No, this is not solicitor scaremongering but a report by Money Saving Expert, the UK’s most popular money-saving website.

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 came into force on 13 June 2014. It requires on-line retailers to provide information to consumers about their right to cancel orders and to provide various other information. In particular, the law extended the cancellation period from 7 working days to 14 calendar days. Many retailers have not even made this simple change.

The consequences of giving consumers incomplete or incorrect information include:

• Possible action by Trading Standards - I note that Money Saving Expert reported some of the identified failing retailers to Trading Standards.
• The cancellation period is extended by 12 months which means consumers can use goods over this period, return them and get a full refund! To be honest I am surprised more consumers have not availed themselves of this right.
• You could be “named and shamed” online by Martin Lewis, the founder and editor of Money Saving Expert. The article expressly requested consumers to spot other non-compliant websites and send them the details!

Getting the legal information on your website correct is not particularly straightforward. After all, as can be seen from this article, many leading brands have been getting it wrong.

We help retailers make sure they get it right thereby protecting their brand and their bank balance. For further information on how to ensure your online retail business properly informs customers about returns, please contact Simon Bates.