MAYORr of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Brian Tierney, is offering local people the opportunity to learn more about their consumer rights and protection when he jointly hosts a live online event with The Consumer Council.
Mayor Tierney will be joined by Senior Consumer Empowerment Officer at The Consumer Council, Ronan Convery, for the event which will be broadcast on Facebook from the Guildhall on Friday November 13th at 11am.
The event will include a wider discussion of consumer rights during the COVID-19 crisis and will include a live question and answer session where viewers can submit their queries online.
“I am delighted to host this event with The Consumer Council, particularly at this challenging and uncertain time for consumers and service providers,” said Mayor Tierney.
“The restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have led to a number of changes to consumer behaviour with many events and services being cancelled at short notice and more people than ever now shopping online.
“Of particular interest in the current crisis is how people can protect themselves when carrying out payment transactions and where they stand when services are changed after funds have been transferred.
“It is therefore important to update the public on their frequently asked questions on consumer rights and the resources and support services they can access.”
Ronan Convery, Senior Consumer Empowerment Office at The Consumer Council, added: “Our research shows that only 40% of consumers in Northern Ireland are aware of their consumer rights.
“We have seen a huge increase in the number of consumers requesting our help due to COVID-19, particularly around travel, scams, post, shopping online and home energy.
“We are delighted to be taking part in this Facebook Live with the Mayor to help consumers in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area learn more about their rights and how we can help.”
The event will be broadcast live on the Derry City and Strabane District Council and The Consumer Council Northern Ireland Facebook Pages and can also be viewed on the page at any time when the broadcast is finished.
Full details on The Consumer Council services are available at www.consumercouncil.org.uk
