Consumer Protection and Investigations (Trading Standards)
This area of the website contains advice and information for
consumers such as advice on purchasing or returning goods and
information for businesses about legislation and fair
trading. There is also advice for farmers, motor trading
companies and information about food, weights and
measures, and product safety.
Not in Cheshire East? You can find details of your local Trading
Standards office by using the postcode search at Trading
Standards Central.
If you are seeking advice and assistance with a matter you
are having or you would like to make a complaint against
a company, please contact Citizens Advice Consumer
Service on 0845 4040506 or via the Citizens
Advice online
complaint form.
Latest News
Rogue telephone callers posing as energy providers
Cheshire East Council is warning residents to be
aware of rogue telephone callers who are posing as energy
providers.
These callers are informing residents that they
have accrued a large amount of credit on their accounts and require
bank card details in order to make a refund.
Residents need to be aware there is NO credit on
these accounts and it is likely the rogue callers will attempt to
use the bank card details to commit fraud.
Energy companies would never contact customers in
this way and residents are warned to be extremely cautious when
giving out any financial or personal details.
If residents have any concerns relating to this
or similar issues they should call Citizens’ Advice consumer
service on 08454 04 05 06.
Display and pricing of tobacco products in England
From 6th April 2012, new law will affect large
shops selling tobacco products (other than specialist and bulk
tobacconists).
It will be illegal to display tobacco
products, except to people over the age of 18 years in the limited
circumstances set out in the new law. Where appropriate, age
checks must be carried out before any tobacco product is shown to a
customer who asks to buy tobacco or asks for information about a
tobacco product.
It will also be illegal to display the prices
of tobacco products in the relevant shops and businesses in
England, except in specific formats set out in the new
law.
All other shops and businesses selling tobacco
products (including bulk tobacconists and specialist tobacconists)
will be affected from 6th April
2015.
Cross Border Criminals Targeted in Multi Agency Operation
In April 2012, Knutsford Police along with
the Cheshire East Council Consumer Protection and
Investigations service mounted an operation to tackle criminals who
use the main arterial routes in Cheshire to target residents and
businesses.
Buy With Confidence
Cheshire East Consumer Protection and Investigations are
adopting the Buy With Confidence scheme. Buy With Confidence is a
scheme which has been put together by a partnership of Local
Authority Trading Standards services. The scheme provides consumers
with a list of local businesses which have given their commitment
to trading fairly. Every business listed has undergone a series of
detailed checks before being approved as a member of the scheme. If
you would like further information on the scheme please visit the
Buy With Confidence
website.
If you are a business in the Cheshire East Borough and you would
like to join the scheme, please call 01270 685900 or email the business
advice team.
Knock Knock 4CE
Cheshire East Consumer Protection and Investigations Officers
have been visiting schools across the borough advising young people
on the dangers of Rogue Traders. So far we have spoken to 150 young
people and provided them with information to take back to their
friends and families. You can find more information about it
on our Knock Knock 4CE page.
If you are a primary or secondary school and you would like us
conduct a talk for your school, please call us on 01270 685900
Primary Authority
Cheshire East Consumer Protection and Investigations will offer
Primary Authority relationships to companies based in Cheshire
East, where appropriate. To find out more information on the
Primary Authority scheme go to the Better
Regulation Delivery Office website.
Buying at Home
Regulations for Cheshire Businesses using 'doorstep' and 'face
to face' sales methods. For more information see the New
Regulations Section.
Important new Legislation for Cheshire Businesses
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
(the CPRs) came into force on 26 May 2008 and implement the Unfair
Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD). The aim of the UCPD is to
harmonise consumer protection laws across the European Union to
prevent business practices that are unfair to consumers, and all
Member States are introducing equivalent legislation. The
Regulations replace a lot of consumer protection legislation
including Part III of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (which dealt
with misleading prices), the majority of the Trade Descriptions Act
1968, and the Control of Misleading Advertising Regulations
1988.
Shop a Shark
A Loan Shark is someone who lends money without the appropriate
licence issued by the Office of Fair Trading. Loan Sharks rarely,
if ever, give any paperwork and if payments are missed they often
use intimidation and violence to get money from their 'clients'.
The Illegal Money Lending Team is here to help. If you have any
information, however small, on loan shark activities we can
help.
If you have information to provide, go to the Illegal
Money Lending Team website.
