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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.

 

Reflecting on eight years at NTS

Posted: 27 September 2021

OPINION: Looking back on eight years as Chair of National Trading Standards, the author reflects on major achievements, collaborative successes, emerging threats and the challenges of protecting consumers before handing over leadership to a successor.
 

Crackdown on illicit puppies in Wales

Posted: 27 September 2021

UPDATES: A major enforcement operation in Wales has uncovered alleged illegal puppy farming, with hundreds of dogs rescued or seized as investigators target organised criminality fuelled by soaring pandemic demand for pets.
 

Trader jailed for fake DVD business

Posted: 23 September 2021

UPDATES: A four-year prison sentence concludes a lengthy investigation into a sophisticated counterfeit DVD operation that used multiple online accounts, false identities and money laundering to generate more than £500,000 in sales.
 

Survey reveals extent of COVID scams

Posted: 23 September 2021

UPDATES: New survey findings reveal the scale of COVID-era scams, widespread public concern about underfunded consumer protection and low reporting rates, reinforcing calls for stronger enforcement and greater investment.
 

Defra to speak at CTSI Symposium

Posted: 15 September 2021

UPDATES: Defra will join CTSI’s Symposium to discuss official controls for food, feed, animal health and welfare, alongside the future audit of local authorities and new professional training in the field.
 

Trader who sold unsafe truck fined

Posted: 14 September 2021

UPDATES: A motor trader who sold a dangerous tipper truck has been ordered to pay £3,850 following a prosecution brought by Dorset Council Trading Standards. Andrew James Ostolski pleaded guilty to...
 

John's Journal: A crucial moment

Posted: 10 September 2021

OPINION: CTSI’s response to the Government’s consumer protection consultation will press for a more strategic system, arguing that national, regional and local enforcement must work together to support consumer confidence.
 

Doorstep criminal guilty of fraud

Posted: 09 September 2021

UPDATES: A prosecution brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland has resulted in a suspended prison sentence for a doorstep criminal. On September...
 

Illegal e-cigarettes discovered for sale

Posted: 09 September 2021

UPDATES: Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards is warning the public about the dangers of illegal, disposable e-cigarettes after discovering them on sale in the county. Officers seized the products from 13...
 

Campaign highlights allergen law

Posted: 09 September 2021

UPDATES: With new legislation on allergen labelling coming into force next month, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is hosting a campaign to inform businesses of their responsibilities to label food...
 

WhatsApp scam targets families

Posted: 06 September 2021

UPDATES: CTSI has been informed of a newly emerging scam message on WhatsApp in which fraudsters attempt to impersonate the recipient's family members to steal money. A member of the public...
 

CMA warns PCR testers over pricing

Posted: 02 September 2021

UPDATES: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has sent an open letter to businesses providing PCR tests to remind them of their responsibilities under consumer law. The letter comes in the...
 

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...
 

The cornerstone of CTSI policy

Posted: 26 August 2021

OPINION: The Policy Team has been recently taking a close look at the Lead Officer Framework and thinking of ways to improve it, in terms of CTSI support and engagement with...
 

New country, new customs framework

Posted: 26 August 2021

ANALYSIS: The new year brought the end of the EU Exit transition period and with it a number of structural changes for consumers making purchases cross-border. These include the new Customs and Excise rules that are...
 

Four-year sentence for counterfeiter

Posted: 25 August 2021

UPDATES: A trading standards investigation has resulted in a Birmingham man being jailed for four years for manufacturing and selling fake designer clothes. Inderjit Sangu, who owned a clothing manufacturing business in Hockley, ...
 

New self-storage code of practice

Posted: 25 August 2021

UPDATES: A new initiative has been set up to target criminals using self-storage facilities for counterfeit and other illicit goods. Such goods are often seized in self-storage facilities, and the scheme has been launched to assi...
 

Scammers use NHS COVID pass texts

Posted: 24 August 2021

UPDATES: CTSI has received evidence of a text scam themed around the NHS COVID pass. The message, which claims to be an official NHS communication, reads: "NHS: We've noticed you haven't applied for your COVID pass,...
 

UKICC sees rise in complex cases

Posted: 20 August 2021

UPDATES: Brexit and COVID-19 caused a sharp rise in demand for advice about in-depth consumer problems from the UK International Consumer Centre (UKICC) in the first six months of 2021, it has been revealed. Issues related...
 

Cat owners urged to check food

Posted: 10 August 2021

UPDATES: Cat owners are being urged to check recalled pet food products after a rise in feline pancytopenia cases, with the FSA and Royal Veterinary College continuing to investigate possible links to mycotoxins.