Help & advice
For help and advice on internet shopping, visit our Purchasing online section or see below for other sources of information for both on- and off-line shopping.
Citizens Advice
The Citizens Advice Bureaux offer free, confidential and impartial information and advice on a range of subjects including consumer rights, debts, benefits, housing, employment, immigration, family and personal matters. For a list of branches, see Counselling & Advice. See also Adviceguide published by Citizens Advice.
The Office of Fair Trading
Shopping online can offer huge choice as well as the ease of buying goods and services from home. To find out about precautions you should take when buying online and what to do if something goes wrong, you can visit the website of the Office of Fair Trading.
Trade associations and professional bodies
Advertisers on Yell.com may display an emblem or logo showing the name of the trade association or professional body to which they belong. To find a list of the organisations mentioned in some of the most frequently used classifications, see Trade associations & professional bodies.
Trading Standards
Trading Standards offices are part of your local authority and can provide free advice on using the small-claims procedure against traders who provide unsatisfactory goods or services. They can investigate complaints about false or misleading descriptions of goods and services, prices, and inaccurate weights and measures. They can also seize dangerous goods and stop them being sold. See Trading Standards Central for details of your local Trading Standards offices.
The Consumers' Association
The Consumers' Association campaigns on the key issues for consumers over a number of areas, including shopping rights, personal finance, food and health. For more information, visit the Which? website.Choosing a supplier
See Tips on choosing a supplier.Consumer protection
Here are details of other consumer watchdogs you can contact if you are unable to resolve issues directly with the companies or authorities concerned.
- Information sources for England and Wales:
- Postwatch (the watchdog for postal services) 08456 013265
- Energywatch (gas and electricity consumers council) 08459 06 07 08
- Ofgem (gas and electricity markets) (020) 7901 7000
- Ofcom (TV, radio, telecommunications and wireless) (020) 7981 3040
- Ofwat (water and sewerage services) (0121) 625 1300
- Otelo (Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman) 0845 050 1614
- Information sources for Scotland:
- Postwatch (the watchdog for postal services) 08456 013265
- Energywatch (gas and electricity consumers council) 08459 06 07 08
- Ofgem (gas and electricity markets) (020) 7901 7000
- Ofcom (TV, radio, telecommunications and wireless) (020) 7981 3040
- Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland (water and sewerage services) 01786 430200
- Otelo (Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman) 0845 050 1614
- Information sources for Northern Ireland:
- General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland (for complaints about coal, transport, gas and electricity) 0845 601 6022
- Northern Ireland Advisory Committee on Telecommunications (NIACT) 028 9024 2631
- Water Management Unit of the DOE Environment and Heritage Service 028 9025 4754
- ConsumerLine. For advice, call 0845 600 62 62
For details of other regulatory bodies contact your local Trading Standards office.
Financial Services Authority
The FSA is an independent body set up by the government to regulate financial services in the UK and protect customers' rights. For useful information and advice if something goes wrong, visit the FSA website or call the consumer helpline on 0845 606 1234.
Advertising Standards Authority
If you believe you have been misled or offended by an advert, visit the ASA website or write to:
ASA, 2 Torrington Place, London WC1E 7HW
or call (020) 7580 5555.
HM Customs and Excise
If you are considering purchasing goods from other countries via the internet, HM Customs and Excise's website has a useful section on internet shopping and duty. See also Customs Clearance Agents and Government Offices.