108/06    3 July 2006

The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) has successfully completed the first stage of the OFT's Consumer Codes Approval Scheme.
         
The BHTA's membership consists of manufacturers and retailers of assistive products and services such as mobility equipment for the elderly, stair lifts, and prosthetic and rehabilitation products. It currently has over 300 members across the UK who have signed up to the code.
         
By completing Stage One, the BHTA has satisfied the OFT that its consumer code of practice promotes and safeguards consumer interests beyond the minimum requirements of consumer law. Key features and benefits of BHTA's code are:

• protection of prepayments or deposits paid by consumers in the event that a BHTA member is unable to meet a promise to deliver goods or services
• an independent redress scheme (arbitration, free to consumers)
• independent disciplinary procedures with a range of sanctions, including warnings and ultimately termination of membership, to deal with non-compliant members, and
• comprehensive monitoring procedures including inspection visits by independent inspectors, mystery shopping exercises and a consumer satisfaction survey.

The BHTA will now be invited to provide the OFT with evidence that its code is working in practice and delivering on its promises. Only codes that demonstrate that they are effective in promoting consumer interests are approved and entitled to display the OFT Approved code logo and official promotion.
         
Colin Brown, OFT Director of Market Transformation, said:
         
'By buying goods or services from a business signed up to the OFT Consumer Codes Approval Scheme, customers can expect a much higher standard of protection than that required by law. The BHTA has undertaken a great deal of work to develop this code of practice, and we look forward to working with them during the next stage towards OFT approval.'

NOTES

1. The BHTA currently has over 300 members who have signed up to the code.

2. The OFT's Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) aims to promote and safeguard consumer interests by helping consumers to identify better businesses, and to encourage those businesses to raise their standards of customer service. The core criteria cover the organisation of the code sponsor, the preparation and content of the code, complaints handling, monitoring, compliance and publicity.

3. The CCAS consists of two stages:

Stage One - the code sponsor makes a promise that its code meets the OFT's core criteria. The code sponsor must make sure that its code contains measures designed to remove or ease consumer concerns and undesirable trading practices in its sector. At this stage, the code sponsor is not allowed to claim OFT approval for its code because there has not yet been an evaluation of how well the code is working in practice. 

Stage Two - the code sponsor must prove its code meets the initial promise made. The burden of proof lies with the code sponsor, who must also show that the code is being effectively implemented by all who claim to adhere to it and that consumer disputes are being properly resolved. Only when this proof has been met will OFT approval of the code and promotion follow.

4. Copies of the code can be obtained by writing to BHTA, New Loom House, Suite 403, 101 Back Church Lane, London E1 1LU or on the BHTA website.

5. For more information see the Approved codes of practice section of the website.