Press release —
Is Britain facing a consumer abuse crisis?
ECC asks: "Are businesses getting more predatory?" as consumer complaints spike...
Origins of ECC
European consumer Claims (ECC) was launched over 10 years ago in response to shocking levels of consumer fraud and mis-selling in the timeshare industry. While many of the errant companies were based in Spain, the targets were invariably vacationing Brits. Since 1999, there have been laws in place to protect consumers from aggressive or unfair sales strategies, but the majority of resorts ignored the laws altogether. To date, ECC have successfully claimed almost £30 million on behalf of timeshare clients.
Holiday parks, retirement properties and... solar panels
In November 2024, European Consumer Claims made the strategic decision to challenge errant holiday parks, and then retirement community property developers and overseas property mortgages. In both sectors ECC have achieved considerable early success, and have recently expanded their field of activity to investigate solar panel sales.
In the UK many people have been mis-sold to believe that the panels would pay for themselves in an overly optimistic timeframe. The exaggerated projections were based on various unlikely assumptions, such as perfect alignment, perfect weather conditions and zero shade. Eg ideal conditions that were highly unlikely to manifest. There are also widespread allegations of high pressure selling, with the doorstep sales agents claiming that 'government grants' are about to end. Poor installations and lack of adequate warranty support often leaves the consumer with a dubious quality, underperforming product and seemingly no avenue for redress.
Through diligent investigation of individual complaints, and the sector as a whole, ECC are now investigating opportunities to claim compensation for people who have been mis-sold solar panels.
Are consumer abuses proliferating?
It sometimes seems that every day we learn about different ways in which consumers are being mis-sold. Solar panels aside, people are losing money to all kinds of inventive schemes and products. Some notable current examples are:
- Spray foam loft insulation
- Conservatories (and subsequently roofs or other additions to the conservatories)
- Alternative energy suppliers (cold callers claiming they can save you money on your energy bills)
- Firms selling double glazing
- Crypto and trading schemes
- Funeral plans
- Mobility scooters and adjustable beds
With every potentially interesting or useful sounding idea, there seem to be companies who will oversell and misrepresent it to the point where they make money, basically from lying about or vastly exaggerating the benefits while downplaying any negative aspects.
Double glazing is well known for its random pricing and high pressure. Spray foam insulation is often unnecessary and can even devalue the home it is installed in. Conservatories can similarly devalue homes, and the new energy supplier can work out even more expensive than the old one. Crypto and trading schemes are extremely likely to fail. Funeral plans sound great, but companies have been known to cease trading long before their services are called upon. Mobility scooters and adjustable beds salespeople target the elderly and vulnerable, and regularly sell products at above market value.
This list is far from exhaustive. And is being added to faster than consumer organisations can warn people.
Fortunately there are some basic characteristics which can help indicate whether someone is in a good position to sue for compensation after losing money to a questionable consumer situation.
Expert advice
Greg Wilson is an internationally respected consumer expert and the CEO of European Consumer Claims.
Greg explains: "The UK's Consumer Rights Act offers protection and rights in all transactional business situations. If you pay money for goods or services, you have the right to expect what you paid for. If you are concerned that you have lost money due to being mis-sold, some basic questions to ask yourself are:
- "Was the product or service described accurately, including potential downsides?
- "Did you pay a fair market price for the goods or services you received?
- "Did the salesperson apply undue pressure, such as claiming a government grant was about to expire, or that their installation team would not be working in this area much longer?
- "Was the quality of any physical components to the deal adequate? Were they installed correctly and to a standard consummate with the price you paid?
- "Did the written contract reflect what the salesperson told you, or were there unfair and restrictive terms which were not brought to your attention before signing?
- "Did any hidden costs materialise after the sale was complete?
- "Did expected ongoing costs increase at a greater rate than you were told?
- And very importantly: "Is the company still in business, or if not is there an entity that can be claimed against for the money you have lost?
Wilson adds that the effort and cost of taking legal action needs to be weighed up against the potential benefits. "The final factor to consider is the amount of money you have potentially lost, and is it going to be proportionally worth the cost and effort of pursuing a claim. Although people are entitled to protection and rights in all consumer situations, expert legal assistance is generally needed to enforce these rights. That assistance costs money.
"If you have lost more than a few thousand pounds, it can make financial sense to seek direction about making a claim. If you have lost less than this it may not be."
If you have been mis-sold a product or service, and would like advice on whether or not to claim, contact us on info@ecc-eu.com. Use the subject line: "CONSUMER COMPENSATION ENQUIRY."
If you outline the details of your experience according to the bullet point list above, our experts will investigate whether you have a strong case for a claim.
Related links
- European Consumer Claims (ECC)
- Timeshare Advice Centre
- Holiday Park Advice Centre
- Retirement Property Advice Centre
- Overseas Property Claims
- Greg Wilson: Consumer expert
- Three convicted after elderly and vulnerable targeted in solar scams
- Consumer Rights Act UK
- ECC contact page
- £180,000 High Court win for ECC holiday park client
- Solar firms that took £3 million from pensioners shut down after refund scam
Topics
Categories
Regions
ECC provides claims services, relinquishments expert advice and help
E: (for media enquiries): mark.jobling@ecc-eu.com
T: (for media enquiries): +44 2039962044
E: (for client enquiries) EUROPE: info@ecc-eu.com USA: info@americanconsumerclaims.com
T: EUROPE: +44 203 7699 164.
T: USA: +1-888 207 6456/+1 332 251 7157
Monday to Friday: UK timings: 9am-8pm. Saturday/Sunday closed. USA 9am -8pm EST. Saturday/Sunday closed
Follow European Consumer Claims on Facebook: here. American Consumer Claims: here
Follow European Consumer Claims on Twitter: here. American Consumer Claims: here
Relevant websites for this article
www.holidayparkadvicecentre.co.uk
www.americanconsumerclaims.com
www.retirementpropertyadvicecentre.co.uk
www.timeshareadvicecentre.co.uk
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