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Trading Standards at Due Diligence Solutions
Our Trading Standards Team has vast experience of all aspects of Trading Law. Our team has experience of enforcing the law in local authorities as well as experience working with retailers, ensuring compliance from within major blue chip retailers. We also have vast experience as consultants to industry.
At Due Diligence Solutions, we can work with you to develop cost effective and practical answers to enable you to meet all your trading law diligence requirements, so there will be no need to worry about what the inspector will find on his next visit.
If we can help you in any of the following areas, or maybe there is an area we haven't mentioned, then please use our e-mail form to contact us, or give us a call on 0844 372 7300.
Our solutions cover...
Systems and Procedures
Most of today's trading law controls contain the protection of a due diligence defence.
To benefit from this defence in the event of a challenge, your systems and procedures must be able to demonstrate that you have taken all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence. Whatever your business, we can provide you with a totally compliant diligence solution, to help ensure you never find yourself being challenged by a Trading Standards Officer or other Government Official.
Age Related Sales
We have a proven track record of helping clients deal with challenges from Enforcement Authorities and the Police, in relation to all manner of age related test purchases; from alcohol and cigarettes in convenience stores and supermarkets, to knives and fireworks in hardware stores and even underage purchases of petrol at filling stations. Any of these legal challenges can result in extreme consequences that can, for example, lead to loss of liquor licence for underage alcohol sales, or prosecution and a criminal record for other sales.
We can help ensure your systems and procedures offer the best possible protection to both your business and your customers, and if you do still run into trouble we can help you resist any legal challenges, by obtaining the evidence and responding to the authorities, without involving a Solicitor! More than 9 out of 10 challenges that we deal with, get dropped before they get to court.
Alcohol Licensing
Personal and Premises Licences are a legal requirement for any business involved in alcohol retailing. Great care needs to be taken to protect these licences and this is best done by taking appropriate steps to ensure legal challenges do not arise.
We are a BIIAB registered training centre and are authorised by the BIIAB to provide National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders and Responsible Alcohol Retailing training.
We can conduct a thorough on-site review of controls and develop bespoke controls to exactly suit your businesses operational requirements. Having trained and implemented the controls to your teams, we can arrange unannounced test purchasing to check the operation of those systems.
Pricing, Descriptions and Marketing
With the introduction of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, pricing matters are now potentially a lot more complicated and more difficult to comply with. We can lead you through the new maze of controls to find a robust answer, enabling you to follow your preferred pricing strategy and use your favourite marketing mechanic.
Advertising, Promotions and Competitions
We specialise in all types of media advertising; press, TV and internet. It's easy to get swept away with an idea that can take you into territory best avoided; the Hoover Flights promotion is still talked about today, some 15 years after it went so badly wrong.
Whether you want detailed sign-off of individual copy, or advice on development of national campaigns, we can provide all the support you need and if you have the misfortune to be challenged by the Advertising Standards Authority we can gather the evidence and prepare your response. Specific rules apply to competitions, prize draws and similar promotions and we can help you ensure that all those requirements are met.
We can also provide bespoke training for marketeers and buyers, to ensure they have the knowledge and the tools to get your copy right first time.
Enforcement Challenges
Did you know that there are something like 45 separate enforcement bodies that are liable to visit, or challenge, retailers operations? These cover widely varying areas of operation, such as; Camelot, Customs & Excise, Defra, Environment Agency, Environmental Health Officers, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Pesticides Safety Directorate, Petroleum Officers, Rural Payments Agency, Trading Standards Officers and Video Standards Council.
If the inspector calls and you need help, we are there and able to assist.
New Product Development
Development of food and non-food products, require specialist skills to ensure all aspects of design meet current legislative requirements for composition and safety. Product specifications need to provide detailed and documented assurance of compliance. From toys, to treacle tarts, we have the skills to make sure your product development meets all the legal and industry standards and that your specifications stand up to the closest scrutiny.
Training
Training is crucial in any organisation and at Due Diligence Solutions we have the expertise to call on, to ensure only the best training possible is available to your teams. We have a number of off the shelf packages but can tailor cost effective training solutions which we can deliver at our own regional training centre, or at your place of work.
Audit
Once you have your systems and procedures in place you will want to make sure they are being properly followed and a diligent audit process will achieve this. We can put together an audit package to meet and measure the specific needs of your organisation.
If we can help you in any of these areas, or maybe there is an area we haven't mentioned, then please use our e-mail form to contact us, or give use a call on 0844 372 7300.