What are the legalities of this?

lucy03

IMO it's a valid question and it might be a contravention of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

You can usually e-mail trading standards directly about this and they can decide whether it's something they want to investigate. From my limited experience of these regulations it's usually something that trading standards, if they progress it, would seek an assurance from the business owner if they feel consumers have potentially been misled.

lucy03

Money-Saving-King wrote: »

You get told the truth. Can't handle it, don't post. You were trying to figure if you could dob someone up for something (based on pure assumption) and nothing else.

Consumers can contact trading standards over matters such as this with as little or as much evidence as they want. It's for trading standards to decide if there's a problem they want to progress but IMO it's a valid concern to contact them about.

browneyedbazzi

If they were closing for refurbishment and the sales staff were telling customers that they would be re-opening (as OP says they were) then it's very unlikely that you would get anywhere trying to argue an offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.

Also, it's pretty unlikely that something like this would meet the criteria in a TS tasking/enforcement policy for them to bother with. Just because there's potentially an offence doesn't mean TS have to or will act.

kevano22

Money-Saving-King wrote: »

You get told the truth. Can't handle it, don't post. You were trying to figure if you could dob someone up for something (based on pure assumption) and nothing else.

You're not very nice. The truth? Hardly. How can it be truth if it's all based on assumption as you pointed out?

Where did I mention I want to dob them in? I was simply wondering whether this was something you could get away with. I've no intention of taking this further.

Thanks lucy and to those who contributed with some actual help. I guess I'll never know whether it was genuine or not. I suspect dodgy!

Thanks again all.

Money-Saving-King

kevano22 wrote: »

You're not very nice. The truth? Hardly. How can it be truth if it's all based on assumption as you pointed out?

It was you who was making assumptions and others which have pointed out the truth.

lucy03

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

If they were closing for refurbishment and the sales staff were telling customers that they would be re-opening (as OP says they were) then it's very unlikely that you would get anywhere trying to argue an offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.

Also, it's pretty unlikely that something like this would meet the criteria in a TS tasking/enforcement policy for them to bother with. Just because there's potentially an offence doesn't mean TS have to or will act.

It's not about whether Trading Standards will be bothered, it's about a consumer report which they can use to decide whether there's a pattern of behaviour which warrants investigation, usually on a wider range of issues. The OP has a perfectly valid query with regards to the Unfair Trading Regulations and I can't think of a TS office that wouldn't be entirely happy to receive it, even if it's just filed for future reference in case of further problems with that particular retailer.

The value of complaints to TS of this nature isn't about allowing them immediately to rush out and attend the premises and demand undertakings be made. It's from my experience about being another mechanism which allows them to build up a picture about which retailers might be a cause for concern.

kevano22

Thanks for that detailed post. I find these things really interesting. I'll keep my eye on this shop.

kevano22

http://s7.postimg.org/725uwf3zv/20140315_134805.jpg

So. Here we are again less than 4 weeks on after re opening. Legal?

agrinnall

kevano22 wrote: »

http://s7.postimg.org/725uwf3zv/20140315_134805.jpg

So. Here we are again less than 4 weeks on after re opening. Legal?

Rather than keep asking on here why don't you do what has been suggested several times already and contact Trading Standards? They should be able to tell you if it's legal or not and what they might be prepared to do about it.

Money-Saving-King

kevano22 wrote: »

http://s7.postimg.org/725uwf3zv/20140315_134805.jpg

So. Here we are again less than 4 weeks on after re opening. Legal?

Just out of interest why does this matter so much? Is this a 'can I grass them?' thread?

That's the only thing I can think you're up to?