Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 Banned practices

Pyramid selling has been outlawed

In addition to tackling misleading and aggressive behaviour, the CPRs outlaw 31 specific practices – such as claiming something is free when it's not and persistent cold-calling. With these 31 practices it is enough simply to demonstrate wrongdoing, and there is no need to show that it influenced the consumer's decision in any way.

The banned practices are wide-ranging and include:

• misuse of a trust or quality mark
• saying something is free when it is not
• persistent cold-calling
• falsely claiming someone has won a prize
• false 'limited time offers' like 'opening' sales
• pyramid selling
• false 'closing down' sales
• ignoring requests to leave someone's home
• inertia selling
• claiming that a failure to purchase will jeopardise the trader's livelihood
• masquerading as a consumer
• using scare tactics to give the consumer the impression their safety will be jeopardised without the product.