Press releases
12 September 2006
Consumer Direct takes two million calls in two years
Consumer Direct, the government-funded helpline, has responded to over two million calls in just two years of service, helping British consumers resolve complaints worth an estimated £138 million.
Since 2004, Consumer Direct's 350 specially trained advisers have clocked up around 200,000 hours on the phone, giving consumers information about their rights, and advice on how to gain redress when things go wrong. Current demand for the service stands at 120,000 calls per month.
The top five most common consumer complaints to Consumer Direct are about home maintenance, second hand cars, furniture, telecoms and audiovisuals.
The Consumer Direct service is managed by the Office of Fair Trading and delivered through 11 contact centres throughout Great Britain, in partnership with local authority Trading Standards. Consumer Direct delivers first tier advice, allowing Trading Standards and others to focus on more difficult cases.
John Fingleton, Chief Executive of the OFT said:
'We are delighted that Consumer Direct has proved to be such a popular and useful service. It is giving people the confidence to exercise their consumer rights, which is in turn encouraging businesses to raise their game.
'Consumer Direct is at the heart of the OFT's mission to make markets work well for consumers. The information that Consumer Direct collects helps Trading Standards and the OFT to focus our resources and concentrate our enforcement efforts in the most appropriate way.'
Ron Gainsford, chief executive of the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), said:
'Consumer Direct works in partnership with Trading Standards to provide an integrated service that shares intelligence and goals. This helps trading standards services throughout the country to stick up for the rights of consumers and legitimate businesses - and fight the crooks who try to defraud them. Besides offering valuable front-line advice directly to consumers, the service allows trading standards professionals to focus on cases that need further investigation. Consumer Direct also helps us to spot patterns around the country, so that we can target resources to stamp out the rogues and clean up markets.'
Consumer Direct is available on 08454 04 05 06 or online at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.
NOTES
- Consumer Direct is a telephone and online consumer advice service managed by the Office of Fair Trading. It offers consumers clear, practical and impartial advice and information.
- Consumer Direct has around 350 highly trained advisers in 11 centres based in London, the South East, the South West, the East of England, the West Midlands, the East Midlands, Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West, the North East and Scotland.
- The information and advice helpline is available on a single low-cost national telephone number - 08454 04 05 06 from 0800 – 1830 Monday to Friday, and 0900 – 1300 Saturday, excluding bank holidays and public holidays.
- A Welsh-speaking Consumer Direct service is available on 08454 04 05 05. Minicom users should call 08451 28 13 84.
- Calls cost a maximum of four pence per minute from a BT landline. Calls from mobiles or other networks may vary. Your service provider may charge a minimum cost per call.
MEDIA enquiries: Frank Shepherd: 020 7211 8133/ 07747 457616
Photos are available on the GNN website at www.gnn.gov.uk.
