The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have recently launched a Consultation on joint draft guidance that assists and informs businesses selling services by ‘distance means’ about their obligations and duties under the Distance Selling Regulations (DSR’s).
The DSR’s give consumers buying services over the Internet, by telephone, fax, mail order and in recent times digital television and text messages, certain rights to receive information; a cancellation period of 7 working days and protection against fraudulent use of credit cards. According to the consultation, compliance with the DSR’s, makes it much easier (commercially) to resolve complaints and puts businesses in a stronger position to give customers good service and to win their trust.
The draft guidance replaces separate versions previously published by the DTI and OFT and is updated to take into account amendments made to the Regulations back in April. Designed to be a reference toolkit for businesses, the guidance is more comprehensive, broader in scope and tries to incorporate many other questions that businesses frequently ask.
Clarification is given in relation to specific distance selling such as online supermarkets, online bookings, computer sellers, CD, DVD and software sellers to name but a few. There is also guidance relating to the timing and procedures for customer refunds and cancellation periods.
The most recent draft of the guidelines, ‘A guide for businesses on home shopping’, can be downloaded from the Office of Fair Trading website and responses to the guidelines are welcomed by 11th November 2005.
This article was written and kindly provided by Alex Shiel of Ward Hadaway Law Firm.