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Guides › Faulty Goods and Refunds › What Is Trading Standards and What Can It Do?

What Is Trading Standards and What Can It Do?

Trading Standards is the local council service that enforces consumer law. You report problems to it through the Citizens Advice consumer service, and it can act on unsafe products, misleading sellers and unfair practices. It does not usually take up individual complaints to get your money back, so you still need to complain to the trader.

Rules checked with our Faulty Goods and Refunds guide General information, not legal advice
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At a Glance

Local councilservice that enforces consumer law
Citizens Adviceis how you report to it
Unsafe productscan be escalated to OPSS

Your Rights

What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.

The Short Answer

  • Reporting to Trading Standards

    If you think a product is unsafe and could harm people, report it; your report may be referred to local Trading Standards, which can escalate product safety matters to OPSS. source

  • Dispute Resolution

    If a seller will not resolve a problem, you can try an alternative dispute resolution service and report the seller and the marketplace to Trading Standards. For private sellers, small claims court is an option. source

  • Trading Standards

    You can report a seller to Trading Standards if they give wrong or misleading information, use unfair terms or use unfair sales tactics, such as false claims that tickets are almost sold out. source

Time Limits to Know

Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.

    Steps to Take

    Step 1 of 4

    Complain to the trader first.

    Step 2 of 4

    Report the trader through the Citizens Advice consumer service.

    Step 3 of 4

    Keep evidence: adverts, receipts, messages.

    Step 4 of 4

    Use card protection or ADR to get money back.

    (Tap the numbers to reveal steps)

    Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right

    Your options, in order, and when each one applies.

    Citizens Advice Consumer Service

    Free advice, and help deciding whether to start a small claim, once the seller has not put it right.

    Want Help?

    If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.

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    Luke Marley

    Lead reviewer

    Luke Marley

    Founder and Lead Reviewer

    Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.

    Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.

    Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.

    Sources and official links

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