skip to main content

Login IconLogin / Member Area / Consumer Helpline delivered by Citizens Advice 0808 223 1133

1 Sylvan Court Sylvan Way SS15 6TH Basildon, Essex, UK
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.

 

Valentine's Day - is it love or a scam?

Posted: 13 February 2020

UPDATES: CTSI is warning Valentine’s Day daters about romance scams, with fraudsters using fake profiles, emotional manipulation and requests for money to cause serious financial and personal harm.
 

Mail scammers found guilty

Posted: 06 February 2020

UPDATES: Kingstown Associates has been fined £150,000 after misleading elderly consumers with promotional mailings that falsely suggested they were guaranteed cash prizes if they bought products.
 

Illegal cigarette seller jailed

Posted: 06 February 2020

UPDATES: A shop owner has been jailed for selling an estimated £200,000 worth of illegal and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco at a convenience store in Wolverhampton. Zemnako Azad Salih, former director of Sam Euro Style Ltd,...
 

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
 

Prison sentence for window fraudster

Posted: 03 February 2020

UPDATES: A window fitter who carried out a ‘cynical’ series of offences has been jailed for two years and four months following an investigation and prosecution brought by
 

Plumber signs consumer law pledge

Posted: 28 January 2020

UPDATES: The director of several plumbing companies which received numerous consumer complaints has signed a promise not to breach consumer protection laws in the future, following an investigation by Reading Trading Standards. J...
 

Allergen study shows cuts' impact

Posted: 28 January 2020

UPDATES: Research by Unchecked.uk and The Times has found undeclared allergens in nearly one in five tested food samples, raising concerns that reduced local authority sampling is putting allergy sufferers at risk.
 

In conversation: Tim Gass

Posted: 21 January 2020

ANALYSIS: Complying with trading standards at an organisation that acquires, produces and distributes an enormous variety of consumer products is a huge challenge, and not one that can be constantly met. The evidence certainly sup...
 

The dark side of pearly whites

Posted: 21 January 2020

ANALYSIS: Between 2016 and last year, the General Dental Council recorded more than 2,100 complaints about tooth whitening conducted by unregistered practitioners, which led to 78 prosecutions in the UK alone. The damage caused by...
 

Car dealer sold officer faulty vehicle

Posted: 21 January 2020

UPDATES: Warwickshire Trading Standards has prosecuted Atherstone car dealer Graham Ray Inston after an undercover officer was sold an unroadworthy Peugeot that had been advertised as in good condition.
 

Company fined over unsafe tyre sale

Posted: 21 January 2020

UPDATES: A company in Stevenage has been fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,811 in costs after pleading guilty to supplying a part-worn tyre which failed to meet the safety requirements of the Motor Vehicle Tyres...
 

Ask Italian fined over misleading dish

Posted: 16 January 2020

UPDATES: Ask Italian has been fined £40,000 after Swansea Trading Standards found its premium lobster and king prawn dish contained only a small amount of lobster alongside white fish and filler.
 

Robert Grice awarded MBE

Posted: 10 January 2020

UPDATES: CTSI Fellow Robert Grice has received an MBE for services to hallmarking law, recognising a 52-year contribution to trading standards, consumer protection and the jewellery industry.
 

Safeguarding the future

Posted: 08 January 2020

ANALYSIS: High-profile tragedies have pushed product safety up the consumer agenda, prompting closer attention to children’s products, accident prevention, OPSS priorities and the role of trading standards enforcement.
 

CPPD Module 17: Food Allergens

Posted: 07 January 2020

DEVELOPMENT: A near-fatal allergic reaction to contaminated dip became the foundation of a landmark prosecution. This CPPD module examines food allergen law, investigation techniques and the lessons officers can draw from a complex and high-profile case.
 

Knife sales: the sharp end

Posted: 07 January 2020

ANALYSIS: Rising knife crime has intensified scrutiny of age-restricted sales. This feature examines the changing legal framework, the challenges facing retailers and enforcement officers, and what the Offensive Weapons Act means in practice.
 

Touchstone shows value of hallmarking

Posted: 06 January 2020

UPDATES: Counterfeit and misdescribed jewellery can leave consumers badly out of pocket. Drawing on Touchstone Award examples, this article highlights why hallmarking remains a vital safeguard and the role trading standards plays in protecting buyers.
 

Choosing your garden office

Posted: 06 January 2020

SPONSORED: Choosing the right garden office involves more than appearance alone. From purpose and planning considerations to size, layout and installation, this guide outlines the key factors to weigh before making a long-term investment.
 

Company director jailed for 32 months

Posted: 20 December 2019

UPDATES: A Suffolk mobility company director has been jailed, disqualified and made subject to a criminal behaviour order after customers were left without expensive goods or refunds. The case underlines the consequences of persistent unfair commercial practices.
 

At Christmas, all that glitters is not gold...

Posted: 20 December 2019

ANALYSIS: Hallmarking protects consumers only when retailers comply with the law. A Scottish enforcement project uncovered widespread failures to display Dealers' Notices and identified improperly marked jewellery, highlighting the continuing need for vigilance.