Consumers' rights when buying from UK unchanged until Brexit

Consumers here currently still have the same rights under EU legislation when they buy from UK traders, the European Consumer Centre Ireland has said.

These rights will remain in place at least until Brexit actually takes place - if it takes place, ECC Ireland has said.

The UK has been granted an extension on Article 50 until October 31 and so, for now, it is still a member state until it actually leaves the EU. 

Therefore consumers have the same EU consumer rights - for the time being at least.

Traders cannot use Brexit as a reason for not giving legitimate refunds, repairs or replacements, delivery of an item, or carrying out other customer relation services, ECC Ireland said. 

But if and when Brexit does happen, ECC Ireland said there could be changes in UK domestic legislation in future.

This could mean that consumers may not be automatically entitled to the same rights as they have now when purchasing from a UK based trader.

It is advising consumers to continue to take precautions by thoroughly reading the terms and conditions, paying particular attention to returns and cancellation policies.

It also urges consumers to pay securely, for example, with a credit/debit card in order to potentially avail of chargeback for problems such as non-delivery and goods that are faulty.

ECC Ireland spokesperson Martina Nee now that the UK's exit from the EU has been pushed back until October 31, consumers have been given some breathing space.

"They can be assured that, for now at least, when they buy goods or services from a UK-based trader, and vice-versa, they can avail of their rights under EU legislation," Ms Nee said. 

She said that any trader who uses Brexit to refuse a consumer's right to cancel a contract, repair or replacement or other legitimate redress options is disregarding the legislation currently in force in the UK to protect consumers, which is aligned to EU legislation. 

But she stressed that consumers should be aware that this could change post-Brexit, while there could also be less options for further assistance and redress. 

"Therefore, as we get closer to the Brexit date, consumers should take steps to protect themselves by reading the terms and conditions to find out about returns and cancellation policies and using a secure method of payment that facilitates redress if something goes wrong," Ms Nee advised.