Flintshire County Council

Trading standards

Trading Standards is a service for all Flintshire businesses and consumers and is part of the Public Protection Division within the Environment Directorate based at County Hall, Mold.

The Trading Standards Service promotes fair, safe and honest trading practices in Flintshire. We have a statutory duty to enforce a wide range of consumer laws and to provide help and advice to businesses and consumers.

The Trading Standards service:

• Investigates complaints of alleged unfair trading and takes enforcement action against offenders and rogue traders;
• Provides consumer advice and assistance;
• Enforces Trading Standards legislation by carrying out a programme of enforcement activity;
• Provides advice and assistance for Flintshire business on Trading Standards issues;
• Ensures product and road safety and safe storage of petrol and explosives;
• Ensures high standards of animal health and welfare.

The range of Trading Standards issues includes the following:

• Consumer credit – ensuring traders are duly licensed to operate credit businesses, misleading credit advertisements etc.
• Food law enforcement involving the labelling, composition, nutrition of food and animal feeding stuffs;
• Prices - including ensuring law complied with in relation to the display of prices and dealing with misleading price indications;
• Product safety – ensuring products meet the required safety standards;
• Trade descriptions – ensuring law is complied with regarding false statements about goods and services such as holidays, cars etc.
• Underage sales of such things as alcohol from off-licenses, cigarettes, knives, solvent products etc.
• Weights and measures involving the testing and inspection of a range of weighing and measuring equipment;
• Animal health and welfare – ensuring law complied with in relation to the movement of animals and the prevention of certain animal health diseases;
• The licensing and safe storage of petrol, explosives, fireworks and poisons;
• Counterfeiting – enforcement of legislation to prevent the sale of such products;
• Scams – including unsolicited communications.

New Enforcement Policy

Flintshire County Council's Public Protection Service has produced its latest Enforcement Policy (PDF.doc 110KB new window) which outlines its approach to regulation and enforcement.  The Policy reflects the latest guidance and best practice on regulation and enforcement and has been broadly adopted by neighbouring authorities in North Wales.

Information in this area

Advice for consumers

This page provides information on what to do if you wish to complain about unsatisfactory goods and services. It also explains the roles of Consumer Direct and Trading Standards.

Animal health and welfare

Flintshire Trading Standards have a duty to ensure that high standards of animal health and welfare are maintained for farm animals throughout the county.

Bogus charity clothing collections

There are many commercial companies who purport to collect clothes for distribution amongst charitable organisations when they are in fact sold for profit. The following information gives advice on this subject.

Business advice - trading standards

The Trading Standards Service is able to advise you and your business on all aspects of Trading Standards legislation. This is a free service where trained officers will provide advice and guidance to all Flintshire traders to help them comply with the legislation we enforce.

Consumer education

Consumer Education is an important part of the work of the Trading Standards Service.

Do you know your consumer rights?

A reminder of your legal rights when buying goods and services

Doorstep crime

Advice on preventing doorstep crime, your rights and how to report an incident.

Food labelling and ingredients

Trading Standards together with colleagues in Environmental Health are responsible for ensuring compliance by all food premises with the Food Safety Act. Food premises includes bakers, butchers, and other food shops on the high street, supermarkets, farm shops, manufacturers, cafe's, restaurants and pubs and hotels.

Legislation - trading standards

This page gives a full list of the legislation that Trading Standards enforce.

Motor trade buy with confidence scheme

Flintshire County Council have introduced the Buy With Confidence Scheme as part of a nationally recognised approved trader scheme to improve consumer confidence in the motor trade when buying cars and ensure that motor trade businesses comply with trading standards legislation.

Product safety

All consumer products placed in the market place must be safe and conform either to specific European or national safety standards for the type of goods that they are or general product safety legislation if there is no specific standard.

Scams - avoid or report them

Links to advice on protecting yourself and your loved ones and information on how to report scams are provided on this page.

Toy safety

All consumer products placed in the market place must be safe and conform either to specific European or national safety standards for the type of goods that they are or general product safety legislation if there is no specific standard.

Underage sales

Flintshire Trading Standards have a duty to enforce legislation which protects children and young persons from harmful and damaging products such as alcohol, cigarettes, fireworks and solvents; by prohibiting the sale of these products to persons younger than certain minimum ages.

Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit

If you are a loan shark victim, or think there may be a loan shark operating in your area, contact the Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit on the 24 hour Hotline.