HC Deb 21 January 2002 vol 378 cc559-60W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the regulation of distance selling. [27930]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Consumer protection laws, such as the Sale of Goods legislation, apply equally to distance selling as when shopping on the high street.

In addition, the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations came into force on 31 October 2000 and cover all forms of distance selling, including shopping over the internet, telephone or catalogue.

The main provisions of the regulations are:

  • The right to receive clear information about the goods or services before deciding to purchase;
  • Confirmation of this information in writing;
  • A cooling off period of seven working days during which the consumer can cancel the contract;
  • Unless agreed otherwise with the supplier, the right to receive goods or services within 30 days;
  • Protection against payment card fraud;
  • Protection against cold calling.