skip to main content

Login IconLogin / Member Area / Consumer Helpline delivered by Citizens Advice 0808 223 1133

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.

 

Govt scraps Animal Welfare Bill

Posted: 26 May 2023

UPDATES: CTSI has criticised the Government's decision to abandon the Kept Animals Bill, warning that important measures to strengthen animal welfare and tackle issues such as puppy smuggling now risk further delay.
 

Home builders Code review published

Posted: 25 May 2023

UPDATES: An independent review of the Consumer Code for Home Builders has been published, with recommendations aimed at strengthening complaint handling, improving consumer protection and building on the Code's existing dispute resolution framework.
 

Obituary: David Warren Beard

Posted: 25 May 2023

UPDATES: A tribute to David Warren Beard celebrates a career spanning nearly four decades in trading standards, his expertise across multiple disciplines, his warmth and humour, and the lasting impact he made on colleagues, friends and the profession.
 

CCAS statement on Code Sponsors

Posted: 24 May 2023

UPDATES: CTSI explains the role of Consumer Codes Approval Scheme sponsors in the new homes sector, reaffirming that multiple approved schemes provide independent consumer protection and that no single scheme has exclusive status.
 

CTSI helms Consumer APPG

Posted: 23 May 2023

UPDATES: CTSI is supporting a parliamentary inquiry into online marketplaces, examining unsafe products, supply chain risks and gaps in consumer protection legislation as MPs and enforcement bodies consider how regulation should respond.
 

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.
 

Shop fined for underage vape sale

Posted: 22 May 2023

UPDATES: A retailer has been fined after selling a vape to an underage test purchaser, reinforcing the importance of age verification and ongoing enforcement against youth vaping.
 

Shopkeeper fined for underage sales

Posted: 16 May 2023

UPDATES: A shopkeeper has been prosecuted for repeated underage sales, underlining Trading Standards' continued use of test purchasing to protect young consumers.
 

Family fraudsters jailed

Posted: 16 May 2023

UPDATES: A National Trading Standards investigation has led to lengthy jail sentences for a family who made more than £2 million by tricking consumers into paying for free EHICs through misleading websites and aggressive refund practices.
 

Retailers reminded of knife rules

Posted: 16 May 2023

UPDATES: Staffordshire retailers are being reminded of their legal responsibilities when selling knives as Trading Standards joins police in the Ditch the Blade campaign, promoting Challenge 25, staff training and secure storage to help reduce knife crime.
 

Govt abandons REUL sunset clause

Posted: 11 May 2023

UPDATES: CTSI welcomes the Government's decision to abandon the Retained EU Law sunset clause, while warning that hundreds of laws still require scrutiny to ensure vital consumer protections are not lost.
 

1 million illicit cigarettes seized

Posted: 28 April 2023

UPDATES: More than one million illicit cigarettes, hundreds of kilograms of illegal tobacco and thousands of unlawful vapes have been seized in Warwickshire, highlighting Trading Standards' sustained action against organised criminal supply.
 

Shepherd guilty of welfare offences

Posted: 28 April 2023

UPDATES: Oxfordshire’s prosecution of a shepherd over buried sheep carcasses, poor livestock records and unauthorised movements shows how animal welfare rules protect disease control, food chain traceability and fair competition in farming.
 

Puppy scam targets Dogs Trust charity

Posted: 28 April 2023

UPDATES: CTSI and Dogs Trust warn that scammers are exploiting the charity’s reputation by advertising non-existent puppies online, taking upfront payments and sending victims to a rehoming centre address where no animal is waiting.
 

TS supports Allergy Awareness Week

Posted: 26 April 2023

UPDATES: Staffordshire Trading Standards is using Allergy Awareness Week to remind food businesses that clear allergen information is a legal duty, after local inspections found imported products with undeclared allergenic ingredients.
 

Staffs TS seizes illicit tobacco & vapes

Posted: 18 April 2023

UPDATES: Operation CeCe raids in Staffordshire removed £24,000 worth of illicit cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and illegal vapes from shops in Lichfield and Stafford, adding to a year of substantial seizures.
 

New mobile phone scam warning

Posted: 05 April 2023

UPDATES: Hartlepool Trading Standards is warning mobile users about a scam in which fraudsters arrange handset upgrades in victims’ names, then trick them into forwarding the new phones to bogus return addresses.
 

Fake vinyl record seller guilty

Posted: 05 April 2023

UPDATES: Dorset Trading Standards has secured a prosecution against an online seller of counterfeit vinyl records, underlining the continuing role of intellectual property enforcement in protecting collectors, consumers and legitimate traders.
 

Fraudsters targeted vulnerable people

Posted: 04 April 2023

UPDATES: A joint investigation has brought sentencing for fraudsters who targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, exposing the pressure tactics and deception used to extract money from people least able to withstand it.
 

FSA launches meat fraud inquiry

Posted: 31 March 2023

UPDATES: The Food Standards Agency has opened an inquiry into reports of large-scale meat fraud, raising fresh questions about supply chain integrity, food authenticity and the systems designed to protect consumers.