Consumer Advice
Business Advice
Animal Health Advice
Scams - how to protect yourself from scams and rip-offs
Community Legal Service
Consumer Support Networks

Consumer Advice

Please click here for details of how to contact us for consumer advice.

In the consumer advice section of our site there are over 50 Advice Leaflets that can be downloaded. Examples of the leaflets are:

• Buying Goods - contracts, statutory rights, unfair terms, Trade Descriptions Act and private sales
• Hiring Goods - Supply of Goods and Services Act and The Consumer Credit Act
• Your rights when buying on credit - types of credit and hire purchase
• Guarantees or warranties - what do they mean
• Shopping on the Internet - top ten tips
• The Price is Right! - advice on the pricing of goods
• Writing a letter of complaint - examples for different problems
• Is the trader right? - answers to questions we are often asked
• Thinking of suing in a County Court? - when every possible option has been tried
• Second-hand cars - consumer rights - advice on one of the most common questions
• Vehicle repairs and servicing - vehicle servicing is covered by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982

To see the full list of downloadable leaflets

In our Know your rights section, we also have over 100 frequently asked questions and the answers, on subjects such as cars, holidays, home improvements, eating out, financial services and distance buying.

We also have information on safety warnings and product recalls, food safety alerts, and a links page of contact details for other useful government, business and consumer related websites, telephone numbers and addresses.

Business Advice

Please click here for details of how to contact us for business advice.

Our business advice pages have information on, starting a new business, avoiding scams and useful contacts. We have over 100 business advice sheets which you can download and print. Examples of the leaflets are:

• Advice to restaurant owners and managers
• Meat Products Compositional Standards
• Selling safe toys
• Selling safe second-hand electrical goods
• Age Restricted Products
• Essential requirements on the composition and use of packaging
• Genetically Modified Foods - Commonly asked questions
• Disposal of Waste Food
• Electrical Equipment

To see the full list of downloadable leaflets

Animal Health and Welfare

Please click here for details of how to contact us for animal health and welfare advice.

Our animal health and welfare page has information on, animal movements, licensing and disease outbreaks. We have over 20 advice sheets which you can download and print, on subjects such as:

• Horse Passports (England) Regulations 2004
• Requirements for cattle identification
• Guidance notes on records and movement of sheep and goats
• Collection Centre Conditions
• Guidance for Farmers on the Keeping and Retention of Veterinary Medicine Records
• The Tuberculosis (England) Order 2006 - pre-movement testing of cattle
  

How to Protect Yourself from Scams and Rip Offs

One of the subjects we receive the most enquiries about, is unsolicited letters, faxes, emails and text messages. They offer a chance to invest in an exciting new money-making or investment scheme, a win in an unexpected prize draw or lottery, or asking for your bank account details.

Though the letters faxes or emails can seem very convincing and professionally produced, in our experience, promotions of this kind, however they are distributed, are a dishonest attempt to trap you into parting with your money. Our advice to any consumers or businesses is to steer well clear of any such schemes.
To see more detailed guidance on the scams we have the most complaints about

We have also produced information on how to deal with uninvited doorstep sellers. Click here to out more

We have been awarded the Community and Legal Service Quality Mark for "General Help With asework".
As part of its drive to increase justice for ordinary people, the Government has set up a Community Legal Service (CLS). The idea was for people to find help easily and feel confident in the quality of service they get from legal service providers.
The CLS aims to ensure that people can get information and help about their legal rights and understand how to enforce them in the right place and at the right time.
Click here to find out more

 

Consumer Support Networks

We are part of a Consumer Support Network which is a wide range of organisations working together to provide better services.  To be part of the network,
they must meet minimum quality standards.  So where you see the CSN badge displayed, you can be sure that the advice you get is reliable.
Click here to find out more

About us main page

Page last reviewed October 2007

Shropshire County Council Trading Standards Service
Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY2 6ND