Research carried out by Kent County Council showed that a majority of Kent residents are unaware of their consumer rights before they buy; often only finding out when something goes wrong. The top reported issue in Kent is with the purchase of second-hand cars, with 36% of the county’s population likely to have a problem…
A puppy importer who tried to bring five dogs into the UK through the Channel Tunnel using false pet passports has appeared in court. In a prosecution brought by KCC Trading Standards, Canterbury Magistrates were told that a vehicle in which Attila Istok was travelling was intercepted by the Police on 15 February (2016) and…
A man who sold counterfeit goods from a relative’s address in Folkestone through Facebook has appeared in court, following a KCC Trading Standards investigation. Richard Friend appeared before Canterbury Magistrates’ Court (on Tuesday 20 September) charged with14 Trade Mark offences and admitted selling counterfeit goods through his Facebook page. The Trading Standards investigation was launched…
A horse-dealer who conned clients out of thousands of pounds by falsely describing the health and condition of some of the animals she sold has been jailed. Karen Ruston previously pleaded guilty to 11 offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and two offences under the Horse Passport Regulations 2009 in a…
More than 35 victims who were ruthlessly targeted on their own doorsteps by a rogue building company have seen justice served after the company’s sole director, William Henry King, was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Maidstone Crown Court. King had previously admitted engaging in unfair trading practices through his company,…
Potentially life-threatening LED Christmas lights have been seized by Kent Trading Standards. They were discovered on sale through an online auction site and were brought to attention by a Dover resident who received an electric shock when they were plugged into the mains. Tests revealed the lights were poorly constructed, using inferior components, and leaving access…
Investigations by KCC Trading Standards played a major part in bringing a persistent doorstep conman to justice. Between February and April 2015 Patrick Doran and his company, Quality Style Paving Limited, targeted four victim households in Kent, carrying out substandard and significantly overpriced driveway work. Doran (25) was jailed for a total of 27 months…
Businesses are invited to find out more about the new Consumer Rights Act – the biggest shake up in consumer law in over 50 years. Kent County Council Trading Standards, supported by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, is hosting free training sessions during National Consumer Week to help businesses understand and comply with the new…
A banker stopped an elderly woman being ripped off by rogue traders after they drove her to the bank to withdraw cash. Grandmother Maria Ranson from Bearsted was targeted on her doorstep by a man and a woman who attempted to pressurise her into having her driveway re-laid. When she told them she did not…
Kent County Council Trading Standards is asking residents to report sightings of rogue traders. Help us and Kent Police catch the rogues before they cause misery, devastation and financial hardship to you and someone you know. How can you help? Has a doorstep trader offered or have you received a leaflet offering the following…
A campaign aimed at tackling the problem of New Psychoactive Substances – the so-called “legal highs” – in Kent has achieved significant success. Officers from KCC and Medway Trading Standards, with the support of police, targeted 16 town centre shops across the county where substances were seized in raids last summer. At that time, more…
The work of Kent County Council’s Community Wardens saw them receive an award for protecting consumers in the county. They received the Hero Award at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s Conference in Bournemouth. Community Wardens work in partnership with KCC Trading Standards, police and local authorities and have campaigned to prevent and reduce scam crime…