If the Tories continue to ignore the big issues then British consumers will continue to be short-changed – Gill Furniss
Gill Furniss MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Steel, Postal Services and Consumer Protection, responding to news that the Chancellor will unveil details of the Government’s upcoming Consumer Green Paper in the Budget, including action on subscription traps and simplifying small print said:
“The data from Citizens Advice makes clear that misleading consumer practices are extremely widespread, with over 40 per cent of British people paying for a subscription they don’t use.
“Consumers need much better protection from stealthy subscriptions which often start automatically after a free trial. Clear notifications that billing or price changes are about to begin should be the minimum that consumers can expect. At present, companies have no incentive to improve, so allowing enforcement bodies to impose fines is a positive step.
“While these changes are welcome, the Tories with their light-touch approach have an abysmal track record on protecting consumers. Only last summer they sat back and watched Ofgem and the Competitions and Markets Authority effectively blame consumers for allowing energy companies to rip them off to the tune of £1.4billion a year. And to the surprise of no one, energy bills have just been hiked yet again. Labour would implement a price cap to properly protect consumers.
“These are sensible proposals, but if the Tories continue to ignore the big issues then British consumers will continue to be short-changed. It’s about time this government started taking its responsibility to UK consumers seriously.”
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