Consumer advice
Consumer alerts
This page displays all consumer alerts released by the Office of Fair Trading.
Consumer alerts by date
2012 Consumer alerts
Work out your consumer rights before you join a gym - December 2012
The OFT is urging people to carefully ask themselves four questions when thinking about joining a gym or health and fitness centre.
Find out more about your consumer rights before you join a gym
Identifying websites that charge to process applications for government services - November 2012
The OFT is warning consumers who wish to access government services to check whether they are visiting the official government website or the website of a business charging for processing services.
OFT warns of PPI compensation scam - October 2012
The OFT is aware that over recent weeks people have been telephoned by an individual claiming to be from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and told that the OFT can pay them compensation for mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). This is untrue.
Penny auctions - October 2012
'Penny auctions' come in many varieties and are an online shopping method where players pay a small non-refundable fee each time they place a bid on an item. Penny auctions are therefore not like standard auctions where you pay nothing if your bid is unsuccessful.
Subscription traps - July 2012
Subscription traps are deceptive devices which work by tricking consumers into signing up to a long-term contract for goods or services. They do so by including a tie-in period or through a commitment on the part of the consumer to take deliveries until they cancel, with refunds not allowed unless goods are faulty. Consumers who are deceived are not aware of a subscription until goods arrive or money is first taken from their account.
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