Trading Standards Update - 02/07/2012

02/07/2012 European City Guide Warning


Warwickshire businesses are warned to beware of letters and phone calls from the European City Guide.


Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service has received complaints from Warwickshire businesses that believed they were either agreeing to take a free entry or updating existing information in this directory.


However, having either agreed over the phone or returned a form, each business then received a demand for over £3000.


Further demand letters and threats of court action follow if payment is not made.


However, Warwickshire Trading Standards is unaware of any instances where this has gone beyond threats to actual court action.


The activities of this Spanish based business have already been highlighted by a number of UK and EU institutions and action has been taken against them to disrupt their activities.


Warwickshire Trading Standards advises businesses not respond to any telephone calls or letters from the European City Guide.


02/07/2012 Aggressive Selling of ‘Health Giving’ Pots and Pans


Consumers are warned to beware of door to door sales people offering ‘free’ cooking demonstrations. 


Dressed as cooks, the sales people offer to prepare food for the consumer as a way to get a ‘foot in the door’ before high pressure sales techniques are used to sell householders pots and pans for hundreds of pounds.


Sales people claim they are ‘not selling anything’ before going into a pre-prepared sales pitch to claim that their pots and pans cook food in a ‘healthier’ way than other pots and pans.


Trading Standards urges householders to think twice before inviting sales people in to their homes. Consumers are reminded that if they buy goods in their home for over £35, they have 7 days in which to cancel the contract, which they must do in writing.
The email alert system is a quick, simple and cost effective means by which Warwickshire Trading Standards can alert interested individuals, community organisations, businesses, charities and others to the latest Trading Standards issues/scams etc.

Please feel free to cascade this information to whom ever you feel appropriate (including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.). 

If you have any information you wish to provide to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, either for our information, or to appear in future email alerts, please email me.

Simon Cripwell
Senior Information OfficerTrading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
tel. 01926 414039
mob. 07771 975570
email. simoncripwell@warwickshire.gov.uk
web. www.warwickshire.gov.uk
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday