Links

These are links which we find useful. We think they will be of interest to retail organisations and consumers alike.

We are members of:

Consumer Credit Trade Association Consumer Credit Trade Association (CCTA) has been working for over 100 years as a major industry body representing UK Consumer & Motor Finance companies.

We read:
• Cabinet Maker
• Catalogue & e-business
• Electrical Retailing Weekly
• Electrical Retailing Monthly
• Independent Electrical Retailer
• Retail & Professional Furnisher
• Retail Week
• Travel Weekly
...... and too many technology publications to list!

We like these useful sites:
Citizens Advice
The Citizens Advice Bureau Service offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice. From its origins in 1939 as an emergency service during World War II, it has evolved into a professional national agency.

Consumer Credit Counselling Service
The Consumer Credit Counselling Service is a registered charity whose purpose is to assist people who are in financial difficulty by providing free, independent, impartial and realistic advice.

Credit Action
Credit Action is a money education charity, sponsored by the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, giving a biblical, practical perspective on all aspects of understanding and managing money.

Department of Trade and Industry
The DTI drives our ambition of prosperity for all - by working to create the best environment for business success in the UK.

Eurofinas
Eurofinas provides the means of action through which national associations can consider any problems of common interest, which arise at international level; can inform the appropriate international organizations and authorities thereof and, if the need arises, make representations thereto, in the general interest of the trade.

European Credit Research Institute
The European Credit Research Institute (ECRI) is a non-profit international organisation, created in March 1999 to carry out research on the different aspects of consumer credit in Europe.

Facsimile Preference Service
The Fax Preference Service, set up by the Direct Marketing Association (UK) Limited (DMA), was originally formed in 1997 as a voluntary self-regulatory mechanism to enable consumers to opt-out of receiving unsolicited sales and marketing faxes at home.

Finance & Leasing Association
The Finance & Leasing Association is the major UK industry body for the asset finance, consumer finance and motor finance sectors.

Financial Services Authority
The FSA aims to maintain efficient, orderly and clean financial markets and help retail consumers achieve a fair deal.

Information Commissioners Office
The Information Commissioner's Mission is to "develop respect for the private lives of individuals and encourage the openness and accountability of public authorities, by promoting good information handling practice and enforcing data protection and freedom of information legislation; and by seeking to influence national and international thinking on privacy on information access issues."

Mailing Preference Service
Registering with MPS will stop most unsolicited consumer advertising material addressed to individuals personally and delivered to their home address by post.

Office of Fair Trading - Home Page
You can find essential information for businesses on how to comply with legislation enforced by the OFT, check advice on consumer issues, follow the progress of investigations and action taken, or simply download  leaflets and reports.

Office of Fair Trading - Consumer Credit Licensing
The Consumer Credit Act 1974 requires most businesses that offer goods or services on credit or lend money to consumers to be licensed by the OFT.

Telephone Preference Service
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) helps you to make sure your telephone number is no longer available to organisations who may telephone you with offers and information you do not wish to receive.

The Advertising Standards Authority
The ASA is the independent, self-regulatory body for non-broadcast advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing in the UK. We administer the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (The CAP Code) to ensure that advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Consumer Direct
Consumer Direct is a portal that signposts users to websites belonging to government departments, consumer organisations and others that provide information and advice on a range of consumer issues.

The Direct Marketing Association
The Direct Marketing Association (UK) Ltd is Europe's largest trade association in the marketing and communications sector. We were established in 1992, following the merger of various like-minded trade bodies, to form a single voice to protect the UK direct marketing industry from legislative threats and to promote its ongoing development.

Trading Standards
A one stop shop for consumer protection information in the UK. The site is supported and maintained by TSI, the Trading Standards Institute.
This site provides a wealth of information for consumers and businesses, schools, advice and information centres, community organisations, local councils, business support agencies and trade associations.