Consumer and Business Advice

Advice from Trading Standards, Citizens Advice Scotland, consumeradvice.scot, Police Scotland and relevant partners. Any advice here is provided for your conveniance, please follow the links for further information or clarification.

Consumer Advice

1. Reporting Traders to Trading Standards - Trusted Trader
Unless the trader is a vetted Trusted Trader Scheme member, you will need to report the problem via consumeradvice.scot, who will forward your information to the relevant Trading Standards department. read more

2. Car repairs and garage advice - Citizens Advice Scotland
Good advice if you think a garage has charged unfairly for a repair or service. Giving you an unrealistic estimate for work or carrying out work that you didn't ask for could be examples of an unfair commercial practice. read more

3. The Gas Safe Register
The Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas engineers who are registered to work safely and legally on boilers, cookers, fires and all other gas appliances. By law, all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register. read more

4. If a company stops trading or goes out of business
You might end up without the item you paid for or with unfinished work if a company or trader stops trading or goes out of business. There are several ways to try to get your money back or get the work done. read more

5. Protect yourself from doorstep crime and rogue traders
Doorstep criminals are cunning, creative, and convincing, and anyone can be fooled by them. Useful help, support and what to do if scammed. Links to Trading Standards, Police Scotland, Consumer Advice and Citizens Advice. read more

6. The new fire alarms standard - the law is changing
By February 2022 every home in Scotland must have interlinked fire alarms. Interlinked fire alarms talk to each other. When one goes off, they all go off so you will hear them. read more

7. Protect yourself from home energy scams
Have an impartial assessment carried out. This will tell you which energy efficiency measures will have the maximum impact and most benefit to your home. Ignore cold calls, be suspicious of grants. read more

Business Advice

1. Cancellation Rights - Edinburgh Trading Standards
The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 are a bit of a mouthful, but get the law wrong, not only will you have to refund the consumer, you may have a fine to pay as well. read more

2. Cyber security advice - protect yourself online
Online attacks can range from tricking you to downloading rogue applications, to ransom type demands or financial fraud. Review your security, five minutes now could save yourself lots of heartache, stress and damage later. read more

3. Business website and documentation compliance
The following information has been provided as a guide for our Trusted Trader members. This is what Trading Standards expect to see on members websites and business documentation, as a requirement of their Trusted Trader membership. read more