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.
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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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Posted: 02 April 2025
UPDATES: A tribute to Edward Brian Fallon, whose lifelong commitment to public service and steadfast support for Trading Standards left a lasting impact on consumer protection in Scotland.
Posted: 03 March 2025
UPDATES: A major illicit tobacco seizure carried out under Operation CeCe demonstrates the continuing impact of coordinated enforcement against illegal tobacco sales and organised criminal activity.
Posted: 13 January 2025
ANALYSIS: Scotland’s ambitious Heat in Buildings Strategy aims to cut carbon emissions and make homes more energy-efficient - but experts warn the sector is unprepared. Rogue traders, confusing incentives, and poorly installed products could leave consumers out of pocket and homes at risk. Read how Trading Standards is pushing for safeguards to make green heating safe, effective, and trustworthy ...
Posted: 13 January 2025
ANALYSIS: Scotland’s drive to decarbonise homes could reshape consumer protection as profoundly as it reshapes housing. With EPC confusion, unqualified traders, green finance risks and spray foam scandals already causing concern, Trading Standards voices warn that ambition must be matched by public education, robust accreditation and enough enforcement capacity to keep consumers safe.
Posted: 06 December 2024
UPDATES: Specialist detection dog Boo continues to play a valuable role in uncovering illicit tobacco, demonstrating how innovative enforcement techniques are helping disrupt the illegal market.
Posted: 20 November 2024
UPDATES: Scotland’s illegal money lending watchdog is warning that loan sharks are using social media to target people under financial pressure, as Christmas costs and the wider cost-of-living crisis leave vulnerable borrowers exposed.
Posted: 30 October 2024
UPDATES: South Lanarkshire Trading Standards is checking all 34 registered firework sellers through covert test purchases, reinforcing Scotland’s rules on underage sales, legal selling hours and restricted seasonal sales periods.
Posted: 30 September 2024
UPDATES: Scottish Borders Trading Standards is taking its Scam Van to Eyemouth, Kelso, Galashiels and Hawick, giving residents practical guidance and community resources to help them spot and avoid scams.
Posted: 17 September 2024
UPDATES: Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) has launched a campaign to help consumers avoid domestic energy-efficiency scams, including the mis-selling of spray foam loft insulation, as the winter months approach. The focus of the ‘Turn Down Energy Scams’ campaign is on pointing...
Posted: 10 September 2024
UPDATES: Airdrie Sheriff Court has imposed an Enforcement Order on Cumbernauld Car Sales Ltd after repeated complaints over unroadworthy vehicles, false information and failures to provide redress.
Posted: 04 September 2024
UPDATES: Food Standards Scotland and North Lanarkshire Trading Standards have warned consumers not to drink counterfeit Glen’s vodka after testing found isopropyl, a dangerous chemical that can cause poisoning, coma or death.
Posted: 12 August 2024
UPDATES: Consumer Scotland has warned that high public charging costs, limited home-charging access and unreliable infrastructure risk undermining the switch to electric vehicles, particularly for motorists unable to charge at home.
Posted: 24 July 2024
UPDATES: Consumer Scotland has begun a wide-ranging review of the domestic energy-efficiency market, seeking evidence of misleading practices, weak consumer protections and barriers to confidence as millions of homes prepare for the transition to cleaner heating.
Posted: 22 July 2024
UPDATES: Fraudsters posing as Highland cattle sellers used the address of a country park to lure buyers into a sophisticated online scam. Trading Standards acted quickly to expose the deception and shut down a website already linked to previous livestock and puppy frauds.
Posted: 22 May 2024
UPDATES: Scottish Borders Trading Standards' Scam Van is taking fraud prevention advice directly into communities, helping residents recognise common scams and access practical support.
Posted: 17 May 2024
UPDATES: A Highland shopkeeper has been prohibited from selling vaping products after repeated underage sales, demonstrating how restriction orders are being used to tackle persistent offenders.
Posted: 08 April 2024
UPDATES: A street seller caught supplying illicit tobacco outside a supermarket has been prosecuted after Trading Standards linked him to illegal products that undercut legitimate retailers and posed risks to consumers.
Posted: 25 March 2024
UPDATES: A nationwide Scottish Trading Standards project found widespread pricing inaccuracies and missing unit prices, revealing how misleading shelf labels and checkout errors continue to cost consumers millions.
Posted: 15 January 2024
ANALYSIS: As Consumer Scotland approaches its third year, its evidence-led work is shaping policy on the cost of living, essential services and the transition to Net Zero, while balancing the competing interests of today's consumers and future generations.
Posted: 13 November 2023
UPDATES: North Lanarkshire Trading Standards has warned retailers after test purchases revealed repeated illegal sales of cigarettes and vapes to under-18s, prompting fixed penalties, proposed banning orders and further enforcement visits.