Oldham Council

Welcome to the Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council Trading Standards and Licensing Home Page

Consumer Direct
9th May 2008

Switch on the TV most nights and you’ll probably come across one of those programmes featuring bogus builders, poor plumbers, or reckless roofers. So, when you’ve parted with your hard earned cash and not got the service you expected, it’d be good to know there was somewhere to turn. And that’s where Consumer Direct can help.

“Consumer Direct is the government-funded telephone and online service which offers information and advice on consumer issues. The Consumer Direct service is managed by the Office of Fair Trading and delivered in partnership with local authority Trading Standards Services.”

If you contact us by telephone or e-mail, Consumer Direct can:

Provide pre-shopping advice before you buy goods or services.
Explain your consumer rights.
Advise you if you have a problem or disagreement with a trader.
Help you make a complaint about a trader that you believe has done something wrong (although we will not complain on your behalf).
Provide general advice on how to avoid unscrupulous traders or "cowboys".
Explain consumer-related issues such as warranties, buying on credit, internet shopping, refunds and replacements etc.
Provide advice on avoiding trading scams and rip-offs.
Direct you to a regulator or other organisation if it is better suited to assist you.
Refer your case to your local authority Trading Standards Services or similar agency if they are better suited to assist you.

Council Names Top Private Hire Firm
5th November 2007

Oldham Council's Licensing Service has named County Cars Of Waterside Mill, Chew Valley Road, Greenfield as the company that operates the safest fleet of vehicles and employs the safest drivers. Please click on the link to view the league table.

For the last year data was collated on;
prosecutions against drivers,
results of vehicle spot checks,
cautions and warnings,
complaints and inspections.

The data was then weighted against the size of the operator's fleet.

The league table will be updated every 6 months and will be available online, at local libraries and the one stop shop.

Young People Survey 2007
6th December 2007

Please click on the link to view the outcome of the 2007 Smoking Survey Of Young People.

Please click on the link to view the outcome of the 2007 Alcohol Survey Of Young People.

Tobacco Sales- Change of Age From the 1st October 2007
18th September 2007

The sale of tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 years will be illegal in England and Wales from the 1st October 2007. Products affected by the new legislation include cigarettes, cigars, loose rolling tobacco and rolling papers.

For More information please click on the link to view the tobacco age change website.

There are 4 sections on the home page of this website with valuable and useful information. Direct links to the sections are provided below;

The Law: What You Need To Know

Why The Law Is Changing

What It Means For You

Downloads and Resources. The booklets and practical guides within the Guidance section are available in 7 languages (English, Arabic, Bengali, Classical Chinese, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu).

Also available is a brochure for leisure and hospitality outlets. Please click here to download.

Consumer Satisfaction Survey
20th July 2007

The Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire is available for completion online. Please click on the link below. The questionnaire is available in a variety of alternative formats (such as large print, community languages etc) where appropriate on request please contact 0161 770 3470.

Link to Consumer Satisfaction Survey

Licensing- Gambling Act 2005
30th April 2007

Please find attached a notice from the Executive Director for Environmental Services concerning the Council's forthcoming decision to set fees and charges for the new Gambling Act.

Gambling Act 2005- Fees and Charges

Use by/ Best Before Dates- what's the difference
26th February 2007

Below is some guidance and information relating to Food labelling, use-by and best before dates.

Fact Sheet on the Difference Between Use-by and Best Before Dates

Food Safety Labels Leaflet

Please click on the links below for guidance notes relating to food labelling on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website.

Use by Date Guidance Notes

Food Labelling Regulations 1996 Guidance Notes

If you would like to complain about a product that has been sold past its Use-by Date please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

New Deal For Communities
19th February 2007

At a recent Safer and Stronger Communities Steering Group meeting a presentation was held on the Package of Measures put in place by Trading Standards and Licensing, in partnership with the Hathershaw and Fitton Hill NDC.

Please click here to view this presentation.

tradeSafe Scheme Launch Trade Safe logo
5th December 2006

The tradeSafe scheme was officially launched in Oldham on the 5th December 2006. This scheme forms part of the Responsible Trader Schemes that the Oldham Trading Standards and Licensing Service promotes.

The scheme is open to traders who provide a Service to consumers at their own homes (e.g. plumbers, gardeners) and membership is free. There are currently 13 traders signed up to the scheme.

Members must sign up to and adhere to one of the scheme's Codes of Practice, which operates at 2 levels, a silver standard and a gold standard. They will them be able to promote their membership by displaying the official tradeSafe logo at their premises and on their vehicles and documentation.

One of the goals of the scheme is to produce a directory of scheme members, which can be issued to older adults as list of "recommended traders".

For more information on this scheme and /or an application form please contact 0161 770 3470. Alternatively you can download an application form using the links provided in the 'Promoting a Safer Oldham' section below.

Promoting a Safer Oldham
5th December 2006

Oldham Trading Standards and Licensing Service is committed to the promotion of fair and honest trading by local businesses. To this end the Service has launched a number of responsible trader schemes within the borough.

The Schemes aim to support traders who seek to comply with both the letter and spirit of the law, those who maintain good management practices and those who have a clear customer focus.

Scheme	Silver Standard Forms	Gold Standard Forms
	cabSafe Silver Standard Application Form	cabSafe Gold Standard Application Form To Follow
	pubSafe Silver Standard Application Form To Follow	pubSafe Gold Standard Application Form To Follow
	shopSafe Silver Standard Application Form To Follow	shopSafe Gold Standard Application Form To Follow
	tradeSafe Silver Standard Application Form	tradeSafe Gold Standard Application Form

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