Listed alphabetically:
- Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977
- Business Names Act 1985
- Car Dealers
- Consumer Transactions (Restrictions on Statements) Order 1976
- Credit Advertising Rules
- Distance Selling Regulations 2000
- E-Commerce
- Animal Feed Hygiene
- Hallmarking Act
- Keeping within the Law in Pubs, Restaurants and Cafes
- Price Marking (Food and Drink Services) Order 2003
- Property Misdescriptions
- Textile Products (Indications of Fibre Content) Regulations 1986
- Tourism (Sleeping Accommodation) Price Display Order 1977
- Used Vehicle Mileages
- Video Recordings Act 1984
- Weights and Measures
- Worn Tyres
Business Advertisements (Disclosure) Order 1977
In any advertisement indicating goods are for sale, it must be made reasonably clear that the goods are to be sold in the course of a business.
Business Names Act 1985
This requires businesses to disclose details of names and addresses as follows:
- in the case of a partnership, the name of each partner;
- in the case of an individual, his or her name;
- in the case of a company, its corporate name.
Car Dealers
Traders must insure that no false or misleading descriptions are applied to vehicles, and that "clocked" cars are not offered for sale.
Consumer Transactions (Restrictions on Statements) Order 1976
This order makes it illegal for traders to give to consumers a statement to the effect that they have no right to a refund when they have purchased goods which are faulty, misdescribed, not fit for their purpose or do not conform with a sample.
Credit Advertising Rules
From October 31st 2004 the old Consumer Credit Advertising Regulations will cease to apply to credit advertisements. The old rules setting out information to be contained in Simple, Intermediate and Full adverts will go completely. In their place come the Consumer Credit (Advertisements) Regulations 2004.
Distance Selling Regulations 2000
The Distance Selling Regulations give certain rights to consumers when they shop from home - regardless of whether the shopping is done by phone, mail order, fax, digital television or over the Internet.
E-Commerce
Businesses who advertise or sell goods or services online must provide the customer with the following information: the full name and geographic address of the business; contact details including an email address.
Animal Feed Hygiene
The Feed (Hygiene & Enforcement)(Scotland) Regulations 2005 exist to ensure that the food chain is further protected:
- firstly, by making sure that additives, premixtures and the feeding stuffs which incorporate them are manufactured under controlled conditions;
- secondly, by ensuring that the supply of such products can easily be traced in the unlikely event of a problem.
Hallmarking Act
Changes to the Hallmarking Act. The main changes are, from 1 January 1999:
- UK manufacturers can now produce articles in a wider range of fine-nesses;
- items marked in another member state under equivalent arrangements to our national controls can be sold in the UK so some new hallmarks will appear;
- the precise form of UK hallmark has changed: the date letter will no longer be compulsory and the fine-ness must be marked in parts per thousand.
Keeping within the Law in Pubs, Restaurants and Cafes
When food or drink are for sale and are to be consumed on the premises, or are for take-away, traders must make their prices clear to any intending customers. One way is to use a price list.
Price Marking (Food and Drink Services) Order 2003
Applies to traders who offer food and drink for retail sale, either for consumption on any premises or to take-away. Traders must provide clear, legible price indications, easily read by someone intending to purchase food or drink.
Property Misdescriptions
As an estate agent or property developer, the Property Misdescriptions Act demands that you do not falsely describe property. Businesses who do this not only mislead, but might also gain business at the expense of those who tell the truth.
Textile Products (Indications of Fibre Content) Regulations 1986
The regulations apply to any person who supplies or offers to supply textile products, in the course of a trade or business, in the United Kingdom. Also covered are advertisements intended for retail customers where the advertisements describe the textile product or products in enough detail to enable the products to be ordered.
Tourism (Sleeping Accommodation) Price Display Order 1977
This applies to hotels, motels, inns, guest houses, self-catering establishments who offer sleeping accommodation and have at least 4 bedrooms or at least 8 beds available for letting. They must display an easily read price notice, in a prominent position, in the establishment's reception area or entrance area.
Used Vehicle Mileages
Altering the mileage on motor vehicles, commonly known as "clocking", and then either offering to sell them to consumers or other traders/businesses constitutes an offence under the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. Offering to sell vehicles that have been clocked by somebody else may also constitute an offence and therefore a trader must take all reasonable steps to check the accuracy of the mileage on a vehicle before it is offered for sale.
Video Recordings Act 1984
All video recordings to which the Act applies, must be classified and labelled in accordance with regulations. Video recordings must not be supplied to persons younger than the age category allocated to them. Restricted 18 (R18) video recordings must only be supplied in licensed sex shops.
Weights and Measures
Most packages sold in the UK must comply with the 'average quantity system' of weights and measures. Controls are applied principally at the point of production or importation, with strict tolerances to ensure that the average contents of a group of packages is at least the quantity stated on the label.
- currently being updated
Worn Tyres
The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994 SI No 3117. The controls on the supply of part-worn tyres came into force on 1st June 1995. Safe tyres are a vital element in safe driving. There are many dangers in buying part-worn tyres or second hand tyres.
