Public and third sector information services
GOV.UK provides extensive information on many topics relating to consumer issues. There is no “consumer” section as such, but you can find relevant information with a search for the specific issue, eg “buying a car“.
Citizens Advice provides extensive information on consumer, covering buying or repairing a car, discrimination in the provision of goods and services, energy, event tickets, holidays and transport, home improvements, insurance, phone, internet or tv, post, scams, something gone wrong with a purchase, template letters, water, you’ve changed your mind.
Advicenow offers information top picks for consumer affairs, sourced from the best providers, where you can find information on what your rights are when it comes to the buying and selling of goods and consumer contracts. You will also find information on how to complain when you are not happy with the goods supplied by a shop or other supplier.
Find an adviser
Contact Citizens Advice to speak to someone in person by phone or online chat. You can get free advice for simple problems and they can recommend advisers if your situation is more complex. They also provide information on finding free or affordable legal help.
Find a clinic on the LawWorks Clinics Network which provides free initial advice to individuals on various areas of law.
Use the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor page to find solicitors in England and Wales.
Use the Law Society of Scotland’s Find a Solicitor page.
Use the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s Solicitor Directory.
Other useful resources
Consumer Protection Rights protects your consumer rights when you buy goods or services; this site enables you to complain about a product or service
The Advertising Standards Authority is a useful source of information and you can complain if you think advertising rules have been broken
Monitor is an organisation to monitor healthcare providers (i.e. the NHS) in England – you can complain on this site
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to find out about consumer rights with banking, insurance, mortgages and financial advice, and how to complain or avoid scams.
The Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales has formal powers to resolve complaints about lawyers, free to the person with the complaint. The service is open to all members of the public, very small businesses, charities, clubs and trusts. It has been set up by the Office for Legal Complaints under the Legal Services Act 2007. The aim is to simplify the system and make sure consumers have access to an independent expert to resolve complaints.
Consumer Rights from “Which?” covers what to do if you have a faulty product, a flight delay, a problem with a credit card, a small claim, a second hand car with problems, a problem with a mobile phone contract, unwanted calls and texts, a mis-sold PPI – and many other problems.
ConsumerLine is Northern Ireland’s consumer advice website.
Consumer Rights Expert is a public interest website at focused on understanding peoples’ rights as consumers. Topics covered include advertising and selling, credit and store cards, data protection, dining out, financial health, holidays, leisure, propetry, shopping, transportation and utilities. The information is provided in a series of articles written by professional journalists and experts, and new articles are added to the site on a regular basis.
Oxfordshire Trading Standards Department provides a large amount of general consumer information.
What Consumer provides a large amount of information on consumer topics and also provides a series of forums for users to share information.
