At the weekend the front page of the Sunday Express reported that the European Commission's proposed Consumer Rights Directive will end the right of shoppers to get their money back for unwanted or faulty goods. The legislation, which would also cover goods bought over the phone or the internet, is designed to ensure the same level of consumer protection if shoppers buy goods in any EU member state. But instead of money-back guarantees, the Directive would allow traders to offer only the repair or replacement of faulty goods.
The article noted that traders' liability for replacement or repair would also be cut from six years to two, even though such products as cars, boilers and double glazing should reasonably be expected to last longer. Crucially, the proposed Directive does not allow the UK Government or retailers to offer consumer safeguards beyond the EU legislation.
The EU's own website states "The existing consumer protection directives are based on minimum harmonisation. This means that Member States can go beyond the degree of protection granted to consumers in EC law by introducing or maintaining stricter national consumer rules."
As in so many areas, this demonstrates yet again that it does not matter what we in Britain may want - what we will get is that which is 'permitted' by our benevolent unelected and unaccountable masters dictatorship in Brussels.
Now, what was it David Cameron said at the Conservative Party conference? Ah yes, the Tories are committed to a long-term programme to reduce "big government" because "state-driven solutions "undermine the personal and social responsibility that should be the lifeblood of a strong society." He also said: "This is my DNA: family, community, country."
It is a great pity then that David Cameron does not put his country first and allow the people to vote on whether they wish to remain a member of the EU.
Some DNA, what?
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