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Sale of Goods Act 1 979: This act allows traders to sell goods that are described to such quality which the average user can understand which has to be of satisfactory quality. This does affect some marketing activity because It does require some level of explanation in their marketing activity and disapprove any claims the user has. For Example: Apple has launched a new phone which has Fingerprint reading technology. They don’t require you to use it but you can use it at your own approval. Consumer Protection from unfair Trading 2008: This act requires that all customers are treated the same way.
One person can’t be treated differently to another. The business must also be honest with all its customers and other businesses. This does not really affect most companies because their customer service is good however it is mainly targeted at businesses that treat their customers well. In this act, the businesses cannot use tactics which are aggressive or put on false promotions such as a closing down sale when they are not closing down. This does not really affect Apple because their customer service is very good and the feedback they get is very good.
Consumer Credit Acts 1974 and 2006: This act applies to companies that lend money to various consumers. Businesses in these categories have to be licensed and thoroughly checked out by the Office of Fair Trading and all the complaints which the customer has given have to be settled by the Financial Ombudsman Service. Legally, this act has to have businesses that provide credit or loans to give each and every single one of their customers an update on their accounts regularly such as giving out annual statements.
If a customer cannot afford to pay back their repayment, the Financial Ombudsman Service could extend the period of time where the customer could repay their debt. This helps prevent bailiffs taking the customers stuff and getting the customer literally bankrupt. This does not apply to Apple as they do not give out credit or loans; they sell goods and services for a profit. Consumer Protection Regulations 2000 (Distance Selling Act): Distance selling is a way for the customer to buy off for the company where there is no face-to-face contact.
E-commerce websites are the most common where distance selling Is taken place. The act requires the business to provide very clear Information so that customers can make decisions about their businesses. If the business has hidden information about over-seas delivery, it can 1 OFF type of information the consumer might need to know about are: the business, the goods and services they are selling, payment arrangements and delivery arrangements and the consumer’s right to cancel orders.
This applies to Apple as some of their customers are over-seas and their countries have no Apple stores or have no stores near them. Apple gives this information before you confirm your purchase. Data Protection Act 1998: This act is one of the most popular acts. It’s designed to protect customers from equines using their personal information unfairly and unreasonably. This act applies to every single company that uses a database to store customer information so it is important for any marketing department that sends out direct mail.
The information that is stored on the database should be: obtained fairly and legally, used only for collection usage, relevant relation for intended usage, accurate and up to date, not kept for longer than necessary, processed along with the customer’s rights, subject to procedures to prevent unlawful processing, accidental loss, extraction and damage to personal data. When you register at a website, the details you input onto the website are then put onto the database. You will also be given an option where you either do or do not wish to receive offers in the future.
The business has to ask you whether you want to receive information or not because it is illegal for a business to send you information you do not want. Apple does do this because they are getting customers details and sending them products. They are responsible if customer’s personal details are given and have to suffer the consequences. Voluntary Codes of Conduct: Adding to the legislation where the business can legally say and cannot say about its products and services, the marketing policies are actively investigated by the independent Advertising Standards Authority (AS).
The AS is an industry body and it promotes and maintains the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. There are set of rules that businesses have to follow when marketing, for example: Keep within the legal framework, protect customer from misleading claims and create an even footing for advertisers. The principles of the code are that advertising should be legal, decent, honest and truthful.
Any business that is preparing some sort of advertisement should have a sense of responsibility to both the customer and to society. The reason why businesses should not product advertisements that mislead or offend customers is because the AS can: refer the advertiser to the Office of Fair Trading or ask TV stations, radio stations and publishers to withdraw the advertising from their broadcasts or publications. Apple does need to follow this law because if they do not, they will give their company a ere bad name and reputation.
Apple are well known for their adverts and if they make a mistake where thee AS has to get involved, their business will be in the bad books of all customers and other businesses such as Samsung can take advantage of this to get their brand out there and push for more sales. That is why it is important for Apple to follow this law. ; Pressure Groups: A pressure group is a well organized group working to influence the behaviors and beliefs of government and/or businesses. There are thousands of pressure groups in he UK which vary depending on size, solving thousands of different causes.
They will awareness to apply pressure or the government of a business for change. This can damage the reputation the government or business has spent so long raising because it gives off negative publicity. There are many examples of British pressure groups. Some are: The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection. They campaign to half the breeding and use of animals in experiments. Another is the British Road Federation who aims to focus on a higher standard of service from the I-J road network.
If Apple has a pressure group against them, they are going to bring down the reputation that Apple has spent 6 years creating. It was also apply pressure to them through sales because if they are not selling enough, it’s going to be hard to apply more sales. ; Consumerism: Consumerism is a social movement that is giving some consumers power over particular businesses. It gives them the rights to: Be safe, Choose, Be informed and Be hard. TV programmer such as watchdog help consumerism by forcing business to be held responsible for their actions.
The Office of Fair Trade also plays a role in mesmerism by enforcing consumer legislation and taking action against unfair traders. If Apple is on Watchdog and they are being held responsible for whatever they have done, it will not only damage their reputation but it will make their sales go down as everyone knows the truth about the business. If they know the truth, they would not want anything to do with the business itself. ; Acceptable Language Every advertiser needs to have acceptable language in their adverts. The AS has identified the key areas where some people find the use of language unacceptable.