Consumer law

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Components

Consumer law aims to ensure that businesses are fair and open in their dealings with consumers.

ORR protects passenger interests through enforcement of both general consumer law and licences which contain passenger-related obligations specific to the rail sector. Consumer law applies to all companies in the rail sector in their dealings with consumers (passengers). 

Our powers enable us to investigate breaches of certain consumer protection laws where there is evidence of passengers as a group being put at an unfair disadvantage, and to take enforcement action if necessary. 

Legislation

The key pieces of legislation that are relevant to our role include:

Our approach to our consumer law role is to avoid overlap and therefore, to intervene only where there is a gap in protection for the passenger, where no other body is taking action or where the powers available to us are more suited to the circumstances.

Stakeholder working

There are other stakeholders with whom we work closely in our consumer protection role:

Guidance

The Competition and Markets Authority has published some guidance documents on consumer protection which are relevant to the rail sector, including: