About Us

This page includes information on:

Contacting Us

By Post

Lancashire County Council
Trading Standards Service
58-60 Guildhall Street
PRESTON
Lancashire
PR1 3NU

By Telephone

By Email: feedback@lancashire.gov.uk

Via Consumer Direct if you wish to make a complaint about a Lancashire Trader. This link takes you to the online complaint pages.

Via this Site: Click here to make a general complaint or enquiry.

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About Us

We enforce legislation controlling the quantity, quality, price, description, and safety of most goods and services.  Other duties also include animal health, petroleum and explosives enforcement and licensing activities e.g. fireworks/explosives, petroleum, poisons, animal movements.

To ensure compliance, we investigate complaints, undertake visits to businesses, advise traders and consumers, and sample, test and survey goods and services.

All enquiries are recorded and evaluated.  Appropriate complaints may be dealt with immediately, be referred for a later inspection, or the information used to assess trading patterns or malpractices, or for campaigns to improve consumer laws.

Planned or complaint follow-up visits are undertaken to business premises, shops, livestock markets etc., to ensure compliance with the laws we enforce.  Goods, foods and services may be 'test purchased' or sampled to ensure their conformity.  Business activities will be regularly monitored, e.g. sales of fireworks/cigarettes to children, counterfeit sales/production etc.

We support the Enforcement Concordat by stating our policies and seeking to be open, helpful and consistent in our enforcement activities.  Any trader concerned about our actions is entitled to a clear explanation.  We consider investigation and prosecution of offences in accordance with our enforcement policy, which has regard to the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the Enforcement Concordat.

Help to Consumers

In partnership with Consumer Direct North West, we provide free advice and assistance to consumers experiencing difficulties with goods and services.  Consumer Civil Laws set out consumer rights of redress in respect of the quality of goods and services.  We cannot enforce these laws, but we will provide advice and assistance in the pursuit of justifiable claims including, where appropriate, mediation with traders, assistance in the preparation and presentation of claims in the County Courts and compensation in Magistrates Courts.

See our Advice Policy

Help to Businesses

All businesses within Lancashire County are encouraged to consult the us if they require advice on compliance with Trading Standards legislation.  The Home Authority Principle is endorsed by all Trading Standards services and assists honest traders to understand and comply with the law.  We publish advice leaflets to assist in compliance and understanding.

We provide a testing and calibration hire service for weighing and measuring equipment.

See our Calibration and Hire Information

Satisfied with our Service?

If you are not satisfied with any aspect of the service, you can speak to, or write to an appropriate Service Manager, and if you remain dissatisfied, then the Chief Trading Standards Officer will respond.  We operate within the County Council's formal complaints procedure which may allow wider consideration of appropriate complaints.

We will acknowledge any complaint about our service within three days and where appropriate, provide a written reply within fifteen days.

More Information..

Speak Out

Please tell us your views on our services. Complete our confidential response form.

Want to Know More?

Numerous free advice and information leaflets and booklets are available for Lancashire consumers, traders, schools, and community and business organisations.  These leaflets are available at our office, County Information Centres or online.

We regularly provide talks and exhibitions around the County, or for specific interest groups.  In addition, we have a mobile display unit which tours the County offering various themed exhibitions and consumer advice.

Plans and Policies

• Consumer Advice Policy gives details of the help consumers can expect from us.
• Home Authority Principle has been developed by food and trading standards authorities as an aid to good enforcement practice.
• Enforcement Policy sets out what business and others being regulated can expect from Enforcement Officers.
• Trading Standards Service Business Plan 2008-9
  

Lancashire County Council Trading Standards, 58-60 Guildhall Street, Preston, Lancashire PR1 3NU.
Telephone: 0845 600 1352 or (01772) 533573   Fax: (01772) 533591   Electronic Mail: feedback@lancashire.gov.uk