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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.

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Close up of a flat car tyre

Norfolk TS Uncovers Car Safety Failings

Posted: 26 August 2025


UPDATES: Half the used cars inspected in Norfolk were found to be unroadworthy - and almost every part-worn tyre checked failed to meet legal safety standards. From nails piercing tyre walls to cars with no valid MOT, Trading Standards and police uncovered shocking risks on forecourts across the county. Find out what they found, and how you can protect yourself ...

CTSI Calls for Action on ‘Ghost Plates’

Posted: 03 June 2025


UPDATES: Criminals are exploiting ‘ghost’ number plates that vanish from ANPR cameras, helping them dodge fines, speed traps and even serious investigations. With plates costing as little as £30 and penalties lagging behind the risk, CTSI and MPs are calling for a crackdown. Here’s why authorities say the system is being dangerously abused - and what could change next ...

Repeat Offender Car Dealer Jailed

Posted: 27 May 2025


UPDATES: A rogue car dealer who ignored consumer rights, sold faulty vehicles and flouted a court order has been sent to prison after months of complaints from buyers. Trading under multiple names, he continued to evade responsibility until Trading Standards stepped in ...

 

Repeat offender car dealer jailed

Posted: 17 April 2025

UPDATES: Persistent offending ends in a custodial sentence, demonstrating the consequences for traders who repeatedly flout consumer protection law and mislead buyers.
 

Car dealer fined for breaking law

Posted: 04 April 2025

UPDATES: A prosecution against a used car dealer highlights the importance of consumers' statutory rights and the consequences for businesses that attempt to evade their legal obligations after a sale.
 

Car clocking gang sentenced

Posted: 28 January 2025

UPDATES: Kent County Council Trading Standards has successfully prosecuted three fraudsters who ripped off motorists with a car-clocking scam. A complex and extensive investigation by the Kent Trading Standards.
 

Enforcement Order for car dealer

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.
 

'Death trap' car dealer found guilty

Posted: 21 August 2024

UPDATES: A used car dealer has been convicted after selling a dangerously unroadworthy vehicle described as a 'death trap', with the court ordering compensation for the consumer following a Trading Standards investigation.
 

EV charging costs 'too high' in Scotland

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.
 

Hitting the brakes on admin fees

Posted: 03 July 2024

ANALYSIS: Hidden administration fees in the used car market prompted complaints and enforcement action. Discover how Trading Standards challenged the practice, the legal issues involved and the wider implications for dealers and consumer confidence.
 

Used cars top complaints list

Posted: 22 May 2024

UPDATES: Used cars generated more consumer complaints than any other sector last year, prompting renewed calls for stronger standards, better information and improved protection for buyers.
 

Car dealer jailed for multiple frauds

Posted: 30 March 2024

UPDATES: A used car dealer who pocketed more than £100,000 through vehicle frauds, undelivered sales and dangerously defective cars has been jailed after a complex Trading Standards and police investigation spanning victims across the UK.
 

Car trader jailed for unsafe vehicle

Posted: 12 February 2024

UPDATES: A used car dealer has been jailed after selling a dangerously defective vehicle, following a Trading Standards investigation that exposed serious safety faults and secured compensation for the purchaser.
 

Motor Ombudsman gears up for Awards

Posted: 20 September 2023

UPDATES: The Motor Ombudsman is calling on motorists to reward good practice in the automotive sector by nominating businesses and individuals for...
 

Electric vehicles: Current affairs

Posted: 09 July 2023

ANALYSIS: Exaggerated environmental claims, problems with charging infrastructure, pricing anomalies and ‘optimistic’ predicted driving ranges are creating headaches for some drivers who have already bought electric vehicles (EVs)...
 

Car clocking duo sentenced

Posted: 05 July 2023

UPDATES: Two brothers who illegally doctored the mileage of cars before selling them online to unsuspecting buyers have been sentenced and ordered to pay costs after a four-year investigation by Staffordshire Trading Standards. N...
 

Promising the earth

Posted: 04 July 2023

OPINION: My old Saab estate, Dominic, is looking sad enough to warrant his own country song. His rubber shark fin aerial cover has perished and fallen off. His badges have gone from bright blue to dull...
 

Online trader jailed for ‘car-clocking’

Posted: 16 June 2023

UPDATES: An online vehicle trader has been jailed after falsifying mileages and service histories on dozens of cars, following a Trading Standards investigation that protected buyers and highlighted the value of multi-agency fraud enforcement.
 

Used car dealer fined for illegal practices

Posted: 23 May 2023

UPDATES: A used car dealer was prosecuted after selling faulty and misdescribed vehicles, falsifying documentation and denying consumer rights, resulting in fines, compensation for customers and director disqualification.
 

Fuel cost increase drives pump checks

Posted: 26 July 2022

UPDATES: As fuel prices reach record highs, Trading Standards officers are increasing inspections of petrol pumps to reassure motorists that pricing is accurate and dispensing equipment remains compliant.
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