Consumer problems have lasting impact

Consumer disputes have a lasting impact for hundreds of thousands of Scots, including stress, costs and time taken out of work, a new report has claimed.

The data from Citizens Advice Scotland reveals that more than one in three people across the UK have sought to resolve a problem they have encountered as a consumer, with half saying they had had to pay additional costs to resolve the matter.

More than a third of those surveyed said that they felt worried or anxious about the problem, while nearly one in ten suffered damage to their home or property.

One in ten had to take time out of work while almost 20 per cent had to send emails or take calls during working hours – and a quarter spent more than a month trying to sort out their problem.