We are delighted to welcome you to our inaugural Trading Standards Week, a week designed to highlight issues that impact on all of our lives, a week of podcasts and video clips designed to highlight some of the key issues that face consumers and businesses at a time of considerable economic uncertainty.
Monday, 24th October - Age Restricted Sales
The week begins with the focus on age restricted sales. Legislation around age restricted sales exists to protect the young from access to potentially dangerous products be it alcohol, tobacco products including vaping products, knives or access to gambling machines. There will be specific activity around the ‘No IFS. No BUTTS’ campaign which provides a secure avenue to report illegal tobacco sales. You will also get to hear about the results of a project undertaken around vaping products which have become such a familiar sight as people attempt to wean themselves off tobacco products.
Nicola Sutton from Denbighshire Council and Roger Mapleson from Wrexham Council join Jemma to discuss age restricted sales in our 'Ask the Regulator' podcast, which you can listen to here.
For more information about this area of our work, click here.
Tuesday, 25th October - Avoiding vehicle anxiety
Today's emphasis is on the sale of motor vehicles, something the majority of us depend on in our daily lives but a commodity that can also prove to be very costly in monetary terms and also in safety terms if not described accurately at the time of sale. There will be a call for consumers to report complaints in relation to used cars, whether safety related or mis-described. Advice will be provided in relation to the relatively new concept of online car sales and the protection available to consumers in relation to distance selling.
We discuss second hand cars with Chris Hill from Neath Port Talbot Council and Richard Powell from Flintshire Council in our Day 2 Podcast.
For more information about this area of our work, click here.
Wednesday, 26th October - What's on your plate?
Today, we find out more about the emphasis on providing advice in relation to allergic reactions and the importance of the accurate labelling of food products in relation to ingredients that could prove fatal for those who are allergic to certain foodstuffs, for example, nuts.
On today's special podcast for Trading Standards Wales Week, Jemma and her guests discuss the importance of care and consideration when it comes to food standards and allergens, and the work being done by Trading Standards Wales to increase awareness and tackle the issue.
For more information about this area of our work,
click here.
Thursday, 27th October - The Environment
Today our minds will be focused on the environment and how trading standards services impact on you, whether it is in the form of green energy scams or marketing strategies referred to as ‘greenwashing’ that are designed to persuade you that an organisation’s products, aims and policies are environmentally friendly whereas they are not. Focus will also be on the use of call-blockers, devices designed to block nuisance calls whether those calls are environmentally related or form part of another type of scam designed to strip consumers of their hard-earned savings.
Our Ask the Regulator podcast for Day 4 can be
listened to here.
Business Companion guidance: Green Claims
Business Companion guidance: Energy Performance Certificates
Business Companion guidance: Energy efficiency: domestic properties
Business Companion guidance: Energy Rating information
Energy Savings Trust
Renewable energy consumer code
Friday, 28th October - Shopping online
This brings us to the final day of our campaign. Friday is all about online transactions, how to ensure that the websites you visit are genuine as well as outlining the protection available to you when making such transactions. You might have purchased goods online that have turned out to be counterfeit or you might have even purchased a dog online only to find that it has a genetic defect. Whatever you’ve purchased, you will have statutory rights and in certain circumstances your call to the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline could result in Trading Standards acting on the intelligence provided with a view to taking action to prevent any illegal activity form continuing.
Listen here to Day 5 of our Ask the Regulator podcast.
The Real Deal Online Campaign
Crimestoppers
Citizens Advice Consumer Service
Action Fraud
Intellectual Property Office
Business Companion guidance on intellectual property
Business Companion guidance on responsible animal/pet ownership
We look forward to engaging with you during this important week whether that is by Twitter, by podcast, by video clips or via the media. We hope that you find the week useful and don’t forget #wearetradingstandardswales and our officers are here to help and support you in your locality whenever you require assistance in relation to consumer matters.