OFT to raise awareness of service code

The Office of Fair Trading is launching a national advertising campaign to raise awareness about its Consumer Codes Approval Scheme and its logo.

Under the scheme, industry bodies are encouraged to create rules on how members should treat the public and submit them to the OFT.

The OFT says organisations will have to prove that their codes promote consumer interests effectively before it approves them. When it does, members of the bodies can display the logo.

The campaign will begin in early October and will include outdoor, press and radio advertising. The OFT was unable to say which agencies were handling creative work or media buying.

Several industry bodies have already had their codes approved by the OFT, including the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association and the Direct Selling Association.

Penny Boys, OFT executive director, says: “When they see the OFT-approved code logo, consumers will know the trader has agreed to high standards of service.”