Consumer rights solicitors in Manchester deal with any legal aspect that is prescribed by the consumer law, and which can appear in commercial relations between consumers and companies. There is large category of rules and laws which protect the rights of the consumer, which is considered to be any person that does a purchase in his or her own name, without representing the needs of the interests of another company.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Areas covered by the consumer law in Manchester |
– issues with faulty products and how to make a claim as a buyer; – problems with delivery of products; – contractual issues; – compensations that can be requested by consumers; – issues with purchase of services |
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Laws on consumer’s rights in the UK, presented by our consumer rights solicitors in Manchester |
– Consumer Contracts Regulations; – Consumer Credit Act; – Consumer Protection Act 1987; – Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations; – Consumer Rights Act; – Distance Selling Regulations etc. |
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Methods to solve consumer disputes |
Our consumer rights solicitors in Manchester can represent clients in alternative dispute resolution methods or in court cases. |
| Alternative Dispute Resolution laws | The Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015 |
| Types of Alternative Dispute Resolutions |
Mediation and arbitration |
| Main rule of law on consumer rights |
– Consumer Rights Act 2015, – Consumer Protection Act 1987 |
| Rights granted to consumers under the applicable law |
– claim a compensation from the producer for a defective product; – make a claim against companies that imported products into the UK; – make claims for almost all types of products, with the exception of computer software, buildings, land; – address to a competent court |
| When is a consumer entitled to file a claim for a faulty product/service? |
– the product is not fit for its designed purpose; – it doesn’t respect the characteristics of its description; – it does not possess a satisfactory quality; – the same rules apply for digital products as well |
| What is the period of time to return a faulty product? |
There are 3 basic intervals: – 0-30 days, – 30-6 months, – 6 months or more |
| When can a consumer obtain 100% refund on the product? | When the consumer addresses to the manufacturer/seller in a period of maximum 30 days since the purchase of the faulty product. |
| Who is the party liable for faulty products? |
The company that sold the product (the retailer) |
| Obligations of suppliers of services |
– performing the service following the basic standards; – offering written or spoken information to the client; – performing the service in a reasonable period of time |
| Remedies for unsatisfactory supply of services |
– redoing the respective unsatisfactory service with no extra cost; – the client can claim a reduction of the overall cost, where the redo of the service is not possible |
| Steps the consumer is entitled to take in the case of unfair contractual terms |
– address to the retailer/trader and explain the issue observed in the contract; – if this fails, the consumer can address to a legal specialist, such as our consumer rights solicitors in Manchester for legal advice; – the lawyers can present the main legal actions that can be taken against the trader, such as an ADR procedure or bringing the case in front of the court. |
| Legal services provided by our consumer rights solicitors in Manchester |
– listening to the situation of the client; – presenting the main legal options that are available in that particular case; – representing the client in the legal action; – offering assistance on the rights and the obligations of the parties; – assisting both retailers and consumers in issues deriving from the consumer law |
If you are a consumer, meaning a natural person who has bought various goods and services for one’s own needs and desires, and the said purchases do not meet the applicable quality, safety, health standards, you are entitled to obtain a refund, or a product or service that meets the standard that you paid for.
Also, you can address the case to a court and obtain compensation, provided that any other legal means have not offered a satisfactory result. As such, you can be represented in court by our team of consumer rights solicitors in Manchester. Our team has an extensive expertise in dealing with such cases and we welcome you to contact us, and provide us with as much details as possible concerning your case.
Table of Contents
What is the law protecting the rights of consumers in Manchester?
Consumers in Manchester and anywhere else in the country benefit from a set of regulations, created to protect their rights. As a consumer, you are entitled to receive products and services that meet the standards and the terms which are guaranteed by the seller at the moment of purchase. Provided that this does not happen, depending on your particular situation, any of the following law can apply:
- The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations – the law is created to deal with contracts which include terms and conditions that do not necessarily respect the UK rules;
- The Sale of Goods Act – it prescribes the basic conditions all purchased goods should comply with;
- The Holiday Package Regulations – it deals with disputes and other issues that can appear when buying holiday packages from travelling agencies;
- The Consumer Protection Act 1987 – it regulates matters related to defective and dangerous goods sold to clients;
- Consumer Contracts Regulations – prescribes the rights consumers have when purchasing goods through online shops.
What is the data on consumer disputes in the UK?
Legal cases arising from consumer disputes are common and they are generally settled in the favor of the consumer. Please mind that our team of Manchester solicitors can represent clients in both court cases, as well as in out-of-court situations, which, in the UK, take the form or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods. According to the UK Government database, we present the following:
- in 2016, 60% of the court cases ruled in the favor of the consumer, while 61% of the ADR cases favored the consumer;
- in most of the cases, a financial award was given to the favored party (98% of the court cases which ruled in the favor of a party granted a financial award, while only 2% ended up in a non-financial award);
- where a financial award was granted, 92% of the ADR cases and 91% of the court cases favored the consumer;
- the largest share regarding the value of the financial award offered to the consumer was observed to be 42% for ADR cases where the consumer received GBP 50-100, while the next most important share is of 32%, for cases where consumers received GBP 1,001-5,000 (settled by the courts);
- overall, parties who received an award obtained a net profit out of the legal procedure – for instance, the average compensation in ADR cases was GBP 515, while the legal cost was of GBP 99 (for court cases, we have GBP 1,619 and GBP 466, respectively).
Thus, from this data we extract the information that addressing to our Manchester law firm in the case in which you do not reach a settlement with the company that sold a faulty product or service can be a profitable situation, as long as you can prove that your purchases do not meet the minimum standards.
How can our consumer rights solicitors in Manchester help you?
Our lawyer in Manchester can first listen to your particular situation and express whether the case falls under any of the applicable laws or not. If so, our consumer rights solicitors in Manchester will need as many details as possible regarding your purchase, evidence on the purchase and any other information that you consider to be relevant for the case.
Depending on the situation, we will resolve the problem by applying ADR solutions or by addressing to the local courts. If you need legal representation or additional information on the law applicable to your cases, do no hesitate to contact our Manchester law firm.
