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Standards body to investigate consumer contracts

Published on 4 Feb 2010 under category: legal

Consumers should have more protection when it comes to contracts, according to the trading standards body.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will launch an investigation today (February 4th) into how contracts are presented to consumers and whether terms and conditions are always clear.

Heather Clayton, senior director of OFT's consumer market group, said: "Today consumers are offered a range of complex contractual arrangements, particularly for goods and services offered online.

"We want to understand the cause of these problems and look for remedies that will not only protect consumers, but also help those businesses that are trying to provide clarity to their customers.

"We often see situations in many different markets where people lose out as a result of not understanding contracts."

The study will consider whether customers' understanding is different according to whether contracts are explained online, through a phone call or a letter.

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