01 November 2010
Businesses and Islanders are being asked for their views on whether a law should be introduced to give consumers greater protection against unfair trading.
The Minister for Economic Development has issued a green paper on whether a consumer protection law, based on the UK’s Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations and the European Union’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD), should be introduced. The legislation aims to prevent business practices that are unfair to consumers. This includes actions such as:
- misleading pricing
- false description of goods and services
- misleading advertising
- high pressure selling techniques
- prize scams
The consultation asks a number of questions, including whether such a law is necessary, options on enforcement and whether it should, if possible, include power for the States to regulate some areas of consumer credit.
Minister for Economic Development, Senator Alan Maclean, said “As the minister responsible for consumer protection policy I want to know what businesses and people think about these proposals, in particular if they think there is a need for it. As a former businessman myself I am careful about implementing legislation just for the sake of it. However, these proposals do not introduce any red tape or burdens on business as it will only affect those that do not deal fairly with consumers.”
The deadline for submissions is 31 January 2011.
Consumer Protection green paper
gov.je