Chris Wakem Says UK Consumer Law is About to Change
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Transcript of Chris Wakem Says UK Consumer Law is About to Change
CHANGES LOOMING IN UK CONSUMER LAW By Christopher Wakem, London Legal Contractor December 27, 2013 According to Eversheds, the Consumer Rights Directive was recently enacted throughout the European Union. The law, which must be complied with by June of 2014, affects business that sell their goods door-‐to-‐door, off-‐premises, across distances, and online. What’s more, the upcoming Consumer Rights Bill will institute additional changes to UK consumer law. While this is great news for consumers, the bad news is not many UK
business leaders are aware of the changes and how they will affect business. Taken together, the Directive and the Bill constitute a virtual overhaul of British consumer law as we know it, and the biggest revision in over three decades. Most of the rules and regulations hope to simplify and clarify rights of the consumer in the advent of the digital age. Specifically, key philosophical shifts are taking place in how to think of digital content ( as a good rather than as a service), how to deal with defective services (more laws requiring re-‐performance, price reductions, and full refunds).
Many of the changes are welcome in the business community among those who know what the laws stipulate–many changes are in fact seen as long overdue–but they will also burden companies with supplementary training needs, higher costs, and further administrative burden. Now more than ever it’s vital that UK companies develop expertise (or hire an outside business law expert such as myself) to make sure everything is being done by the book. Christopher Wakem is a London-‐based legal consultant/contractor who has worked in the independent bar, private practice, and in-‐house sectors. He has obtained law degrees from the University of Sheffield and University College. Mr. Wakem has provide advice in a wide array of matters, both contentious and non-‐contentious, through his company Lightbringer Solutions Ltd. Chris has helped companies large and small establish risk management policies, develop start-‐up procedures, negotiate framework agreements, secure insurance coverage, and deal with Anti-‐Money-‐Laundering and Anti-‐Bribery and corruption matters.