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EU exit – implications following the UK leaving the EU

Enforcing consumer rights in EU countries

Many of your consumer rights are based on EU law and have been incorporated into UK law, so they will stay the same even though we’ve left the EU.

However, things have changed for goods bought by UK consumers from EU countries. Whilst UK businesses remain subject to accessible arbitration schemes and UK courts, after Brexit the ways of pursuing EU businesses have ended and there are now no easy ways to enforce your consumer rights.

It is therefore important to know where a business is based and take as many precautions as you can. Don’t rely on the website name (.co.uk) or even prices displayed in British pounds. These do not guarantee the business is UK based. You should check their business details on their website (it’s an EU requirement to show these), to see which country they’re based in.

You may find the following link helpful: