Consumer organisations

The Government has set up organisations that force businesses to take notice of the Consumer Protection Acts.

Trading Standards Office

If you buy a faulty product and the shop will not accept responsibility by giving you a replacement or your money back, you can go to your local Trading Standards Office. They will investigate and try to resolve the situation.

Trading Standards have the power to prosecute traders who break consumer protection laws.

Office of Fair Trading

The Director General of the Office of Fair Trading has an overall power to investigate business practices and ban them if they are against the consumer's interests.

The Ombudsman

The idea for an Ombudsman came from Sweden and the name denotes a person who looks into public complaints in an industry.

Consumers' Association

This organisation is not government run and aims to improve the standards of goods and services in the UK by carrying out tests on consumer products which are reported in their magazine 'Which?'.

Business sector organisations which have been set up independently from the government. Both of these have voluntary codes of conduct [Voluntary codes: The set of rules and standards that a business in a trade association has to comply with. ] so are not covered by legislation [Legislation: The law. ].

Association of British Travel Agents

ABTA was set up by travel agents to establish a code of conduct in dealing with customers. Any holidaymaker who books through an ABTA registered travel agent can be reassured that in the event of a bankruptcy other member agents would ensure their safe return home.

Advertising Standards Authority

The ASA deals with complaints about advertising in non-broadcast media. Advertisers have to ensure their advertisements meet the ASA's guidelines. All advertisements should be 'legal, decent, honest and truthful'.