The popularity of mobile devices means that the digital content industry is booming. Apps, videos, books, music and games, among others are being snapped up by consumers. Unknown to many, this area is still not covered by regulation and laws, exposing purchasers to faulty and mediocre content. The U.K. seeks to remedy this by being the first country to introduce protection for consumers of digital content.
The British government passed the Consumer Rights Act last Thursday, which guarantees the repair, replacement or refund of a digital good that proved to be faulty. For instance, a gamer could invoke the law if a game he bought was buggy.
"Consumer law was crying out to be brought up to date to cope with the requirements and demands of today's shoppers," Richard Lloyd, executive director at Which?, told Mashable. "Getting a refund or repair, dealing with issues with faulty digital downloads and understanding contracts should now all be much simpler."
U.K. consumers have spent at least $4.2 billion on digital content, and they encountered 18 million problems in 2014, according to the British government. One of the most important provisions of the law is the guarantee that the consumer can return or get a refund for a faulty digital content within 30 days of purchase.
The law also include services such as haircut and garden work. Consumers will be allowed to immediately demand a refund for faulty digital content if it is contained in a physical item such as a disc, reported The Guardian.
