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Journal of Trading Standards, Online Edition - JoTS Online

Welcome to the Journal of Trading Standards online edition, JoTS Online. Browse through our latest Articles - including Analysis, Opinion Pieces, Features and a selection of articles from our acclaimed print journal.

Although many JoTS Online articles are open access (public), others are exclusive to CTSI Members - in which case, you'll need to login to access them. If you aren't a member of CTSI yet, you can join us here. And, if you'd like to contribute articles or suggest topics for us to cover, please email our Editorial Team.

Latest JoTS Online Articles : 

News Category Tags: Crime, Product Safety, Health and Safety, Counterfeit Goods, Retail, Animal Health and Welfare, Legal and Policy, Enforcement Practice, Product Recalls, Property and Housing, Automotive, Vapes, Business, CTSI Conference, CTSI Hero Awards.

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New property guidance published

Posted: 17 August 2023

UPDATES: Revised National Trading Standards guidance aims to bring greater consistency to the way estate and letting agents describe property listings, reducing consumer confusion and helping businesses meet their legal obligations.
 

Rogue agent banned from directorship

Posted: 16 June 2023

UPDATES: A rogue Suffolk letting agent who defrauded landlords and tenants has been banned from acting as a company director following a Trading Standards investigation that exposed widespread misuse of tenancy deposits and rental payments.
 

Agent failed to protect clients

Posted: 15 March 2023

UPDATES: A property company has lost its appeal against an £8,000 penalty after repeatedly failing to join a mandatory Client Money Protection scheme, leaving landlords' and tenants' funds without the legal safeguards required.
 

Letting agents could face hefty fines

Posted: 10 November 2022

UPDATES: Letting agents are being reminded of their legal responsibilities as a council campaign warns that businesses failing to comply with transparency requirements could face substantial financial penalties.
 

TSS warns of loft insulation scam

Posted: 25 October 2022

UPDATES: Trading Standards Scotland warns that cold callers offering loft surveys are using misleading claims about damp, mould and grants to sell costly spray foam insulation that can later affect mortgage options.
 

Suffolk rogue lettings agent jailed

Posted: 05 September 2022

UPDATES: A rogue Suffolk lettings agent who misappropriated tenancy deposits and rental payments has been jailed, demonstrating the consequences of fraud and the value of coordinated Trading Standards investigations.
 

Project puts letting agents in spotlight

Posted: 14 July 2022

UPDATES: Trading Standards teams across the West Midlands are joining forces with the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agents Team to check compliance by letting agents. The project focuses on deposit protection, client money protection and other legal duties, with substantial financial penalties available for breaches.
 

Agents of change

Posted: 25 June 2022

ANALYSIS: Efforts to improve transparency in the property market are encouraging estate and letting agents to publish material information earlier in the sales process, reducing failed transactions and giving consumers greater confidence.
 

At home with the Tenant Fees Act

Posted: 26 August 2021

ANALYSIS: The Tenant Fees Act 2019 came into force in England on June 1, 2019 and brought with it a number of new challenges for trading standards. The legislation was intended...
 

Help for home buyers

Posted: 11 June 2021

ANALYSIS: Gazumping remains a frustrating reality for buyers in England and Wales. This guide examines the legal position, practical safeguards available during a property purchase and the steps buyers can take to reduce the risk.
 

New construction regulator announced

Posted: 20 January 2021

UPDATES: A new construction regulator is being established in response to the Grenfell Inquiry, with powers intended to drive higher standards, improve accountability and restore confidence across the construction sector.
 

10 years of the Consumer Code

Posted: 21 July 2020

OPINION: Ten years after the Consumer Code for Home Builders began, its chair reflects on the Code’s growth, the importance of independent dispute resolution and the need to keep improving protection for new-build buyers.
 

Property company prosecuted

Posted: 06 February 2020

UPDATES: A property company and its director have been fined for committing 11 consumer protection and housing offences following a joint investigation by Wirral Council’s Housing Standards and
 

Matt Allwright: Letting away with it

Posted: 17 December 2019

OPINION: Drawing on experiences filming Rogue Traders, Matt Allwright argues that weak regulation has allowed rogue letting agents to exploit tenants, and calls for stronger oversight of a rapidly expanding private rental sector.
 

Tenants warned over rogue agents

Posted: 13 September 2019

UPDATES: Tenants are being urged to understand their rights as enforcement action highlights the continuing threat posed by rogue letting agents exploiting renters through unlawful practices and hidden charges.
 

Voluntary Code on APP scams launches

Posted: 28 May 2019

UPDATES: A voluntary code aimed at tackling Authorised Push Payment scams has come into force, setting out when victims should be reimbursed and how banks are expected to prevent increasingly sophisticated payment fraud.
 

Company fined for misleading tactics

Posted: 30 April 2019

UPDATES: The Energy Saving Centre, trading as Energiglass, has been fined a total of £48,000 at Leeds Crown Court for breaching consumer protection legislation and offending involving elderly or vulnerable people. The company’s sole director, Danyal
 

Fraudulent lettings pair jailed

Posted: 24 April 2019

UPDATES: A mother and daughter who were found guilty of running a fraudulent property lettings agency in Truro, Cornwall, received prison sentences at Truro Crown Court last week. Elizabeth Ann Treneer, 38, admitted running a fraudulent
 

Oxfordshire to take on rogue landlords

Posted: 27 March 2019

UPDATES: Oxfordshire is developing stronger enforcement measures against rogue landlords, with Trading Standards preparing to use civil penalties and other powers to tackle poor housing standards and unfair practices.
 

Builder imprisoned for shoddy work

Posted: 07 March 2019

UPDATES: A rogue Norfolk builder has been jailed for fraudulent trading and money laundering after leaving families facing costly and potentially dangerous building work, following a Trading Standards investigation praised by the court.