Trading standards
Liverpool City Council's Trading Standards service enforces many consumer laws to encourage fair, safe and honest trading.
If you live within Liverpool or operate a business in the area you can contact us for advice and guidance. Consumers can download advice leaflets or consumer advice packs free of charge. Businesses can download trade advice leaflets free of charge.
The area of trade that we deal with include:
Weights and Measures.
Ensuring that scales, petrol pumps and other weighing or measuring equipment is accurate, and that consumers receive the correct weight or measure when buying goods.
Product Safety.
Making sure that consumer goods, such as toys and electrical equipment, are safe and will not cause injury to users.
Age-Restricted Products.
Stopping the sale of cigarettes, fireworks, alcohol and videos to children too young to buy them.
Food Labelling.
Quality and Composition. Ensuring that food is properly labelled and is not sold past its "use by" date; making sure that food meets nutritional standards and is not adulterated.
Trade Descriptions.
Checking that any statement made by traders about goods and services is correct.
Counterfeit and pirated products.
Protecting consumers and honest traders against traders who make and sell illegal copies of branded goods.
Fair Trading.
Ensuring that traders act legally and fairly in their dealings with consumers across a wide range of legislation.
Consumer Credit.
Checking that traders who offer credit are licensed and act responsibly when dealing with lenders, credit adverts don't mislead, and lenders get full and accurate information about loan agreements.
Unroadworthy and overloaded vehicles.
Testing vehicles for sale to make sure they are safe to use on the road and that goods vehicles are not overloaded when being driven.