Consumer advice organisation reaches out to younger consumers

Posted 13/02/18

Increased social networking in Great Britain has driven consumer advice organisation UK European Consumer Centre to put social media platforms at the heart of a fresh look at its Your Update enewsletter.

Figures show that 96% of 16 to 24 year olds and 88% of 25 to 34 year olds used social networks in 2017, with social networking being widespread in all age groups.

Andy Allen, UK European Consumer Centre (UK ECC) Director, said: “Use of the internet for social networking continues to grow and has become part of many adults’ everyday lives. Social networking is widespread in age groups up to and including those aged 55 to 64, where 51% of adults reported use in 2017, but particularly under the age of 45.

“The UK ECC gets far more older consumers ask for our help – more than 61% of people who contact us are over the age of 50 and we want to reach out to younger consumers. An ideal way of doing this is by making the most of social networks.

“We already issue regular enewsletters but were aware that the format we had used in the past – pdfs – wasn’t very user-friendly for social media. We don’t want to turn younger consumers off and so we have revamped our enewsletter to be more suitable for social networks.”

The first edition of Your Update is out this month (February) and asks the question ‘What does the future hold for consumers [after Brexit]?’. It also showcases our consumer advisors’ latest media broadcasts, looks at the advice we gave for an online shopping case study and takes a look at product safety.  

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Social networking figures are taken from the Office of National Statistics Internet Access reports.

For further information please contact UK European Consumer Centre’s press office on 01268 582206.

The UK European Consumer Centre is part of the European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net). There are 30 centres in the EU, plus Iceland and Norway. The aim of the network is to provide advice and support to consumers who have a dispute with a trader based in a European country outside the UK. The Network will assist consumers in the attempt to resolve the complaint.

UK ECC can provide advice in the following main areas: buying goods and services, online shopping, internet auctions, holidays, timeshare and holiday clubs, air travel.

UK ECC is co-funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and the European Commission.

The UK ECC service is delivered by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute https://www.tradingstandards.uk/

•          The UK ECC provides advice and support to consumers who have a dispute with a trader based in a European country outside the UK and will assist consumers in the attempt to resolve the complaint.

•          Consumers can make contact with the UK European Consumer Centre via the website – www.ukecc.net – or by phone on 01268 886690 weekdays between 9am and 5pm.

•          If in doubt before you buy, contact our sister organisation – the European Consumer Centre for Services – for  pre-purchasing advice: www.ukecc-services.net

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