Buy With Confidence
We are delighted to have been accepted for membership of the Buy with Confidence Trading Standards Approved scheme. As a business, we have made a commitment to trading in a fair, honest and legal manner, with customer friendly service as a priority.
We are therefore so pleased that our commitment has been recognised and that customers can continue to enjoy the usually high level of service that we strive to deliver.
What does Buy With Confidence Trading Standards Approved mean?
- Vetted and approved by Trading Standards
- Commited to trading in a legal, honest and fair way
- Criminal record checked (where applicable)
- Qualified, experienced and fully insured
- Monitored to ensure a high level of customer service
- Advised on Trading Standards Legislation
What benefit does this Programme offer to ou customers?
In response to concerns about ‘rogue traders’ which are often highlighted in the media, a partnership of Local Authority Trading Standards Services worked together to create the Buy With Confidence Scheme.
The scheme provides consumers with a list of businesses which have given their commitment to trading fairly. Every business listed has undergone a series of detailed checks before being approved as a member of the scheme.
So when you choose to buy from us, you can be confident that our team has your best interests at heart and will ensure that all communication is fair, open and honest.
How did we become a Buy With Confidence member?
Membership is not given lightly and not everyone gets in. In order to become a Buy With Confidence member, a business must first apply or be recommended to join the scheme. Businesses must have been trading for at least six months before they can apply and must demonstrate to the auditing officer that they are trading in a fair, honest and legal manner with a customer-friendly service. All prospective members are thoroughly vetted by Trading Standards staff before being invited to join the scheme and must pass a set of tailored background checks. The membership application process is stringent and strict vetting procedures include research into the company's trading history, financial background, a criminal records check is also undertaken where appropriate and a thorough audit of their business systems is made by a Trading Standards Officer.
Each applicant will also have their complaints history reviewed and will receive a visit from Trading Standards. Good references are required from previous customers and applicants must agree to abide by the scheme’s code of conduct, which requires them to follow the letter and spirit of the law. Only if all the scheme requirements are met, will a business be granted membership, and their conduct will continue to be monitored thereafter.
Does a business continue to be monitored once they are accepted onto the scheme?
The scheme is about more than just acquiring a logo or feedback. A successful application to Buy With Confidence means an ongoing working association with Trading Standards. As businesses are able to use the branding ‘Trading Standards Approved’, they must continue to live up to that statement long after they’ve been accepted.
Once a business has been approved onto the scheme, the managing authority continues to monitor their continued commitment to the Buy With Confidence terms and conditions and ethos of the scheme through a number of methods. The authority continues to work with members to make sure they understand and are compliant with the legal requirements placed upon them by UK law.
The organisation has high expectations of members, so all participants are subject to customer feedback which is heavily scrutinised. Businesses are also subject to re-audit by a Trading Standards Officer to ensure that they are adhering to the terms of their membership and continuing to provide their customers with an excellent standard of service.
How is the Programme Administered?
Buy With Confidence is the largest scheme of its kind nationally and continues to expand its geographical coverage. The Buy With Confidence programme is run through the cooperation of a number of Trading Standards Services and so the scheme is administered by local authority Trading Standards Services directly, and is not outsourced.
The intention of Buy With Confidence is to provide a register of businesses that have been thoroughly vetted and approved by Trading Standards. Buy With Confidence is independently run by the local authority Trading Standards department, is not run for profit and all funds received to the scheme from membership fees are ploughed back into the scheme to further it’s continuation, development and promotion.’
