Trade guide to the scheme

Benefits|

Membership Fees|

Approval Procedure|

Appeals Procedure|

Sanctions Procedure|

Contact Us|

 Application Form to Join TSA| (PDF document opens in new window) 

Member Feedback Report| (new window)

Great benefits for businesses

• Independent recognition of your business standards.
• Potential for increased business with consumers encouraged to use local traders.
• TSA membership certificate for display and use of the scheme’s logo.
•  Pre-entry vetting to make sure your business meets the scheme’s high standards.
• Promotion of your company as a TSA business with your company name on the Trading Standards Approved list and on the County Council website with a hotlink to your company website.
•  Improved consumer confidence in your business or service.

TSA businesses will be able to establish a relationship with the Trading Standards Service based on co-operation rather than enforcement.  Member businesses will have a contact in the Trading Standards Service and you can obtain information on consumer civil law and legislation enforced by the Service.  In addition, we will assist you in staff training where resources permit.

Are there membership fees?

Businesses pay an annual subscription fee to join the scheme. We review these subscriptions each year.

For the current fee structure and any other information please contact the service.

Approval procedure

An application for approval must be made on the appropriate form or via the Internet.

1. The Trading Standards Service will acknowledge membership application requests
2. Assessments of applicants will in most cases involve an inspection of the business premises, procedures, documents and products.
3. Any business that does not meet the terms and conditions of the scheme will not be eligible to join it.
4. The Service may also carry out the following to assess the applicant's suitability to join the scheme:

• Require the production of customer details in order to seek references for the business.
• Carry out criminal record/County Court judgement checks
• Checks on your business’s legal compliance during an audit. 

6. The Service will give due consideration to any complaints/ enquiries made by consumers about you to the Service along with information gathered through the Services normal market surveillance operations.

Appeals procedure

1. Scope

This procedure will apply to appeals against a decision to refuse membership of, and revocation from the Trading Standards Approved (TSA) scheme.

2. Procedure
   1. Any decision to either refuse or revoke membership by the Trading Standards Service will be communicated in writing to the business concerned. Reasons for the decision will be given, along with information about how to appeal against it.
   2. A business may appeal against a decision to refuse or revoke membership to the Head of the Trading Standards Service.
   3. An appeal must be made in writing and received by the Trading Standards Service no later than 21 days from the date of postage of the letter refusing or revoking membership.
   4. Appeals are to be addressed to:

Carl Davies
Head of Trading Standards and Registration
County Hall
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP
 

5. Following the receipt of an appeal the Head of Trading Standards will review the decision to refuse or revoke membership.
6. The findings of the Head of Trading Standards will be confirmed in writing with reasons to the business within 21 days of receipt of the appeal.
7. If the appeal is unsuccessful a further appeal can be made to the Head of Legal Services whose decision is final.

Sanctions procedure

Sanctions for failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the Scheme:

Where a member fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the scheme we will investigate the non-compliance and then write to them.

The letter will identify the nature of the non-compliance and as appropriate what we will do and/or what we require the member to do.

Letters will fall into three categories advisory, warning or termination.

It is open to the member to follow the appeals procedure if they do not accept our findings.

Advisory letters

This will apply were non-compliance has not resulted in any customer detriment.

The letter will identify what corrective action the member must undertake and the date by which this should be completed.

Warning letters

This will apply where non-compliance has resulted in customer detriment but some action or offer has been made by the member to offset the detriment.

It will also apply when a previous advisory letter has been sent for the same non-compliance.

The letter will identify what corrective action the member must undertake and the date by which this should be completed.

Termination letters

This will apply where non-compliance has resulted in significant consumer detriment and no reasonable action or offer has been made to offset the detriment.

It will also apply when a previous letter of warning has been sent for the same non-compliance.

The letter will state that as a consequence the member will be removed from the scheme with immediate effect.

Definitions

Consumer detriment:  This includes inconvenience as well as financial loss resulting from the non-compliance

Getting the seal of approval - contact us

If you are interested in participating in the scheme or you have any queries, contact Trading Standards by:

Tel: 01234) 228897
Fax: (01234) 228255
Email: business@bedscc.gov.uk|

Bedfordshire County Council
Trading Standards Service
County Hall
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP