Trading standards - advice to businesses

We provide Trading Standards advice and guidance to businesses in the Stirling Council and Clackmannanshire Council areas. Our officers can also provide talks or training sessions to businesses or other community groups.  

See a range of business advice topics here


More advice

Contracts concluded at the consumer's home

Example cancellation notice for traders' use

When most contracts worth over £35 are concluded at a consumer's home, or elsewhere away from the trader's premises, current legislation requires the trader to give the consumer a note of their cancellation rights and certain other information. This applies irrespective of whether contact with the consumer was by cold-calling or pre-arranged. There are limited exceptions

Here is an Example Cancellation Notice for trader's use to issue to customers.
 

Guidance for used car dealers - Office of Fair Trading

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has published guidance notes and a checklist for second-hand car dealers, which sets out a dealer's legal obligations to customers under consumer protection laws.

The guidance is intended to help dealers comply with two important pieces of legislation:

  • the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which ban unfair commercial practices towards consumers and
  • the Sale of Goods Act 1979, which governs dealers' legal obligations to consumers with regard to the quality, fitness and description of the vehicle and consumers’ rights to redress.

The OFT documents are for guidance, so you are not legally obliged to follow the advice contained in them. However, in the event of a dispute or legal proceedings, if you can demonstrate that you followed the guidance as part of your due diligence procedure then that could be significant in your defence.

The OFT documents are available on-line at the following links:


Business crime prevention

The Scottish Business Crime Centre is an organisation developed by the business community, the government and the police. The main function of the centre is to provide practical advice to the business and commercial sectors on how to develop crime reduction and prevention strategies.

Visit the Scottish Business Crime Centre