Be prepared for new consumer rights law – GGF
14th April 2015

The Glass and Glazing Federation urged companies to be prepared for the Consumer Rights Act which became law a few days ago and is due to come into force in October.

GGF Home Improvement Director Brian Smith said: “The new Consumer Rights Act will have far reaching consequences for all companies in our industry and I’d urge every company to be well prepared for the impact. The GGF is doing everything in its power to ensure its members are given the support and information needed to cope with this new law. We have just over five months for consumer facing companies to fully adjust before the law is enforced in October.”

The main concern, he added, is how the Act will introduce a “short term right to reject” of a default 30 days for consumers to reject faulty goods, rather than continuing with the current “reasonable period”. The GGF has expressed its concerns to Business, Skills and Innovation (BIS) that this will create problems for the domestic replacement glazing industry when consumers try to reject windows and doors which have been installed.”

The GGF has arranged for a presentation by a Trading Standards Lead Officer, on the “Likely effect the new Act will have on our industry” at the GGF Joint Window and Door Group and Conservatory Association meeting at the end of April in Solihull. Further presentations by GGF staff to Members around the Regions will then follow during the months up to October before implementation of the Act.

Under the Act, consumers and businesses will have clearer rights and responsibilities, including:

• consumers having a clear right to demand that substandard services are redone or failing that receive a price reduction

• a 30-day time period to return faulty goods and get a full refund. The law is currently unclear on how long this period should last

• consumers being entitled to some money back after one failed repair of faulty goods (or one faulty replacement) even if more than 30 days have passed, rather than having to put up with repeated attempts to get a repair done

• consumers being able to challenge terms and conditions which are not fair or are hidden in the small print

Measures have also been included in the Act to specifically reduce the burdens of understanding and applying consumer law, including:

• a new requirement for enforcers such as Trading Standards Officers to give 48 hours’ notice to businesses when carrying out routine inspections, saving business £4.1 million per year. Trading Standards Officers will still be able to carry out unannounced inspections where they suspect illegal activity

• faster and lower cost remedies for businesses who have been disadvantaged from breaches in competition law

www.ggf.org.uk