Trading Standards
Our trading standards service is responsible for protecting consumers and businesses by ensuring a safe and fair-trading environment. Our areas of work include:
- safety of consumer goods
- weights & measures
- counterfeit goods
- petroleum and explosives licensing
- rogue trading/doorstep crime
- scams
- underage sales
- description of goods or services
Trading Standards can -
- investigate persistent and/or serious criminal activities, for example those involving fraud, counterfeiting, scams, doorstep crime and persistent consumer detriment;
- support and protect vulnerable people from financial abuse and repeat victimisation by implementing protective measures e.g truecall nuisance call blocking, no cold calling zones, vulnerable consumer advice and advocacy services;
- take appropriate action where a trader or business has breached consumer protection legislation;
- support businesses by offering business advice and guidance;
- audit high risk businesses.
Trading Standards can't -
- give advice or opinions to consumers about their individual complaints. Consumer advice and complaint handling is carried out by Citizens Advice Consumer Service on behalf of Trading Standards;
- take court action on your behalf in the civil courts;
- get you your money back;
- tell you if we are investigating a business or give you information that we hold about them.
