- This topic has 40 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 22 years, 2 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Hampshire County Council Trading Standards Department run a scheme called “Buy With Confidence” which is a trading standard businesses can register there conformity. It has been running many months and so far many and varied businesses have joined. Details can be found by visiting their web site:-
http://www.hants.gov.uk/regulatory/bwc/bwcind.html
I have applied to join this scheme and will let you have further details when I get them.
Martin
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
Looks like a good idea. My first thoughts though are that if this takes off, it’s maybe the end for DASA or general trade associations promoting quality unless they can offer much more. Traders joining this free scheme seem likely to get more kudos, publicity and potential extra work than being a DASA member.
Speaking of which, is anyone in charge of the DASA web site? I’ve emailed the site twice now to report 2 broken links on their members page and other errors. Despite taking the time to report on several errors I’ve never once even had a reply. The errors are still there. It’s possibly 4 or 5 months since the first email, and about a month since the second one. This is pretty poor indeed for any web site. Has it just been put up and abandoned?
I suppose the question is, is it just me they are ignoring, or is no one seeing any emails from consumers or potential members either.
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
It is a good way for businesses to show that they conform to certain standards and are duly accountable for their business practices by being registered.
It costs £100 per year to join. Restricted only to businesses based in Hampshire but I am told the scheme will eventually become nationwide.
Martin
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
I met one of the officers from Trading Standards and officially applied to join. Now they carry out a Criminal Records Check as the first stage to registering.
Will keep you posted!
Martin
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
.
The majority go straight to them to complain against bad trading practices or whatever.
Martin this is where you may get asked to help compile a report for them, assuming there are not to many of our trade on their approved list in your area.
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
There are quite a few in our trade. (Visit the site and look under Electrical)
http://www.hants.gov.uk/regulatory/bwc/bwcind.html
Martin
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
Martin wrote:I will keep you posted !
Please do ! This is a very interesting topic, sadly our local TS don’t operate such a sceme at the moment, but perhaps they are aware of it and Martin’s area is the “Guinea Pig”.
Dave.
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
Well my application to join is dragging on a bit but Trading Standards did warn the searches take up to 6 weeks or so! Funny part is that a government outfit in Scotland does all the searching. They have a website that shows the ‘on-line’ application form:-
http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk
I sent my application off early last month (Feb) so I should get their report back very soon. What I do know so far is that they must have received my application safely as they have cashed my cheque!
Martin
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
5:45pm (18/03/04) Just got a phone call from the Trading Standards Officer to say that so far I got glowing reports from those customers of mine he chose from my files and contacted at random for feed-back. My application looking good his end “What news from the CRB Check?” he asked.
“Sorry I said, all I know at this stage is that they have cashed my cheque!”
Good he said, we should get their report any day now in that case!
So far my application is moving faster for me than it ever did when I applied to join DASA and I earnestly believe, will have greater benefits!!
MartinRe: Local Trading Standards Authority
Just got my CRB Disclosure Certificate back at last. Boy those guys in Scotland work at a slow pace don’t they, almost 7 weeks now! Ah well at least I can confirm to the Trading Standards that I am not a criminal with no convictions, repremands, warnings, cautions or other relevant info they need to know to register me as another one of the good guys.
I now need to send the original certificate to the Hampshire Trading Standards HQ in Winchester. They have contacted many of my previous customers (at random) and they (my customers that is) apparently have given me ‘glowing reports’ in my favour. So it’s just a pen pushing exercise now to allow me to proudly display their Trading Standards Logo on my adverts, website etc.
Will keep you posted!
MartinRe: Local Trading Standards Authority
Martin
almost 7 weeks now
Your lucky mine took 3 months last year.
I now need to send the original certificate to the Hampshire Trading Standards .
You should’nt have to as they raised the’CRB’ request they will recieve a copy plus findings.
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
Tinhips wrote:You should’nt have to as they raised the’CRB’ request they will recieve a copy plus findings.
Well in my case I raised the CRB request at their request, and that once I receive it I pass the original for them to inspect, they then copy it and return it to me.
What county are you in then Tinhips? as I was unaware other counties Trading Standards ran such a scheme other than Hampshire. I would like to think that all regions would soon implement such a scheme though in the not too distant.
Martin
Re: Local Trading Standards Authority
I have just discovered that Bedfordshire run a scheme for Domestic Appliances Repairers……any more authorities I wonder???
http://www.bedfordshire.gov.uk/ts
MartinRe: Local Trading Standards Authority
I just checked the Devon County Council Trading Standards website and they are now doing a scheme called “Customer First”.
http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/business/ … rfirst.htm
It’s free and I just applied 🙂
Dave.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.