Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1277) is a statutory instrument in the United Kingdom made under the European Communities Act 1972. It came into force on 26 May 2008. It is effectively the successor to the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 (c. 29), which it largely repeals. It was designed to implement the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, as part of a common set of European minimum standards for consumer protection.

Contents
The regulations introduce new rules about consumer protection and the responsibility of businesses to trade fairly. It places a general duty on traders not to trade unfairly.

The regulations also include a blacklist of 31 banned trading practices.

Enforcement
In February 2011, Safestyle UK became the first company to be prosecuted under the regulations. In an action brought by North Lincolnshire Council Trading Standards Department they were found guilty under paragraph 25 (ignoring a request not to return) and fined £4000 with £18,000 costs for repeatedly calling on a consumer in Scunthorpe.

Also in 2011 in OFT v Ashbourne Management Services Ltd and others, [2011] EWHC 1237, the High Court ruled that certain minimum gym membership periods and cancellation notices contravened the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, and also that the defendants' debt collection practices, whereby they threatened to report members credit reference agencies as being in default, contravened the 2008 Regulations.