Consumer Advice
Who can we help?
Like all local authority services, we have limited resources. We will, therefore, only provide advice and assistance on problems relating to faulty goods and services to residents and businesses in the City of Liverpool area.
If you live in a different local authority area, you will need to contact your own Trading Standards Department for advice or assistance. You can find your local service by visiting Trading Standards Central
Who we are and what we do
Telephone advice, which forms the bulk of our requests for consumer advice, is currently provided by our Front Office team of advisers who are based in Liverpool Direct Contact Centre. They can be contacted on 0151 233 3002.
This Advice Team consists of 4 specialist consumer advisers who were transferred into Liverpool Direct Contact Centre, in October 2003, as part of an ongoing business transformation process conducted by Liverpool City Council.
The Front Office team deals with approximately 1500 telephone calls each month, and provides basic consumer advice to those callers to help them resolve their problems. If that advice fails to resolve the matter, they escalate the case to our Back Office team for attention/casework.
The Back Office team, which is known as the Consumer Advice & Education Team is managed by Don Smith. They deal with personal callers requiring advice and assistance, by appointment only, at the City Centre One Stop Shop within Municipal Buildings, Dale Street, Liverpool. They also deal with e mail, letter and fax requests for consumer advice and assistance.
They receive Complaint referrals (escalated matters) on a daily basis from the Front Office team in Liverpool Direct and from the regional based Consumer Direct Contact Centre. These referrals request the intervention/assistance of the Back Office team, and result in casework.
Due to the nature of the work in Trading Standards, the Consumer Advice & Education team also assist the Enforcement staff in doorstep crime, Enterprise Act, anti-counterfeiting, and age restricted matters
In addition, the Consumer Advice & Education Team carry out a comprehensive Rights for Life education programme to over 30 senior schools in Liverpool. This programme is now an integral part of the school curriculum, and has been for several years, as there is a requirement on schools to provide education on consumer rights. It is usually covered by the schools citizenship programme. On average, over 140 lessons to 5000+ pupils are carried out each school year.
Educational presentations to community groups, colleges and retail outlets are also carried out.