Competition watchdog to probe Central England Co-op funeral deal – The Independent

‘The UK competition regulator is to investigate the takeover of funeral homes by the Central England Co-op amid increased scrutiny of the industry.’

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The Independent, 16th August 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Covid: Watchdog to immediately investigate Covid PCR test cost – BBC News

Posted August 13th, 2021 in competition, consumer protection, coronavirus, holidays, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘The competition watchdog has said it will investigate the price of PCR Covid tests “immediately”. The health secretary had called for a review into “excessive” pricing and “exploitative practices” among test providers.’

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BBC News, 12th August 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Watchdog backs regulator’s plan to reduce UK energy firms’ returns – The Guardian

‘The competition watchdog has sided with Great Britain’s energy regulator after an industry rebellion over a clampdown on the returns energy network companies can make at the expense of customer bills.’

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The Guardian, 11th August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Covid PCR costs can be excessive and exploitative, says Javid – BBC News

‘The health secretary has asked the competition watchdog to investigate “excessive” pricing and “exploitative practices” among PCR Covid test firms.’

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BBC News, 8th August 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BSB publishes new research on consumers’ expectations and experience of working with barristers – Bar Standards Board

Posted August 6th, 2021 in barristers, consultations, consumer protection, legal services, news by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published research on consumers’ expectations and experience of working with barristers. As an evidence-based regulator acting to protect and promote the interests of consumers, this new research helps the BSB to gain an up-to-date understanding of what consumers expect from barristers and the findings here will inform the regulator’s work in many areas.’

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Bar Standards Board, 4th August 2021

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Drug firm fined for huge price rise that hit NHS – BBC News

Posted July 29th, 2021 in competition, consumer protection, fines, medicines, news by sally

‘A drug company that increased the price of a crucial thyroid remedy more than 10-fold has prompted fines of more than £100m by the competition watchdog.’

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BBC News, 29th July 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Writing fake online reviews could be made illegal – BBC News

‘A plan to crack down on online rip-offs including making it illegal for people to write or host fake reviews has been outlined by the government.’

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BBC News, 19th July 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Right to repair may lead to increased claims against manufacturers – OUT-LAW.com

‘New regulations which will extend the life of domestic electrical products by up to 10 years, could mean manufacturers face more claims for defective products or negligence, experts at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law have warned.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th July 2021

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Right to repair rules will extend lifespan of products, government says – BBC News

‘Washing machines, TVs and fridges will be cheaper to run under a new legal right for repairs, the government says.’

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BBC News, 1stJuly2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Watchdog takes aim at Google and Amazon over fake reviews – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 25th, 2021 in consumer protection, deceit, internet, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘Competition officials are to examine whether people and businesses have been able to post fake reviews online with too much impunity. The Competition and Markets Authority has opened a formal investigation into whether Amazon and Google have done enough to crack down on the practice.’

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Daily Telegraph, 25th June 2021

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK regulator warns Google about accepting scam adverts – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2021 in advertising, consumer protection, fraud, internet, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘The City regulator has warned it will take legal action against Google and social media companies if they continue to accept advertisements for online financial scams that have flourished during the pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 14th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Plan for single register of all regulated and unregulated legal providers – Legal Futures

Posted June 8th, 2021 in competition, consumer protection, legal services, news by sally

‘A combined digital register of regulated and unregulated legal services providers would be “the simplest solution” to improve consumer navigation of the market, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has said.’

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Legal Futures, 8th June 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Ex-reality TV stars’ ‘misleading’ debt ads banned – BBC News

Posted June 3rd, 2021 in advertising, complaints, consumer protection, debts, insolvency, internet, news by sally

‘Instagram posts by three reality TV stars promising that people in financial trouble could wipe out 85% of their debt have been banned.’

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BBC News, 2nd June 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Insurers must not penalise loyal customers, says FCA – BBC News

‘People renewing their home or motor insurance will pay no more than they would as a new customer from January. The new rules have been confirmed by the City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), following years of complaints.’

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BBC News, 28th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dangerous eBay listings can be removed by regulators – BBC News

‘Online seller eBay says it is handing regulators the power to take down dangerous listings without consulting the company.’

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BBC News, 10th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Draft Bill for transfer of ownership rules published by Law Commission – Law Commission

Posted April 26th, 2021 in bills, consumer protection, Law Commission, press releases, sale of goods by tracey

‘The Law Commission has today published a draft Bill that would introduce new rules into the Consumer Rights Act 2015 about the transfer of ownership under contracts for the sale of goods between a trader and a consumer.’

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Law Commission, 23rd April 2021

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk/

Social media sites warned over risky investment offers – The Guardian

‘The City regulator has warned social media sites that it may take action if they continue to promote risky and sometimes fraudulent investments to often inexperienced consumers.’

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The Guardian, 20th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Call for work to make consumer-facing legal documents more intelligible – Legal Futures

‘Lawyers need to make consumer-facing legal documents more engaging, and regulators and industry should consider measures to ensure they are intelligible, a report has recommended.’

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Legal Futures, 19th April 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Alerter: The EU-UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement: what does it mean for consumer protection & product liability? – Henderson Chambers

Posted April 16th, 2021 in brexit, chambers articles, consumer protection, news, sale of goods by sally

‘After months of negotiation, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“TCA”), agreed in principle on 24 December 2020, is to govern trade and services between the UK and EU from 1 January 2021. Whilst the predominant focus is on the continued absence of tariffs or quotas on goods traded between the UK and EU provided those goods meet the rules of origin, for many other key areas it is a framework for more substantial future agreements. In this alerter, we explore the key features of the TCA in relation to product liability and consumer protection.’

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Henderson Chambers, 31st March 2021

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

What is the true value of a companion animal? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 7th, 2021 in animals, appeals, consumer protection, damages, disclosure, dogs, news, sale of goods by sally

‘As we all know, the acquisition of puppies during lockdown has gone through the roof with the inevitable sad consequences of remorse followed by neglect and even abandonment. Dog theft has spiralled as the market responds by escalating the price of pedigree puppies.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 7th April 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com