What we do
Our advisers can answer your telephone and email queries, and provide information and advice about your rights as a consumer. But we cannot recommend specific goods or services, complain to a trader on your behalf, or provide advice on certain specific products and services. If you have a query that we can't deal with ourselves, we will do our best to refer you to an organisation that can.
If you contact us by telephone or email, Consumer Direct can:
- Provide pre-shopping advice before you buy goods or services.
- Explain your consumer rights.
- Advise you if you have a problem or disagreement with a trader.
- Help you make a complaint about a trader that you believe has done something wrong (although we will not complain on your behalf).
- Provide general advice on how to avoid unscrupulous traders or "cowboys".
- Explain consumer-related issues such as warranties, buying on credit, internet shopping, refunds and replacements etc.
- Provide advice on avoiding trading scams and rip-offs.
- Direct you to a regulator or other organisation if it is better suited to assist you.
- Refer your case to your local authority Trading Standards Services or similar agency if they are better suited to assist you.
Consumer Direct will deal with each caller's problems or questions individually. We will provide an honest, impartial assessment of the situation and where possible, we will recommend a clear course of action to follow. We can only provide information and advice. We cannot intervene directly in consumer matters, such as taking action against a trader.
If it is appropriate, we may forward the details of a complaint to an agency that is authorised to take direct action, such as Trading Standards Services.
You do not have to provide personal details to use the Consumer Direct service. However, this may affect the way we handle your query or complaint.
Contact us, or find out more about how we can help
Consumer Direct cannot:
- Recommend a trader or organisation to you (but we may direct you to another organisation that has helpful information).
- Give you specific information about whether there has been a complaint about a trader.
- Complain to a trader on your behalf.
- Provide advice on specific products (except in relation to safety issues).
- Provide advice on mortgages, tenancy or housing/welfare benefits.
- Provide advice on personal debts or financial mis-selling.
- Provide advice on local government issues.
Consumer Direct is not a legal service. However, our advisers are trained in all aspects of consumer rights. This enables us to offer legally correct advice and courses of action that consumers can rely on.
Contact us, find out what organisations we work with, or find out more about how we can help
