National Consumer Week 2025
23 June 2025
June 18-25 is National Consumer Week.
The theme for this year’s National Consumer Week is: ‘Disability Aids and Appliances: Know Your Consumer Rights’.
Below are key messages from Citizens Advice to help you when buying disability aids, returning disability aids, or dealing with faulty disability aids.
When buying disability aids, it’s important to know your rights so you can shop with confidence. These can include knowing how to shop safely, what to do if there is a problem with your item and what to do if you change your mind after purchasing. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Your rights to return are different depending on whether the product is bespoke (made to your specifications / your measurements) or non-bespoke. If you make colour and size selections for a product from a drop down menu, for example, it's not bespoke.
- You’re able to return non-bespoke products if you change your mind providing you bought the product online, in your home (as long as they cost over £42), over the phone or from a catalogue. You normally have up to 14 days after receiving your goods to change your mind and get a full refund, with a further 14 days to send the item back.
- If the product is faulty you have rights, regardless of whether the product is bespoke or not, or how it was purchased.
- If the product is second hand from a trader (a business who sells disability aids and appliances), you still have the same rights as you would have if you bought something new.
- Confirm if there are any ongoing service costs for a product that you will need to carry on paying. For example, any software purchased could include a yearly charge for any technical support.
- Arm yourself with the knowledge and confidence to make the best decisions - follow our advice on how to be a confident online consumer [see below for our key tips].
- Sometimes things still go wrong, and if they do we’re here to help. Get in touch with the consumer service by calling 0808 223 1133 or visit our advice pages at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer for more support.
3 steps to being a confident consumer:
1. Do your research:
Before you buy anything, check the company or website you’re using. Read reviews on different websites, ask for references, verify the company’s details using external sources, and read any terms and conditions.
Confirm what help is available. Some charities might lend you a disability aid or appliance so check if you can rent or borrow before you buy, and help might also be available through grants or VAT relief.
Don’t be pressured by cold callers or door-sellers offering deals. Take time to explore the options available to you.
2. Stay safe when buying:
Don’t send bank transfers - pay by card to get extra protection if things go wrong. Paypal also offers protection via their buyer protection.
Ask the trader you’re buying from whether they offer any after-sales service or guarantee, and confirm their dispute resolution process. Any guarantee is in addition to your legal rights, so ask for details of this in writing and keep it safe.
Confirm the seller’s return policy, and who will pay for returning unwanted goods.
3. If you’re not sure about something, seek more advice!
For more information and support visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer . You can also contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 (or 0808 223 1144 for a welsh language advisor).
Quick fire scams advice.
If you’re worried about being scammed:
Before you buy anything, take a few minutes to research the company or website you’re using. Read reviews from different websites, and search for the company’s details on GOV.UK - this will tell you if they’re a registered company or not;
Pay by PayPal or by debit or credit card. This gives you extra protection if things go wrong;
Be wary of traders offering big discounts and cold callers offering really cheap deals. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is; and,
Scammers may appear like a trusted business, using links in ads or emails to direct you to a fake website. Don’t click on any links you don’t trust.
Hopefully, the above will help you be a more confident consumer of disability aids and appliances but remember, expert help is available to you from Citizens Advice and others if you need it.
End.
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