What is Consumer Direct?

Consumer Direct is a telephone and on-line service that consumers can turn to if they have any problems. We offer clear, practical advice that gives consumers the knowledge, tools and confidence to resolve their problems - if the case is serious enough we would then pass the case over to our colleagues at Trading Standards for further investigation.

More often than not, we will be able to provide the public with the answers that they need to solve their issue.

Why was Consumer Direct set up?

Education really is the key - if people know what their rights are, they can then challenge companies if they are not satisfied with their goods or services. People want to be in that situation - they want to know their rights and they want to be able to make a stand for themselves if required.

In the past people would just accept what they were told but that day is long gone as people in general have become more educated.

However, most people are largely unaware of their rights as consumers - they don&t know about the laws that protect them and they don't know how they could challenge companies if they are unhappy with the goods they have bought or the service that they have employed someone to carry out for them.

This problem can even be extended to companies who can also be unsure of what the law says and as a result people can confuse company policies with what the law actually says - quite often these are two completely different things

Consumer Direct is now here to immediately answer the questions that the public have previously been unable to ask.

How have the public responded to Consumer Direct Scotland?

Since the launch last year Consumer Direct Scotland has already taken over 150,000 calls from people enquiring about their consumer rights - these calls cover a whole range of subjects from buying faulty goods to dodgy builders.

We've received excellent feedback from those consumers about the service we provide - 91% of our callers said that our advisors had the knowledge to answer their enquiry and 93% of callers also said they would recommend the service to their friends and family.

Such people often call us back to thank us for the advice given as it had resolved their issue - this is great news for Consumer Direct as it confirms that the advice we are giving is making a difference.

For more information on who uses the service, our staff and the problems we've solved, click here [[ link in to &Consumer Direct Scotland the facts so far&]].

How effective is the service provided by Consumer Direct Scotland?

The average return to consumers who successfully resolve their problem after calling us is £210 and with about 60% of cases being successfully resolved, the estimated benefit of Consumer Direct to Scottish consumers is around £4million.

These figures emphasise the importance of this service and demonstrate the effectiveness of knowing your rights.

What is the typical complaint you receive?

The most common complaint received by Consumer Direct Scotland concerns home maintenance [[ link]] - this would be for example, where a consumer might be having problems with a building company over an extension or conservatory - they don't have the confidence to challenge the company over the quality of the work or the length of time this may be taking and so they ring Consumer Direct for advice.

The second most common complaint is about furniture [[ link]] and this is usually about buying a new suite - people usually have to wait a long time for delivery of a suite - say 10-12 weeks, expectation is high as it's such a major purchase, and when the suite finally arrives, people will not accept anything less than the perfection that they saw in the showroom and will find themselves in a dispute with the trader.

The third most common complaint is about of course, buying second hand cars [[ link]] - again, this is a major purchase for most people and as the quality of a second hand car might not be the quite the same as that of a brand new car, disappointment and frustration means that people can easily get into a dispute with the garage and will then call Consumer Direct to find out about their rights.

Top 10 complaints

1. Home maintenance and Improvements
2. Furniture
3. Second-hand cars
4. Telecommunications (mobile phones etc)
5. Audio-visual
6. Large domestic appliances
7. Personal Computers and accessories
8. Glazing products and installations
9. Car repairs and servicing
10. Clothing and fabric

Some very useful advice on many of these problems can be found by clicking on these links: [[ make all of these links]]

Buying on the Internet; Your Statutory Rights; Scams; Buying a mobile phone; Credit Cards; Home maintenance; Furniture; Buying second hand cars.

How can people get in touch with Consumer Direct Scotland?

Consumer Direct Scotland has a large team of highly qualified advisors. If you have a consumer problem and want to know what your rights are, you can speak to an advisor by calling 08454 04 05 06. Or if you are on-line, you can send us your complaint through our website at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk