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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.
CCAS annual report published
Posted: 29 April 2021
UPDATES: CCAS’s latest annual report sets out how approved codes supported consumers and businesses through EU Exit, COVID-19 and rapid digital change, including nearly £2m recovered for consumers.
Supermarket scam text alert
Posted: 27 April 2021
UPDATES: CTSI warns that fake supermarket delivery texts claiming to be from Asda and Morrisons are being used to steal personal details as home shopping remains widespread during the pandemic.
CTSI signs Race at Work Charter
Posted: 22 April 2021
UPDATES: CTSI has signed Business in the Community’s Race at Work Charter on Stephen Lawrence Day, committing to executive sponsorship, ethnicity data, zero tolerance of harassment and ethnic minority career progression.
Company fined over unsafe toys
Posted: 21 April 2021
UPDATES: A Thurrock prosecution has led to fines and costs after JL Supplies Ltd and its director admitted importing and supplying unsafe toys that posed choking and asphyxiation risks to children.
CCAS: A record to be proud of
Posted: 20 April 2021
ANALYSIS: Eight years after its launch, CCAS is presented as a growing route to better consumer protection, stronger business standards and trusted redress, with code sponsors ranging from home builders to motor services and healthcare trades.
CTSI Symposium to return in 2021
Posted: 12 April 2021
UPDATES: CTSI Symposium is set to return as a face-to-face event in Birmingham in September 2021, following the previous year's online-only format during COVID-19 restrictions.
CTSI appoints new President
Posted: 12 April 2021
UPDATES: Lord Jamie Lindsay has been appointed CTSI President, bringing experience from UKAS, the House of Lords and senior public and private roles as the Institute looks beyond the pandemic and post-Brexit transition.
Fund opens to tackle loan sharks
Posted: 09 April 2021
UPDATES: Community organisations and charities can apply for grants of up to £5,000 from money seized from convicted loan sharks, with funding aimed at awareness work, victim support and local crime reduction projects.
Public warned of NI phone scam
Posted: 09 April 2021
UPDATES: CTSI is warning the public about an automated National Insurance scam that threatens legal trouble and asks recipients to press 1, exposing them to identity theft and wider financial risk.
Sniffing out criminal activity
Posted: 08 April 2021
ANALYSIS: Wagtail's detection dogs have become a powerful asset for trading standards teams, uncovering huge quantities of illicit tobacco, cash and other contraband while highlighting the training, welfare and specialist handling behind successful enforcement work.
New banking scams emerge
Posted: 29 March 2021
UPDATES: Fraudsters are sending bank security texts that mimic major high street names and ask consumers to confirm payments through malicious links, prompting CTSI to urge direct checks with banks and reports to 7726.
ACG campaign takes on online fakers
Posted: 28 March 2021
UPDATES: Operation CLOVER brings together the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, the Intellectual Property Office and Facebook to target online sellers of fake goods as lockdown-driven shopping patterns create fresh opportunities for counterfeiters.
Rogue jailed for overpriced work
Posted: 28 March 2021
UPDATES: A South West rogue trader has been jailed after targeting elderly and vulnerable victims with unnecessary, sub-standard and grossly overpriced home maintenance work, with losses across eight cases exceeding £100,000.
West Yorkshire TS seizes illicit tobacco
Posted: 17 March 2021
UPDATES: West Yorkshire Trading Standards and partners have seized 90,000 illicit cigarettes, 26.5kg of illegal hand-rolling tobacco and suspected proceeds of crime after raids uncovered concealed stock and organised sales methods.
LTS raises red flag on undelivered mail
Posted: 16 March 2021
UPDATES: London Trading Standards has warned that some companies using mail forwarding services may be unlawfully preventing consumer correspondence from reaching them, prompting nationwide engagement with the sector to safeguard complaints handling and legal compliance.
Bogus Royal Mail text sent to public
Posted: 11 March 2021
UPDATES: CTSI has warned consumers about a convincing SMS scam impersonating Royal Mail to collect payment and personal details. The fraud exploits the growth in online shopping and parcel deliveries, underlining the need for vigilance against increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks.
CTSI announces new Chief Executive
Posted: 04 March 2021
UPDATES: CTSI has appointed John Herriman as its new Chief Executive. Bringing leadership experience from the military, education and membership sectors, he sets out his ambition to strengthen the Institute and support the profession through the challenges of COVID-19 and Brexit.
Evidence gathering for a 'copycat' action
Posted: 03 March 2021
ANALYSIS: Misleading 'copycat' packaging can distort consumer choice even without counterfeiting. Examining the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, this article explores how trading standards can gather evidence to demonstrate mistaken purchases, mistaken attribution and breaches of consumer law.
Deli owner admits tobacco fraud
Posted: 02 March 2021
UPDATES: An Oxfordshire delicatessen owner has been jailed after admitting a long-running illegal tobacco fraud involving counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes. The case demonstrates the value of coordinated investigations, expert evidence and proceeds of crime action against organised offenders.
Pub fined for diluting drinks
Posted: 01 March 2021
UPDATES: A Cheshire village pub and its manager were fined after admitting offences involving watered-down spirits. The case reinforces consumers' right to receive products at the advertised strength while illustrating how routine regulatory checks can uncover breaches of trading standards law.
