Advice Bureau or Consumer Direct - for help or advice.
Nearly one in 10 would take no action or were unsure of where to
ask for help.
The research has been published by the Local Better Regulation
Office (LBRO) to mark National Consumer Week.
Clive Grace, the LBRO chair, said:
"The survey shows that most people believe that the customer
is king and are willing to stand up for their rights. But trading
laws can be very complicated and it isn't always easy to
understand what your rights are.
"Consumer protection is something that local councils
generally do very well, protecting the public before problems
arise. They can't make every transaction perfect, so it is
important that people know they can seek help if they are
dissatisfied with faulty or unsafe goods or bad food hygiene.
"There are many excellent sources of free impartial advice
that consumers in England and Wales can turn to for help. People
should not be afraid to seek advice if they believe they are not
getting what they paid for."
If faced with faulty, unsafe or wrongly labelled goods 51 per
cent of shoppers say they would ask to see the store owner or
manager. The next most popular options are approaching the local
council (15 per cent), Citizens Advice (12 per cent) and Consumer
Direct (four per cent).
And 53 per cent say they would ask to see the manager if they
were concerned about poor hygiene in a restaurant. Almost a
quarter (28 per cent) would contact their council, with five per
cent turning to Citizens Advice or Consumer Direct for help.
Ed Mayo, Chief Executive of Consumer Focus, the new independent
champion for consumers, said:
"Current economic conditions are tough and consumers are
telling us that value for money is their number one concern.
It's good to see that a large number of consumers are willing
to challenge businesses when they believe they've received a
raw deal.
"Recent changes have streamlined consumer advice and
complaints services. Organisations like Consumer Direct and
councils are there to help and people should feel confident to
contact them simply for advice or to make a complaint if necessary."
Notes to editors
1. The full survey is available at http://www.lbro.org.uk,
including a detailed technical annexe with full regional breakdowns.
2. Ipsos MORI interviewed a representative cross-section of 901
residents of England and Wales aged 15 + in June 2008. The
interviews were conducted face-to-face in-home, using computer
assisted personal interview technology.
3. The Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) helps local
authorities improve their environmental health, trading standards,
fire safety and licensing services - reducing burdens on
businesses that comply with the law while targeting those who
flout it. It was incorporated as a government-owned limited
company in May 2007. Following the commencement of the Regulatory
Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 on 1 October 2008, it now
operates as an executive non-departmental public body, accountable
to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
through the Better Regulation Executive. LBRO is governed by an
independent Board, has a staff of around 25 and is based in
central Birmingham. It has a remit that covers the whole of the
UK, and works closely with the devolved administrations to ensure
its work in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is appropriate to
the unique constitutional position of each. For further
information about LBRO please visit http://www.lbro.org.uk
Media enquiries to Karl Turner on 0121 226 4019.
End