The Consumer Rights Act - How Does It Impact on Brand Owners?

The main provisions of the Consumer Rights Act (Act) came into force on 1 October 2015. The Act consolidates and updates the UK’s fragmented consumer protection laws, making the regime easier to understand and bringing it firmly into the digital age. The new law also impacts brands by:

• allowing for greater likelihood that advertising and promotional material could be treated as a contractual term
• allowing consumers a greater range of civil remedies
• increasing the prospect of more class actions

Every consumer-facing business will be affected by the changes. Brand owners should take action now to ensure that their marketing communications and contractual terms comply with the new rules.