Citizens Advice put in consumer protection frontline

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Citizens Advice put in consumer protection frontline

This is a duplicate of the Blog Entry made on 11th April 2012 17:43.

Citizens Advice will be the first line of protection for consumers under plans confirmed by the government. The charity will take initial calls and...

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[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: Citizens Advice put in consumer protection frontline

I totally disagree with this however, it appears the government have more respect for part time unqualified staff to offer such extreme levels of help, support and advice!

Shocking.

The changes will mean:

• Citizens Advice runs the consumer advice line - 08454 040506 - to offer advice to new complainants, taking over from Consumer Direct. However, it will not take on individual cases on behalf of a consumer
  
• The charity will represent consumers in unregulated industries, taking over from the Office of Fair Trading and watchdog Consumer Focus, and will take some of these bodies' current funding
  
• A Regulated Industries Unit will represent consumers in the energy and postal sectors, taking over from Consumer Focus which will be abolished
  
• A National Trading Standards Board, set up officially by April 2013, will take decisions on funding and co-ordination of trading standards officers on national investigations in England and Wales into cases such as internet scams or illegal money lending
  
• The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities will study the equivalent position in Scotland
  
• A new Competition and Markets Authority will be responsible for ensuring competition and preventing cases such as mis-selling in the financial sector

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: Citizens Advice put in consumer protection frontline

I remember this from ages ago ---> BBC News - Consumers: Who are you going to call?

In particular, and most scary of all.

Remember the long-running legal dispute over unauthorised overdraft charges? That was taken on by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Now, the OFT is being stripped of its consumer protection role, and the OFT is set to be merged with the Competition Commission.

The responsibility for enforcement of consumer law will go to trading standards, funded by local councils.

But will local trading standards offices be able to cope with huge, complex consumer disputes?

Officers believe the door remains open for the OFT to take the most complex cases.

The service also has specialist, national groups - such as Scambusters - which operate across council boundaries, employ experts in a specific field, and are funded by the Department for Business.