Trading Standards
Our aim is to promote a safe, fair & equitable trading environment for consumers and traders in Redcar & Cleveland helping protect the honest business and local consumers.
We will achieve this by means of appropriate and proportional advice, persuasion, education, publicity or by using the legal process through the courts if necessary.
We enforce a wide range of consumer protection legislation, focusing our attention on the issues causing the most problems to our local communities.
For Consumer Issues
We work in partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau who now provide the official, publicly funded consumer advice service for England, Scotland and Wales.
When something's gone wrong with a purchase, you need advice before you purchase goods, or you want to report an issue to Trading Standards, you must now contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service (unfortunately we are no longer able to deal with you directly). Citizens Advice will be able to advise you of your rights and will pass on all appropriate complaints/enquiries direct to us in Trading Standards. Contact them on 03454 04 05 06 to speak to an advisor or in writing
via their online consumer complaint form.
- shopping online
- getting a refund or repair
- packaged holidays
- problems when buying a car
- how take court action
- problems with builders
- scams
- product safety information
- all other consumer related enquiries
For Businesses in Redcar & Cleveland
If you require advice on Trading Standards Law, such as when to accept returns and giving refunds, making sure the products you sell are safe and labelled correctly, etc.
please visit GOV.UK to access the Governments one-stop website providing practical advice on all aspects of running or starting a new business. For more detailed advice on specific Trading Standards law
visit the government backed Business Companion website. If you are still unsure, or need specific advice regarding your business, please contact us via Citizens Advice.
No Cold Calling Home Scheme
Redcar and Cleveland Trading Standards set up a No Cold Calling Home project designed to reduce instances of doorstep crime. The scheme gives residents the choice as to whether or not they receive uninvited doorstep sales calls by displaying a door sticker.
The initiative is to deter rogue traders calling door to door selling goods and services and give residents the confidence to say no and send unwanted cold callers away from their property. For more information and to obtain a No Cold Calling Home pack,
please visit our Stop Cold Calling webpage.
Tobacco Project
Redcar and Cleveland Trading Standards are part of a Tobacco Alliance which is designed to reduce the number of people, particularly children and young people, from smoking.
For Trading Standards this means reducing the availability of illegal tobacco products, and age restricted goods including tobacco, alcohol and e-cigarettes from being offered for sale within the Borough. We take appropriate enforcement actions against illegal suppliers such as “tab houses” and retailers acting outside the confines of the law in either shops or on the internet.
For more information
please visit our Tobacco webpage, which includes a means for reporting any information anonymously to us, or for volunteering opportunities for 14-16 year olds to help us in conducting test purchase exercises
Trading Standards Enforcement Policy
Related links