Chapter 10: Raising Public Awareness
139. The draft directive requires Member States
to inform the public of how the directive is transposed into national
law (Article 10.1).
140. The OFT described its campaigns including
the provision of information in airline ticket wallets, flight
magazines and at airports to make potential consumers more aware
of the misleading and sophisticated hard-selling techniques used
by some operators and of outright "scams", and suggested
that the Commission could also play a role in providing information
(Q 92).
141. The TCA told the Committee that "So
far the Office of Fair Trading and trading standards have done
a pretty good job" (Q 31). Arlene McCarthy MEP commended
the OFT's campaigns in airports and airline magazines: "I
think this is an excellent initiative that could be extended to
Europe, targeting the main countries involved" (pp 92-94).
The Minister confirmed to us that the OFT was the lead body on
consumer information and that his Department would be working
very closely with the OFT once the new directive was in force,
to publicise consumers' rights (Q 103).
142. There is general support for initiatives
to make members of the public more aware of their rights and more
alert to possible "scams". Witnesses variously wanted
information to be provided by the timeshare business and holiday
ownership clubs, the National Consumer Council, the OFT, BERR
and the Commission. The OTE outlined its efforts to encourage
consumer awareness through advertisements in timeshare exchange
company magazines and through its members (pp 24-26).
Conclusions and Recommendations
143. Raising public awareness is not a substitute
for adequate consumer protection. However, potential timeshare
consumers do need to be better informed about their rights and
about potential "scams", and to be much more wary when
entering into major purchases of the nature discussed in this
Report, particularly when doing so in another jurisdiction and
in the absence of professional advice. (paras 141-142)
144. We believe that the UK has made a good
start in this area and commend the activities to date of the Office
of Fair Trading. We consider, however, that a requirement on Member
States merely to inform the public of the national law transposing
the directive is not sufficient. We recommend that the Commission
work with the Member States to draw up a strategy to improve consumer
awareness of "scams", of aggressive and misleading selling
practices in these sectors and of their rights in relation to
withdrawal from the contract, focusing on key tourist destinations
and encouraging regional and local authorities, local tourism
associations, chambers of commerce and enforcement bodies to take
part. (paras 140 and 142)
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