Southampton City Council Trading Standards Service

This page includes information on:

Speak Out
About Us
Satisfied with our service?
Contacting Us

Operational information
Animal Health and Welfare

Service Equality Statement

Speak Out

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About Us

Trading Standards For Consumers

We provide consumer advice and information to the residents of Southampton. We may also provide information to residents of other areas if the trader concerned is in Southampton.

We work closely with Consumer Direct, which is a regionally based advice service. If you require advice you can contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.

If your enquiry is complex it will be passed to us by Consumer Direct and we may need to see documents such as invoices and credit agreements. We will ask you to send these in by post or to make an appointment to visit.

If you visit the Gateway we will provide brief advice and if you need to talk with an advisor we will try to make an appointment as soon as possible.

You can also email enquiries to us.

Buy With Confidence

This is a partnership between Trading Standards and businesses

It provides Businesses With

● Independent recognition of good business practice
● Proof of membership with a certificate and right to use logo
● Membership listed on website

It Provides Consumers With

● An assurance that member businesses have been audited by Trading Standards
● A list of businesses committed to trading fairly

However we cannot say that there will not be any problems but if difficulties occur then the business has agreed to treat the matter fairly

Trading Standards for Businesses

We can provide you with the information you require to ensure that your business complies with the laws we enforce. We will also assist you in creating and maintaining procedures to ensure ongoing compliance.

We recognise good business practice through the Buy with Confidence business partnership.

We operate a planned inspection programme and visit businesses within Southampton on a risk-assessed basis. Businesses are not pre-warned of our inspections, however we will identify ourselves and inform you of our actions.

Where offences have been committed we will act in accordance with our Enforcement Policy; copies are available from our officers.

We can also provide you with advice on consumer's rights and what your liabilities might be.

Age-restricted Sales and Rogue Traders

These are two important areas that affect the well being of Southampton's residents.

Certain products including cigarettes, alcohol, fireworks and spray paints cannot be sold to persons under specified ages. We operate a programme of enforcement and provide point of sale material to businesses.

By rogue traders we mean those businesses that set out to avoid their legal responsibilities or act in a way that harms consumers.

We have an ongoing project aimed at doorstep traders that provides support and information for consumers. We will also enforce relevant legislation, taking legal action where necessary.

Our aim is to provide a safe and secure trading environment for all.

Satisfied with our Service?

We welcome your comments on our Service. Please let us know if you have been
happy with the service you have received or if you have any suggestions in which
we can improve our service provision. You may have some suggestions for the content
of our Web Pages?

Contacting Us

Trading Standards Service
Environmental Health & Consumer Protection Division
Civic Centre
Southampton
SO14 7NP

Fax No: 02380 832656

Business Advice/Buy With Confidence/Protecting the Vulnerable: 02380 83399

If you wish to send a message via e-mail please click on the send a message
button at the bottom of this page

Animal Health and Welfare

Animal Health and Welfare within Southampton city Council is currently dealt with by
Hampshire County Council Trading Standards Service. For more details please visit
http://www.hants.gov.uk/regulatory/tradesta/
However, there are a number of guidance notes and leaflets available on this
site, please click here for details - guidance notes

Service Equality Statement

Southampton is a City rich in the diversity of its population. However, people from socially excluded groups experience discrimination because of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, low incomes and other factors. This Service is committed to working to achieve equality of opportunity for all our customers.

In achieving this, the Head of Division will produce action plans, which will ensure that:-

All staff take positive action directed at eliminating discrimination in service delivery and ensuring the provision of culturally sensitive, appropriate and equally accessible services
All staff implement the Council's harassment procedures
Services to socially excluded groups are of the same quality as generic services
Promotion of equality of opportunity is present in all employment practices, in line with Council policies
All staff have the opportunity to access adequate and appropriate training on social exclusion issues
Robust mechanisms are in place which record, review and monitor all service delivery and employment policies, results and performance to ensure effectiveness
All Best Value service reviews ensure service users from socially excluded groups are included in the review process and social cohesion data is included in assessing gaps in provision
Particular consideration is given to the promotion of its services and its image so that the diversity of the local population is properly reflected in all materials
Encouragement is given to other providers of services
Representation of socially excluded groups is improved in the design and delivery of services
Funding opportunities for socially excluded groups are explored proactively
We will use the CRE's Standards (Racial Equality means Quality) as the template and extend it to achieving equality of outcomes for all sections of the population.

Southampton City Council, Trading Standards Service, Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LY
Consumer Direct: 08454 040506 Business Advice/Buy With Confidence/Protecting the Vulnerable 02380 833999 Fax: (023) 8083 2656
Internet World Wide Web http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/southampton/
Electronic Mail: trading.standards@southampton.gov.uk