13
PRO INSTALLER AUGUST 2014
PRO NEWS
@proinstaller1
EU CONSUMER
RIGHTS DIRECTIVE
The GGF has provided this useful update on the new EU Consumer
Rights Directive – and has also produced revised sets of Model Terms
and Conditions for Members and non-members (see below).
The (EU) Consumer Rights Directive
came into force on 13th June 2014,
after which every Company was
required by law to change its contract of terms and conditions. To help
companies cope with the new legislation, the Federation has published
revised Model Terms and Conditions
of Contract, plus Guidance on implementation of the EU Consumer Rights
Directive for both GGF Members and
non-Members.
‘entirely separate legislation’
The EU Consumer Rights Directive (CRD)
is entirely separate legislation from the Consumer Rights Bill which is now due to be
implemented in Summer 2015. The Govern-
ment signed up to the CRD more than three
years ago.
The Directive is being implemented via
legislation known as The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. The main
issues are:• The cooling-off period for goods and
services sold by distance or by off-premises selling will be harmonised across the
EU to 14 days from date of delivery of the
products
• There are some important exemptions,
one of which is for products “made to
the consumer’s specification” – this will
include such products as made-to-measure
windows made to a consumer’s specific
requirements; another is for urgent repairs
and maintenance when a consumer invites
a trader to their home
• There is a long list of pre-contract information which must be provided to
consumers before a contract is made,
including advising cancellation rights and
if a trader belongs to a code of conduct,
for example the GGF Consumer Code of
Good Practice. Failure to provide certain
items will give a consumer a cooling-off
period of up to 379 days, and the trader
would be liable to a fine of up to £5,000
The GGF has advised its Members of these
upcoming changes for over a year now,
following meetings between the GGF with
the Department of Business, Innovation and
Skills (BIS) in 2012. GGF Members have
voted to retain the current 7 days cooling-off
period from date of contract in the GGF
Consumer Code of Good Practice in addition
to the requirements of the new legislation.
The GGF has produced a revised set of
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