The ASA may be contacted with complaints about
any misleading promotions, as they may be in
breach of the British Codes of Advertising and
Sales Promotion. If a complaint is upheld the
advertiser is asked to amend their mailings.
Should the advertiser fail to comply, CAP may
also circulate an Ad Alert to members in the
direct marketing industry asking them to check
advertising by the company with the CAP Copy
Advice team before carrying their mailings.
For further information, click on the links
for Editorials by the ASA about prize draw promotions,
ASA Editorial: 'Beware
of promises of riches from abroad'
ASA Editorial: 'Who
Wants to be a Millionaire'
If you wish to pursue a complaint about a misleading
promotion you have received you can write to
the ASA describing clearly why they think the
mailing is misleading and enclosing the original
mailing envelope (if possible). Their address
is,
The Advertising Standards Authority
2 Torrington Place,
London
WC1E 7HW.
Website: www.asa.org.uk
You can also complete an ASA complaints form
on the link below, and submit you complaint
directly to the ASA. ASA
Complaints Form
Companies
House
Companies House has three main functions:
• the incorporation, re-registration
and striking-off of companies;
• the registration of documents that must
be filed under company, insolvency and related
legislation;
• the provision of company information
to the public - for this purpose Companies House
enforce compliance with legal requirements.
Companies House can be contacted at:
Companies House
PO BOX 29019
21 Bloomsbury Street
London
WC1B 3XD
or email them via thier web site: www.companieshouse.gov.uk
The
Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
The DCMS is responsible
for legislative regulation of competitions and
lotteries. They advise the public that where
there is doubt about the authenticity of any
particular scheme, they should not participate
in it. If you want to take it further, pass
it on to the police for possible investigation.
The police are the enforcement authority on
these matters; they investigate allegations
of fraud or dishonesty.
Schemes which ask you
to send money to people on a list then add your
own name to the list and send out more copies
of the letter are probably illegal under the
Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976. The DCMS
has responsibility for the legislation.
However, the law in this
area is complex and only a court can say authoritatively
whether a particular scheme is unlawful.
The DCMS can be contacted
at:
The Department of Culture,
Media and Sport
2 – 4 Cockspur Street
London, SW1Y 5DH
www.culture.gov.uk
FAQ
- DCMS Fact Sheet about prize draws.
FAQ
- DCMS Fact Sheet about chain letters.
Direct
Marketing Association (DMA)
The Direct Marketing Association
(UK) Ltd is Europe's largest trade association
in the marketing and communications sector.
It promotes best practice through DMA codes
of conduct and the DMA Awards, and provide up-to-the
minute information, research and legal advice.
The DMA manages programmes
to protect consumers against bad practice and
increase consumer trust, including the DMA Preference
Services schemes and Trust UK for e-commerce.
The DMA can be
contacted at:
DMA (UK) Ltd
DMA House
70 Margaret Street
London
W1W 8SS
Tel: 020 7291 3300
Fax: 020 7323 4165
Email: dma@dma.org.uk
Website: : www.dma.org.uk/shared/whoweare.asp
Direct
Selling Association (DSA)
The DSA is a trade association
for the Direct Selling Sector and seeks to promote:
• The overall benefits
and a better understanding of the Direct Selling
channel of
distribution;
• The highest standards and fair trading
through its independently administered
Codes of Practice;
• The wide range of flexible, independent
earnings opportunities provided by
Direct Selling Companies;
• The benefits of buying from or working
with a DSA Member Company.
Enquiries about whether
the operators of particular trading schemes
are members of the DSA (and therefore subject
to its complaints procedure and codes of practice)
or complaints against member companies can be
addressed to:
The Direct Selling Association
29 Floral Street
London, WC2E 9DP
Website: www.dsa.org.uk
The Department of Trade
and Industry has issued a guidance booklet ''The
Trading Scheme Guide'' which outlines the
provisions of current legislation regulating
trading schemes.
Financial
Services Authority (FSA)
Under the Financial Services
and Markets Act 2000, the FSA are the single
statutory regulator responsible for regulating
deposit-taking, insurance and investment business.
The FSA are also responsible for tackling market
abuse, promoting public understanding of the
financial system and reducing financial crime.
The FSA can be
contacted at:
The Financial Services
Authority,
25 The North Colonnade,
Canary Wharf,
London E14 5HS
Consumer Helpline: 0845
606 1234 (local call rates)
Web site: www.fsa.gov.uk/consumer/
The
Independent Committee for the Supervision of
Standards of Telephone Information Services
(ICSTIS)
ICSTIS is the industry-funded
regulatory body for all premium rate charged
telecommunications services. ICSTIS’ purpose
is to establish, maintain and ensure compliance
with appropriate standards of protection for
users of premium rate information and entertainment
services and, in doing so, contribute towards
the development of the industry. It can investigate
complaints and has the power to fine companies
and bar access to services. In addition, it
offers free advice and guidance to both existing
and new service providers.
Consumers can submit a
complaint online by completing the online complaints
form (www.icstis.org.uk)
or alternatively they can telephone, fax, or
write to ICSTIS as follows:
ICSTIS
FREEPOST
WC 5468
London SE1 2BR
Telephone: 0800 500 212
(free call).
Lines open Monday to Friday
9:00am to 4:00pm
Fax: 020 7940 7456. Lines
open 24 hours
National
Group on Homeworking
The National Group on
Homeworking is a non-governmental organisation
which campaigns for improved employment rights
and condition for homeworkers.
Any homeworker in the
UK seeking advice can call a free Advice and
Information Line on 0800 174 095. (Lines are
normally open Monday to Friday from 10am to
12:30 pm and 1pm to 3:30pm.)
Website: http://www.homeworking.gn.apc.org/
Office
of Fair Trading
The OFT's International
Liaison Section has an interest in "scam"
mailings which originate outside of the United
Kingdom. They would be pleased to receive your
complaints and any unwanted unsolicited mailings
that you consider to be misleading or deceptive.
Since February 2002, the
Office of Fair Trading has been able to pursue
'rogue traders' operating from other member
states of the European Community. The OFT now
has the power to seek an injunction to enforce
existing consumer protection legislation emanating
from European Directives. This includes law
on misleading advertising. The new powers provide
the OFT with a potentially speedier means of
taking action against traders infringing legislation
and harming the collective interests of consumers.
Where the trader is based
outside Europe, the OFT work with their counterparts
overseas, under the auspices of the International
Marketing Supervision Network. Their principal
objective is to encourage practical action,
through the co-operation of national regulatory
bodies, to prevent and remedy cross-border marketing
malpractices.
You can write
to the OFT at:
The Office of Fair Trading
International Liaison Section
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London, EC4Y 8JX
or email: euroteam@oft.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.oft.gov.uk
The OFT website also has
information for consumers about prize draw promotions.
Click on the links below to view.
OFT
Press Release - 'No real sur-prizes'
OFT
Press Release – ‘Psychic threats
through your letterbox’
Organisation
for Timeshare in Europe (OTE)
The Organisation for Timeshare
in Europe (OTE) is the official trade association
representing companies and individuals with
legitimate interests in the industry in Europe,
North Africa and the Middle East. It aims to
promote, develop and represent the timeshare
industry so that legitimate commercial and consumer
interests can be satisfied.
The OTE Consumer
department can be contacted at:
Organisation for Timeshare
in Europe
Consumer Services Department
15-19 Great Titchfield Street
London, W1W 8AZ
Tel: 020 7291 0901
e-mail: info@ote-info.com
The
Patent Office
The role of the Patent
office is to stimulate innovation and enhance
the international competitiveness of British
Industry and commerce. It provides a system
both national and international, for granting
intellectual property rights.
The Patent Office have
produced a step
by step guide to using invention promotion firms
The address of
the London Front Office is:
The Patent Office
Harmsworth House
13-15 Bouverie Street
London EC4Y 8DP
Central Enquiry Unit phone
lines are open 09:00 to 17:00
08459 500 505 (charged at local rate)
Website: www.patent.gov.uk
Rip-Off
Tip-Off
This website is sponsored
by Trading Standards Departments and is designed
to let consumers report, anonymously, traders
who they think are think are 'ripping-off' the
UK public. Complaints and information is fed
back to the relevant local Trading Standards
Department for action.
Website: www.ripofftipoff.net
Trading
Standards Departments
Local Trading Standards
Departments can investigate complaints about
scams and rogue trading operating in their areas
of responsibility. Their telephone number can
be found in the phone book - under "Local
Authority". Alternatively, you can access
the Trading Standards Central website, supported
and maintained by the Trading Standards Institute.
This includes a facility enabling consumers
to identify the Trading Standards Department
relevant to their postcode.
Website: www.tradingstandards.gov.uk
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