Consumer protection in the United Kingdom is effected through a multiplicity of Acts of Parliament, statutory instruments, the work of various government agencies and departments, and citizens' lobby groups. It aims to ensure the market economy produces fairness and quality in the goods and services people buy. The main areas of regulating consumer affairs include:
- fairer terms in contracts for goods and services, by declaring surprising and onerous terms as unfair
- product safety regulation, to ensure people cannot purchase goods that are potentially harmful
- financial regulation, to ensure access to credit is cheaper, and people fully understand the obligations they have when taking loans
- stronger competition in the private sector, through breaking up cartels, dismantling monopolies, and unwinding some mergers