One in three consumers feel rights are ignored

One in three people feel their consumer rights have been ignored and more than a quarter of people (28%) are more likely to complain about goods they bought during the economic downturn according to a new survey.

The survey, commissioned by the Department for Business, is released on the same day as Consumer Minister Kevin Brennan launches a "Know Your Consumer Rights" campaign - a major new drive to support consumers and help them understand their rights.

Highlights from the survey of 2,000 people include:

People aged 35 plus feel they are more likely to be overcharged or misled shopping on the high street than on the internet. But those aged between 16 and 34 said the internet posed a greater risk than the high street

31 per cent of women claim they are more likely to complain about goods during the economic downturn compared to 25 per cent of men

58 per cent of consumers claim they have complained to a store about goods, asked for a refund or an exchange between one and three times in the past three years

One third of consumers claim they have complained to a store about goods, asked for a refund or asked for an exchange more than three times in the past three years

Consumer Minister Kevin Brennan said: "Robust protections are in place to support consumers. But we want to see a dramatic improvement in awareness of those protections and rights.

"Knowledgeable, confident consumers are much more likely to get a fair deal, save money and get the right result when things go wrong. This is especially important during the current economic climate, when every penny is even more precious than usual."

Vivienne Dews, Executive Director at the Office of Fair Trading said: "When people are aware of their rights and businesses respect their obligations, consumers can shop with confidence, which is good for them and good for business."

The Department for Business is working with Trading Standards Institute, Consumer Direct, the Office of Fair Trading and Consumer Focus to highlight the campaign which will run until 2010.

The ‘Know Your Consumer Rights' campaign is focussed on ensuring consumers know three key legal rights:

Goods must fit the description given
Be of satisfactory quality
Be suitable for purpose

And important information for consumers to know:

If goods are faulty it is the retailers responsibility not the manufacturers

If a trader visits your home you have a cooling off period of seven days during which an order can be cancelled without any reason and a full refund made

If you buy goods off the internet, in most cases, you have a cooling-off period during which an order can be cancelled without any reason and a full refund made

For more information, visit consumerdirect.gov.uk