Legal Updates

E-Business - Distance Selling Regulations

The Distance Selling Regulations ("Regulations")1, which came into force on 31 October 2000, have been amended by the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) (Amendments) Regulations 2005 ("Amending Regulations"). The Regulations were introduced to govern contracts for goods and services that were concluded between businesses and consumers where there was no face-to-face contact. Examples of such contracts include mail order purchases, telephone and Internet sales.

The Amending Regulations now apply to the solicitor-client relationship, and where solicitors make such contracts routinely. The most likely contract to fall within the scope of the Regulations will be is the contract arising out of instructions taken by a solicitor over the telephone. They will not apply to one-off contracts.

The Amending Regulations, which came into force on 6 April 2005, lay down the law as to how consumers are to be informed of their right to cancel a contract caught by the Regulations, and also how to invoke this right.

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© RT COOPERS, 2005. This Briefing Note does not provide a comprehensive or complete statement of the law relating to the issues discussed nor does it constitute legal advice. It is intended only to highlight general issues. Specialist legal advice should always be sought in relation to particular circumstances.