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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.

 

Away from Westminster

Posted: 30 June 2020

ANALYSIS: A discussion of austerity, COVID-19 and the future of local government funding, considering what the pandemic could mean for already stretched trading standards services.
 

COVID-19 business grants scam

Posted: 24 June 2020

UPDATES: Fraudsters are exploiting government business support schemes through fake grant emails. CTSI explains the latest scam and urges businesses to remain vigilant before sharing personal or payment details.
 

ASA launches Scam Ad Alert system

Posted: 22 June 2020

UPDATES: A new Scam Ad Alert system brings regulators and major online platforms together to remove fraudulent paid-for advertisements more quickly, strengthening efforts to protect consumers from digital scams.
 

COVID-19 home testing scam alert

Posted: 19 June 2020

UPDATES: CTSI warns of fraudulent text messages claiming to arrange COVID-19 home testing visits, highlighting another scam designed to exploit public anxiety during the pandemic.
 

CTSI condemns price gouging

Posted: 17 June 2020

UPDATES: CTSI has joined consumer bodies and regulators in warning retailers against pandemic price gouging, urging businesses to act responsibly as demand rises for essential goods during COVID-19.
 

One in three targeted by lockdown scams

Posted: 15 June 2020

UPDATES: Citizens Advice polling shows a third of UK adults were targeted by scammers during lockdown, with disabled people, shielded consumers and those hit financially by the pandemic facing heightened risk.
 

HSE warning over KN95 facemasks

Posted: 15 June 2020

UPDATES: The Health and Safety Executive has warned that KN95 masks are not suitable PPE, with fraudulent certification driving concern and more than 1.5 million products quarantined.
 

Obituary: Jim Short

Posted: 09 June 2020

UPDATES: A tribute to Jim Short remembers a respected Scottish Trading Standards figure whose Institute service, committee work and professional influence spanned decades and left a lasting mark on colleagues.
 

LTS warns on ‘refund vouchers’

Posted: 09 June 2020

UPDATES: London Trading Standards is calling for consumers' refund rights to be upheld after sharp rises in complaints about cancelled travel, events and voucher offers during the pandemic.
 

Obituary: Roy Stenning

Posted: 08 June 2020

UPDATES: A tribute to Roy Stenning traces his life from wartime engineering to a long Trading Standards career in Greenwich, reflecting on his public service, family life and enduring friendships.
 

Fake trading standards line scam

Posted: 08 June 2020

UPDATES: CTSI has warned consumers about a fake trading standards website and premium-rate helpline that misuse the Institute's address and exploit public trust during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

Sub-standard face masks seized

Posted: 01 June 2020

UPDATES: London Trading Standards teams at Heathrow have intercepted millions of sub-standard face masks and thousands of counterfeit hand sanitisers, exposing false safety claims and non-compliant pandemic supplies.
 

COVID-19 guides for business launched

Posted: 27 May 2020

UPDATES: CTSI and BEIS have launched free COVID-19 guidance for businesses in sectors including travel, building trades and food and drink, helping firms understand fast-changing legal responsibilities.
 

Fake PPE training scheme launches

Posted: 22 May 2020

UPDATES: OPSS and CTSI have launched training to help enforcement officers identify counterfeit PPE and hand cleansing products, responding to fraudulent certification and rising demand during the pandemic.
 

Council tax Covid-19 scam targets public

Posted: 19 May 2020

UPDATES: A fake Government-branded council tax reduction email is using the financial strain of lockdown to harvest personal and banking details, prompting CTSI to warn the public not to click links and to report suspicious messages to Action Fraud.
 

London complies with lockdown

Posted: 19 May 2020

UPDATES: London borough enforcement teams found widespread compliance with Covid-19 business closure rules, but continued to issue prohibition notices where traders reopened illegally, with trading standards officers balancing advice, public health protection and firm action across the capital.
 

Menthol cigarette ban lands this week

Posted: 18 May 2020

UPDATES: The UK ban on menthol cigarettes arrives without a sell-through period, extending earlier restrictions on characterising flavours and placing fresh duties on retailers while reinforcing public health efforts to reduce youth smoking uptake.
 

New Covid-19 food business guide

Posted: 15 May 2020

UPDATES: CTSI and BEIS have launched a free Business Companion guide for food and drink businesses moving into takeaway and delivery during lockdown, helping operators understand the regulatory issues that come with rapid diversification.
 

Care home complaints guide

Posted: 12 May 2020

UPDATES: A new CTSI and BEIS guide responds to CMA concerns about unclear care home complaints processes, giving registered managers and owners practical consumer law advice to improve how residents and families raise concerns.
 

Travel industry guide launched

Posted: 12 May 2020

UPDATES: Practical Holiday Law sets out the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 in plain terms, helping travel businesses understand their responsibilities after widespread confusion over holiday law and consumer complaints.