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Key contacts

Trading standards (business)
Essex County Council
New Dukes Way Office
2 Beaufort Road
Dukes Park Industrial Estate
Chelmsford, CM2 6PS

Telephone: 0845 603 7626

0845 calls to Essex County Council are charged at BT landline standard rate. Please check with your provider as other tariffs may vary.

Consumer advice policy

Complaints, Enquiries and “Requests for Service” Policy

1. This policy forms part of and should be read with the Essex County Council Trading Standards Enforcement policy

2. ECC Trading Standards will provide information, advice and assistance to Essex consumers and businesses and those outside the county who have dealings with Essex businesses to help them solve their own trading standards-related problems and complaints. There is no limit to the number of times our customers can contact us for such help and assistance. From 1st April 2005, the ECC Trading Standards consumer advice service will be provided on behalf of ECC by Consumer Direct East of England.

3. In providing a complaints services to consumers and businesses, ECC Trading Standards (via Consumer Direct, where appropriate) will follow the requirements of the Community Legal Services Quality Mark. In particular, we will:

    • clearly identify our customers’ needs and what they want from their complaint
    • state what help, support and assistance ECC Trading Standards can provide.
    • provide any supporting material in a format suitable to their needs to support our advice whenever appropriate or requested.

4. ECC Trading Standards and Consumer Direct will seek to resolve the majority of consumer and business complaints during initial contact. However, should this not be possible, ECC Trading Standards will provide a “further action” referral service for a limited range of complaints. “Further action” includes intervening on behalf of consumers in disputes with traders, undertaking investigations and visits and any other appropriate enforcement activity. Complaints for “further action” will be identified via a risk-assessment and intelligence-led approach. Examples of complaints for “further action” can be found here

5. Details of all complaints made to “Consumer Direct” by Essex CC customers will be forwarded to ECC Trading Standards for information and analysis as part of our intelligence-led approach to enforcement. We will review this information each month before deciding on any appropriate enforcement activities.

6. Essex County Council supports and is an active member of the Essex Consumer Support Network (CSN). If Consumer Direct or Essex County Council Trading Standards Service is not the appropriate service to help solve a consumer or business complaint (e.g. the problem requires a face-to-face consultation, involves a problem with gas or electricity supply, financial services or a food hygiene issue), we will signpost or refer you to an appropriate CLS Quality Marked member of the Essex CSN or other advice provider, relevant agency (eg Energywatch, Financial Services Ombudsman, Environmental Health Department) or specialist solicitor.

7. ECC Trading Standards is committed to working in partnership with other organisations to reduce anti-social behaviour, reduce crime and disorder, improve the health and wellbeing of Essex and support the creation of a safe and fair trading environment. Subject to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1984, if appropriate we may share any information received by us in the course of our activities with other agencies

8. If a complaint involves a serious breach of civil law or a refusal on the part of a trader to resolve a serious civil law breach, and other efforts have failed to resolve the matter, ECC will consider paying to take the matter through small claims procedures in support of a consumer or business. We will seek to recover any costs incurred by the county council from our customers only if ECC Trading Standards is successful in court.

9. If a complaint cannot be resolved via other means and results in ECC Trading Standards undertaking a criminal prosecution against a trader, where appropriate we will apply for a “compensation order” from the court to resolve any claim you have against the trader. If, at the discretion of the criminal court, that compensation order is not granted, we will consider paying to take the matter through small claims procedures in support of your claim. We will seek to recover any costs incurred by the county council from our customers only if ECC Trading Standards is successful in court. Requests for Service

10. ECC Trading Standards will provide “on-request” services for all relevant Trading Standards-related statutory enforcement functions placed on ECC. These services include:

  • Testing and verification of weights & measures equipment
  • Issuing of licences for the storage of explosives and petroleum, running a massage business, and the movement of animals
  • Registration of poisons
  • Issuing of safety certificates for sports grounds

11. ECC Trading Standards will provide the following non-statutory “on-request” services, for which a fee may be charged:

  • Supply of an Essex BITE (Be Identified Throughout Essex) proof of age card
  • Consultancy on business due diligence systems, product design, labelling and advertising, credit advertisement compliance

12. This policy will be reviewed by the ECC Trading Standards Operational Management Team at least once every 12 months.