Consumer Services - The Trading Standards Service

A Local Service

Staffordshire County Council Trading Standards Service seeks to work with local people to tailor services which meet local needs and national demands. Our role is to ensure a fair and safe trading environment for consumers and businesses in Staffordshire. We seek to achieve this by a programme of

Education, information, advice, consultation.
Testing of goods, inspection of trade premises and the targeting of enforcement - including the bringing of cases before a criminal court of law.

Legal Safeguards

We are responsible for 50 Acts of Parliament; the most significant of which are:

The Trade Descriptions Act - requires goods to be described accurately and without misleading the customer
Consumer Credit legislation - promotes honest lending
Safety Regulations - set minimum standards for consumer goods, including toys and electrical appliances
The Road Traffic Act - prohibits overloaded vehicles on our roads
The Food Safety Act - safeguards the quality of whatever we eat or drink
The Weights & Measures Act - requires that everything we buy is of the stated quantity
Animal Health Acts - promote the health and welfare of farm animals
Petroleum Consolidation Act - sets standards for the safe supply of petroleum.

Consumer Advice

Consumers are given free personal assistance with problems arising from goods or services they have bought. Where appropriate we can arrange to visit consumers who cannot easily access the service. We can often act as an intermediary between buyer and seller, to reach an amicable settlement and, if necessary, we can accompany consumers who are pursuing disputes in court.

Consumer awareness is fostered by an active local educational and public relations programme that includes working with business, talks in schools, colleges and professional bodies, liaison with consumer and community groups - and making sure the voice of the customer is heard on air and in print. We know that informed consumers contribute to an effective marketplace.

Pro-active Approach

Trading Standards Officers place strong emphasis on their preventative role. Not all breaches of the law are by deliberate intent, many are cause by ignorance or genuine mis-interpretation of complex rules by otherwise honest businesses.

The process of advice, consultation - and warning - extends from basic manufacture through to the point of sale; with the emphasis on getting things right first time. This policy aims to gain the trust and co-operation of the sellers and producers of goods and services. Improved reliability is better for business and the economic well-being of the country. It also makes best use of public money to protect the consumer more efficiently.

Improved quality all round also makes it easier to track down the dishonest trader who seeks to avoid legal responsibility and who can rightly expect to face the full rigour of the law. Our publicly available Enforcement Policy makes it clear when formal action will be taken against rogue traders.

Enforcement

Sophisticated risk assessment techniques have freed us to concentrate time and resources on areas where traders are more likely to offend. Although priority is given to prevention, there is still the need to inspect shops and markets, factories and importers and enforce the law. We also check livestock in transit, monitor advertisements and labels and compare their claims with the product itself - and certify the accuracy of weighing and measuring equipment in trade use.

Last Modified: 23/10/2007 10:14:09
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