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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.

 

Unit pricing on Tesco Clubcard deals

Posted: 21 February 2024

UPDATES: Tesco will introduce unit pricing alongside Clubcard offers after criticism that shoppers could not easily compare value, following pressure from Which? and concerns over compliance with consumer protection law.
 

Contractor fined for keeping deposit

Posted: 19 February 2024

UPDATES: A fencing contractor who kept a customer's deposit without carrying out the agreed work has been fined after Trading Standards prosecuted the case, with the consumer receiving a full refund before sentencing.
 

Trading Standards on the home front

Posted: 19 February 2024

ANALYSIS: As soaring rents and shrinking supply place unprecedented pressure on tenants, this feature examines the consumer protection challenges emerging across the private rented sector and the increasingly important role of Trading Standards in tackling poor practice.
 

Scams after-care: a problem shared

Posted: 19 February 2024

ANALYSIS: Fraud does not end when the money is lost. Examining the lasting impact on victims - particularly older people - this feature explores why effective after-care, partnership working and long-term support are essential to tackling scams.
 

Degrees of compliance

Posted: 19 February 2024

ANALYSIS: From accommodation and contracts to misleading marketing and hidden costs, students face a range of consumer risks. This feature considers how compliance, education and enforcement can better protect those entering higher education.
 

Sheffield TS finds 30,000 illegal vapes

Posted: 15 February 2024

UPDATES: Sheffield Trading Standards has seized around 30,000 illegal vapes worth an estimated £400,000 after officers uncovered oversized devices that may contain prohibited and potentially hazardous substances.
 

Builder fined for poor quality work

Posted: 15 February 2024

UPDATES: A Wrexham builder has been fined more than £12,000 after Trading Standards proved he left a homeowner with substandard, unfinished work and unusable bathroom facilities.
 

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.
 

CCHB appoints new Board member

Posted: 08 February 2024

UPDATES: Consumer Code for Home Builders has appointed regulation specialist Claire Whyley to its Board, strengthening consumer representation as the organisation implements recommendations from its independent Code review.
 

Dangerous shower head warning

Posted: 07 February 2024

UPDATES: Consumers are being urged to stop using a replacement shower head linked to serious burn injuries, as Warwickshire Trading Standards works with manufacturers and online retailers to remove the dangerous product from sale.
 

CTSI supports Apprenticeship Week

Posted: 05 February 2024

UPDATES: During National Apprenticeship Week, CTSI and partner organisations are renewing calls for dedicated funding to expand regulatory compliance apprenticeships and help address long-term workforce shortages.
 

Opinion: Wiping out greenwashing

Posted: 01 February 2024

OPINION: Environmental claims can help consumers make informed choices - or mislead them completely. This opinion piece argues that robust action against greenwashing is essential if confidence in sustainable products is to be maintained.
 

Ten top tips for online purchases

Posted: 01 February 2024

OPINION: Post-Christmas bargains can tempt consumers into costly mistakes. Practical advice highlights the warning signs of misleading offers, unsafe buying practices and the checks shoppers should make before purchasing online.
 

Suffolk TS seizes over 2,000 vapes

Posted: 31 January 2024

UPDATES: Suffolk Trading Standards has seized more than 2,000 illegal vapes after businesses ignored earlier compliance advice, underlining continuing enforcement action against unlawful nicotine products.
 

Disposable vape ban announced

Posted: 29 January 2024

UPDATES: Government plans to ban disposable vapes form part of wider smoking and vaping reforms aimed at reducing youth uptake while reshaping the regulatory landscape for retailers and enforcement authorities.
 

CPPD Module 25: Single-use plastics

Posted: 24 January 2024

DEVELOPMENT: An overview of the rules restricting the supply of single-use plastic straws, stirrers, cotton buds and other specified products, explaining the key legal duties for businesses.
 

Fake reviews and drip pricing banned

Posted: 24 January 2024

UPDATES: New consumer protection reforms will outlaw fake reviews and drip pricing, strengthening enforcement powers and giving shoppers clearer, more transparent pricing information.
 

Opinion: Bad habits, good intentions

Posted: 24 January 2024

OPINION: Ambitious tobacco control proposals promise long-term public health benefits, but achieving a smoke-free generation will depend on sustained commitment, effective enforcement and lasting behavioural change.
 

Lincolnshire rogue trader jailed

Posted: 23 January 2024

UPDATES: A Lincolnshire rogue trader who exploited elderly and vulnerable homeowners with unnecessary roofing work has been jailed following a successful Trading Standards investigation.
 

Bogus uni website taken down

Posted: 18 January 2024

UPDATES: Enforcement action has shut down a bogus university website that impersonated a genuine institution and targeted prospective students with fraudulent courses costing thousands of pounds.