Women should mark International Women’s Day by complaining more, says consumer advice organisation

Female UK consumers are being urged to complain more, as International Women’s Day approaches (8 March 2018).

Women are less likely to come forward and make a complaint says the UK European Consumer Centre (UK ECC). Figures from the European Commission show that far more men use the UK ECC to help resolve their complaints than women do: 72% of complainants are men, with just 28% of women.

Andy Allen, UK European Consumer Centre (UK ECC) service director, said: “We want to use the approach of International Women’s Day to reach out to female consumers in the UK.

“Our message to women everywhere in the UK is that International Women’s Day is YOUR day and you must use it to truly make a positive difference for women. This includes making sure that you know your consumer rights and know how to complain.

“It is generally understood that women don’t use legal advice services the same as men do - certainly our figures bear that out. Maybe men aren’t so good at resolving their problems without advice: who knows if that’s true or not?

“Everybody needs a little help sometimes and we want to use International Women’s Day as an opportunity to tell women that help is out there: they’ve just got to ask to use it.”

UK ECC can provide advice in the following main areas: buying goods and services, online shopping, internet auctions, holidays, timeshare and holiday clubs, air travel.The service gets involved when consumers have a problem with something they’ve bought from a trader based in a European country outside the UK.

The UK ECC will be promoting a ‘how to write a good complaint letter’ on its website on International Women’s Day.

If you are a UK consumer (whatever your gender) and find yourself in dispute with an EU trader, then please contact the UK European Consumer Centre for advice on 01268 88660- weekdays between 9am and 5pm.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For further information, lease contact UK European Consumer Centre’s press office on 01268 582206 (or 074980 on Friday 2 March 2018).

The UK European Consumer Centre is part of the European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net). There are 30 centres in the EU, plus Iceland and Norway. The aim of the network is to provide advice and support to consumers who have a dispute with a trader based in a European country outside the UK. The Network will assist consumers in the attempt to resolve the complaint.

UK ECC can provide advice in the following main areas: buying goods and services, online shopping, internet auctions, holidays, timeshare and holiday clubs, air travel.

UK ECC is co-funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and the European Commission. The UK ECC service is delivered by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

  • Consumers can make contact with the UK European Consumer Centre via the website – www.ukecc.net – or by phone on 01268 886690 weekdays between 9am and 5pm.
  • If in doubt before you buy, contact our sister organisation – the European Consumer Centre for Services – forpre-purchasing advice: www.ukecc-services.net