Businesses urged to comply with new laws

Motor Codes, the government approved consumer watchdog for the automotive industry, is encouraging businesses to meet the challenge of new consumer legislation by enrolling their staff on its new series of online training courses.

The courses, delivered in partnership with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), are designed to help employees across the UK automotive sector to understand and comply with the new Consumer Rights Act and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) legislation, both of which come into force today (1 October).

The Consumer Rights Act consolidates and updates eight existing laws, including the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, while the new ADR rules require businesses to direct dissatisfied customers to a recognised ADR provider which will work to resolve complaints amicably.

The new legislation ensures that consumers have the right to have faults corrected free of charge, or to be provided with a refund or replacement. A 30-day time period to return faulty goods entitles them to a full refund and it will be much easier for consumers to challenge terms and conditions which are not fair or are hidden in the small print.

Bill Fennell, managing director at Motor Codes, is urging UK automotive businesses to embrace the legislation and ensure that they train their staff to be compliant with the new laws.

He said, ‘The legislation is about making sure consumers get what they pay for, but it’s a real opportunity for businesses to further improve their levels of customer service. ‘Consumer Thursday’ marks a new chapter in which we will see a more transparent marketplace that will raise the benchmark in business practices and empower the industry to boost consumer trust. We urge all automotive businesses to rise to the challenge.’

Motor Codes is helping businesses meet the challenges of the legislation and 7,500 subscribers can already access online training to ensure they are compliant.