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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.

 

CTSI issues parking scam warning

Posted: 23 October 2024

UPDATES: CTSI is warning motorists about a surge in parking fine smishing texts that mimic Government websites, threaten legal action or driving bans, and direct victims to payment pages controlled by fraudsters.
 

Hot water bottle safety tips

Posted: 22 October 2024

UPDATES: Heart of the South West Trading Standards is urging consumers to check the age, condition and safe use of hot water bottles, warning that damaged or ageing products can cause serious burns.
 

Hull gets gold with Touchstone Award

Posted: 21 October 2024

UPDATES: Hull Trading Standards receives the Touchstone Award after dismantling a major online jewellery scam, highlighting the investigation that led to recognition for protecting consumers.
 

Notts TS seizes 1,400 illegal vapes

Posted: 21 October 2024

UPDATES: Enforcement action against two Newark shops resulted in the seizure of more than 1,400 illegal vapes, underlining continued efforts to tackle illicit products.
 

Hefty fine for Asda's food safety failures

Posted: 21 October 2024

UPDATES: A prosecution over food displayed months beyond its use-by date ended with a £250,000 fine for Asda, illustrating the consequences of serious food safety failures.
 

LTS recognises local safeguarding hero

Posted: 16 October 2024

UPDATES: London Trading Standards has honoured a local safeguarding champion with a Touchstone Award, recognising outstanding partnership work to protect vulnerable residents from consumer harm.
 

Illegal 'American candy' destroyed

Posted: 15 October 2024

UPDATES: Enforcement officers oversaw the destruction of thousands of imported confectionery products that failed to meet UK food labelling and safety requirements, including counterfeit-style 'American candy'.
 

'Record seizure' makes local history

Posted: 15 October 2024

UPDATES: A routine visit to a Hammersmith and Fulham convenience store uncovered what the council described as the biggest illegal cigarette seizure in local history, alongside tobacco, vapes and evidence of suspected organised crime links that led to the shop being shut down.
 

Shopkeeper fined for underage sale

Posted: 14 October 2024

UPDATES: A Taunton shop owner has been ordered to pay more than £2,300 after a disposable vape was sold to an under-18 volunteer during a Trading Standards test purchase, underlining the need for staff training and robust age-verification procedures.
 

Staffs TS makes 'significant' seizure

Posted: 10 October 2024

UPDATES: Trading Standards officers in Staffordshire seized a significant quantity of illegal vapes during enforcement activity, reinforcing ongoing efforts to remove non-compliant products from sale and protect consumers.
 

Illegal tobacco clampdown in LBBD

Posted: 10 October 2024

UPDATES: Officers report major seizures of illicit tobacco following a sustained clampdown on illegal sales across the borough.
 

Oxfordshire TS: rogue trader alert

Posted: 09 October 2024

UPDATES: Residents are urged to remain vigilant after severe weather prompted warnings of increased rogue trader activity targeting damaged properties.
 

LTS highlights renters' rights

Posted: 09 October 2024

UPDATES: London Trading Standards Week spotlights the fight against rogue landlords and letting agents, promoting a reporting service that helps private renters enforce their rights while supporting enforcement action across the capital.
 

Hallmarking: worth its weight in gold

Posted: 08 October 2024

OPINION: Counterfeit gold jewellery remains a major threat to consumers and legitimate traders. This opinion piece argues that effective hallmarking, stronger enforcement and greater public awareness are essential to protecting confidence in the jewellery market.
 

Black History Month art show

Posted: 08 October 2024

UPDATES: An exhibition at Westminster City Council marks Black History Month through the work of eight artists, celebrating creativity, identity and inclusion while highlighting the contribution of Trading Standards professional Giles Speid as curator.
 

LTS weighs in on unfair pricing

Posted: 08 October 2024

UPDATES: Inspections during London Trading Standards Week uncovered widespread pricing failures, from missing shelf prices to misleading charges at the till, reinforcing the importance of clear pricing and robust enforcement during the cost-of-living crisis.
 

CTSI speaks out on fraud protections

Posted: 07 October 2024

UPDATES: CTSI criticises the reduction in the reimbursement cap for authorised push payment fraud victims, warning that the new limit risks leaving consumers exposed and calling for stronger protections against increasingly sophisticated scams.
 

LTS Week takes bite out of illegal cigs

Posted: 07 October 2024

UPDATES: London Trading Standards Week opens by showcasing the capital's work against illegal tobacco, highlighting major seizures, Operation CeCe enforcement activity and the health, criminal and economic harms caused by illicit cigarettes and vapes.
 

Haul of fakes seized in Tameside

Posted: 04 October 2024

UPDATES: Trading Standards officers in Tameside seized hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of illicit vapes, tobacco and counterfeit goods during coordinated raids, demonstrating the impact of intelligence-led operations against organised criminality.
 

Age verification app wins approval

Posted: 04 October 2024

UPDATES: A new age verification app has received Primary Authority approval after demonstrating high levels of accuracy, offering retailers an automated way to strengthen age-restricted sales compliance and record refusals.