Trading Standards provide advice and information to local traders to help ensure they comply with trading standards legislation.  Visits are also carried out to check compliance with the law.

Trading Standards are particularly keen on providing advice and information to new businesses.  For more information contact Trading Standards - details to the right of this page.

How can we help?

We can provide advice to help your business understand and meet its legal requirements, and prevent mistakes being made before they happen.

We can provide advice on:

• Weights and Measures - the suitability of weighing and measuring equipment, the quantity marking of goods and packing of goods
• Pricing and how to avoid giving misleading price indications
• Trade Descriptions and how to avoid making misleading descriptions or false claims for goods and services
• Sale of Goods and Supply of Services – your rights & obligations as a seller of goods and services
• Contracts – ensuring the terms of your business are fair and legal
• Business Names - correctly identifying the owner of the business on your premises and paperwork
• E-Commerce – complying with the rules on distance selling
• Consumer Credit – advertising, credit terms, licensing, ensuring transactions and documentation are lawful and enforceable
• Product Safety - compliance with general and specific safety requirements, product liability and labelling (including second hand goods)
• Motor Vehicles – the checks motor dealers should carry out to ensure that vehicles offered for sale are roadworthy
• Age Restricted Sales - Measures to be taken to avoid the sales of age restricted products, such as alcohol, cigarettes, solvents and videos
• Reducing Packaging Waste - ensuring goods have a minimal amount of packaging

Further information for businesses can also be found on the Trading Standards Central website.