source/domain-registers/shopping-and-consumer-rights.v1.yaml

Browser-rendered handoff of repository-authored YAML. Source identity: source/domain-registers/shopping-and-consumer-rights.v1.yaml. Links and original summaries are shown; external source content is not redistributed.

register_version: life-course-domain-register.v1
pack_id: pack-5-enforcement-consumer-justice
domain: shopping-and-consumer-rights
title: Shopping and consumer rights
status: population_complete
observed_at: "2026-08-08"
link_receipts: evaluation/link-receipts/pack-5-enforcement-consumer-justice-2026-08-08
acquisition:
  mode: linked_reference_only
  snapshots_acquired: false
  source_response_bodies_retained: false
  publication_allowed: false
  rights_policy: link_and_summarize_source_family_decisions_recorded
_source_defaults: &source_defaults
  access_method: public_html
  version_model: live_service_guidance
  update_cadence: check_before_each_use
  rights_basis: linked_reference_summary_only_source_family_decision_recorded
  observed_at: "2026-08-08"
  checksum: not_applicable_no_snapshot
_family_defaults: &family_defaults
  primary_jurisdictions: [England, Wales]
  specialist_review: required
route_sources:
  - <<: *source_defaults
    id: consumer-rights-scotland-handoff
    jurisdiction: Scotland
    title: Consumer rights in Scotland
    owner: Scottish Government
    authority_role: scotland_consumer_rights_handoff
    resource: https://www.mygov.scot/consumer-rights
    coverage: Routes people to current Scottish consumer advice, complaint and enforcement information.
    exclusions: Does not decide whether goods, services, terms or credit breach a consumer's rights.
  - <<: *source_defaults
    id: consumer-rights-wales-handoff
    jurisdiction: Wales
    title: Consumer rights in Wales
    owner: Competition and Markets Authority
    authority_role: wales_consumer_rights_handoff
    resource: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
    coverage: Routes people to current Welsh consumer-protection and local enforcement information.
    exclusions: Does not resolve an individual contract, refund, credit or product-safety case.
  - <<: *source_defaults
    id: consumer-rights-northern-ireland-handoff
    jurisdiction: Northern Ireland
    title: Consumer rights in Northern Ireland
    owner: Competition and Markets Authority
    authority_role: northern_ireland_consumer_rights_handoff
    resource: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
    coverage: Routes people to current Northern Ireland consumer advice, complaints and enforcement.
    exclusions: Great Britain civil and consumer procedure does not establish Northern Ireland redress.
families:
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: exercise-consumer-rights-for-goods
    title: Exercise consumer rights for goods
    aliases: [faulty item rights, goods not as described, consumer guarantee]
    description: Preserve the purchase and defect evidence, state the requested statutory remedy to the trader and use the applicable escalation route.
    situations: [Goods bought from a trader may be faulty, unsafe, misdescribed or unsuitable under the current consumer regime.]
    user_needs: [Find the trader and remedy sequence without the bundle deciding breach or entitlement.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: exercise-consumer-rights-for-goods-primary
      title: Consumer rights
      owner: Competition and Markets Authority
      authority_role: uk_consumer_rights_guidance
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
      coverage: Introduces UK consumer rights for goods and public advice and enforcement handoffs.
      exclusions: Does not determine whether a product breaches contract or which remedy is due.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: exercise-consumer-rights-for-services
    title: Exercise consumer rights for services
    aliases: [poor service complaint, reasonable care and skill, service not completed]
    description: Record the agreement and performance problem, ask the trader for the applicable repeat performance or price remedy and retain its response.
    situations: [A paid service may not match the contract, information, care, skill, price or timing promised.]
    user_needs: [Keep evidence, trader complaint, sector scheme and court boundaries in the correct order.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: exercise-consumer-rights-for-services-primary
      title: Consumer rights
      owner: Competition and Markets Authority
      authority_role: uk_consumer_service_rights_guidance
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
      coverage: Introduces consumer protection and advice routes relevant to paid services.
      exclusions: Does not interpret a service contract, assess reasonable care or calculate a price reduction.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: exercise-digital-content-rights
    title: Exercise digital content rights
    aliases: [faulty app refund, digital download rights, streaming service not working]
    description: Preserve account, payment and fault evidence and use the trader or platform route for repair, replacement, refund or damage claims where applicable.
    situations: [Paid or supplied digital content may be faulty, incompatible, misdescribed or damaging.]
    user_needs: [Distinguish digital content, services, goods and platform-provider responsibility.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: exercise-digital-content-rights-primary
      title: Consumer rights
      owner: Competition and Markets Authority
      authority_role: uk_digital_content_rights_guidance
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
      coverage: Routes consumers to current rights and advice covering goods, services and digital transactions.
      exclusions: Does not diagnose software, establish trader identity, decide a remedy or assess consequential damage.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: seek-refund-repair-or-replacement
    title: Seek a refund, repair or replacement
    aliases: [return faulty purchase, ask shop for refund, replace broken product]
    description: Present purchase and condition evidence to the responsible trader and retain the remedy offered, refused or escalated.
    situations: [A consumer wants a trader to refund, repair or replace a purchase.]
    user_needs: [Identify the responsible seller and remedy stage without treating a shop policy as the statutory test.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: seek-refund-repair-or-replacement-primary
      title: Accepting returns and giving refunds
      owner: Department for Business and Trade
      authority_role: uk_returns_and_refunds_guidance
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/accepting-returns-and-giving-refunds
      coverage: Explains trader refund duties and the distinction between faulty goods and change of mind.
      exclusions: Written for businesses and does not decide a consumer's facts or remedy.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: report-scam-or-fraud
    title: Report a scam or fraud
    aliases: [online scam report, money stolen by fraud, phishing report]
    description: Take immediate account or payment-security action and report the event through the current police, fraud and platform routes for the jurisdiction.
    situations: [A person suspects deception, unauthorized payment, identity misuse or another fraud.]
    user_needs: [Place urgent financial protection, evidence, reporting and support handoffs in a safe order.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: report-scam-or-fraud-primary
      title: Consumer rights and scam advice
      owner: Competition and Markets Authority
      authority_role: uk_consumer_scam_advice_handoff
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
      coverage: Routes people to national consumer advice services that handle fraud and scam concerns and can identify current reporting handoffs.
      exclusions: Does not investigate, recover money, secure an account or replace an emergency police route.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: resolve-consumer-credit-dispute
    title: Resolve a consumer credit dispute
    aliases: [complain about lender, credit agreement dispute, financial ombudsman complaint]
    description: Complain to the authorised firm first, retain its final response and use the current regulator, ombudsman or court route where applicable.
    situations: [A borrower or customer disputes a regulated loan, hire, card, debt collection or credit-service outcome.]
    user_needs: [Verify the provider and separate complaint, ombudsman, regulatory and legal remedies.]
    dependency: fca-authorised-credit-provider
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: resolve-consumer-credit-dispute-primary
      title: Complain about a financial service
      owner: HM Treasury
      authority_role: uk_financial_service_complaint_guidance
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/complain-financial-service
      coverage: Routes consumers through firm complaint and Financial Ombudsman Service handoffs.
      exclusions: Does not decide authorization, affordability, enforceability, redress or court time limits.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: contact-trading-standards
    title: Contact Trading Standards
    aliases: [report rogue trader, local consumer enforcement, report illegal sale]
    description: Give the designated consumer-advice or local enforcement route facts about a trader, product or practice and retain the referral boundary.
    situations: [A consumer or business has information about a potentially unlawful trading practice.]
    user_needs: [Use the correct advice gateway and understand that enforcement action is an authority decision.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: contact-trading-standards-primary
      title: Find your local Trading Standards office
      owner: Department for Business and Trade
      authority_role: england_wales_scotland_trading_standards_locator
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office
      coverage: Routes Great Britain users to the designated consumer service or local Trading Standards contact.
      exclusions: Does not create an investigation, decide an offence or promise individual redress.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: use-sector-ombudsman
    title: Use a sector ombudsman
    aliases: [independent complaint reviewer, ombudsman after final response, escalate unresolved service complaint]
    description: Complete the provider's complaint stage, identify the recognized scheme for the sector and submit within its current jurisdiction and scope.
    situations: [A consumer complaint remains unresolved after the responsible provider's required internal process.]
    user_needs: [Verify the ombudsman or redress scheme and keep sectors, jurisdictions and binding powers distinct.]
    dependency: recognized-sector-ombudsman-or-redress-scheme
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: use-sector-ombudsman-primary
      title: Consumer rights
      owner: Competition and Markets Authority
      authority_role: uk_consumer_redress_handoff
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
      coverage: Routes consumers to public advice that can identify sector-specific complaint and redress services.
      exclusions: Does not identify one ombudsman for every issue or establish scheme jurisdiction or acceptance.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: make-small-money-claim
    title: Make a small money claim
    aliases: [small claims court, claim money owed, county court money claim]
    description: Send the required pre-action information, use the correct court or online claim route and retain service, response and judgment records.
    situations: [A person or organisation seeks a civil money remedy within the applicable court process.]
    user_needs: [Find the jurisdiction-specific claim route without legal advice or an outcome prediction.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: make-small-money-claim-primary
      title: Make a court claim for money
      owner: HM Courts and Tribunals Service
      authority_role: england_wales_money_claim_service
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money
      coverage: Provides England and Wales online and paper money-claim handoffs and fee information.
      exclusions: Does not advise whether to sue, calculate limitation or interest, draft a claim or predict judgment or recovery.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: cancel-distance-contract
    title: Cancel a distance contract
    aliases: [online purchase cooling off period, cancel phone order, return internet purchase]
    description: Notify the trader through a durable route and preserve dispatch, delivery, cancellation and return evidence under the applicable contract rules.
    situations: [A consumer wants to cancel goods or services bought online, by telephone or away from business premises.]
    user_needs: [Identify exemptions, trader information and return responsibilities without calculating a deadline.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: cancel-distance-contract-primary
      title: Online and distance selling
      owner: Department for Business and Trade
      authority_role: uk_distance_selling_guidance
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses
      coverage: Explains trader information, cancellation and refund duties for UK distance selling.
      exclusions: Written for businesses and does not decide whether a transaction or exemption applies.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: challenge-unfair-contract-term
    title: Challenge an unfair contract term
    aliases: [unfair small print, excessive cancellation clause, consumer contract term complaint]
    description: Preserve the contract and trader communications, state the disputed effect and use advice, regulator, ombudsman or court routes as applicable.
    situations: [A standard consumer term may create a significant and non-transparent imbalance.]
    user_needs: [Find authoritative guidance while leaving fairness and enforceability to the accountable body.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: challenge-unfair-contract-term-primary
      title: Unfair terms in consumer contracts
      owner: Competition and Markets Authority
      authority_role: uk_unfair_terms_guidance
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unfair-contract-terms-cma37
      coverage: Publishes CMA guidance on the UK unfair-terms regime and enforcement approach.
      exclusions: Does not provide legal advice, interpret an individual term or determine enforceability or remedy.
  - <<: *family_defaults
    id: report-product-safety-issue
    title: Report a product safety issue
    aliases: [dangerous product report, product recall concern, unsafe item complaint]
    description: Stop unsafe use where necessary, preserve product and incident details and report to the seller and designated safety authority route.
    situations: [A consumer product may present an injury, fire, electrical, chemical or other safety risk.]
    user_needs: [Identify urgent care, fire, seller, Trading Standards and product-safety reporting boundaries.]
    source:
      <<: *source_defaults
      id: report-product-safety-issue-primary
      title: Product safety for consumers
      owner: Office for Product Safety and Standards
      authority_role: uk_product_safety_guidance
      resource: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/consumer-products-reporting-product-safety-issues
      coverage: Routes consumers to product-safety alerts, recall checks and reporting information.
      exclusions: Does not assess a product, diagnose injury, order a recall or determine liability or compensation.