Extra Consumer Purchase Protection
12th November 2007
The House of Lords have ruled in favour of consumers who claim refunds from their credit card company for goods which have been purchased abroad. The House of Lords ruling brings to an end a case bought by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in 2004.
The OFT had asked the courts to make a final decision on section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which allows credit card holders to claim a refund from their credit card company and the seller of the goods if they have been misrepresented or there has been a breach of contract.
“The application of section 75 to overseas credit card purchases has long been uncertain, which is an unsatisfactory situation for UK consumers. We are pleased that the House of Lords has resolved the issue and particularly happy that it has been resolved in a way that gives greater protection to consumers” said John Fingleton, chief executive of the OFT.
With more and more goods now being purchased online, this final ruling in favour of consumers, is expected to further increase confidence of consumers in online shopping.
