Inspection, testing and enforcement

We never charge for giving advice to consumers or businesses, but we do charge for some very specialised services such as weights & measures checks for businesses.

We have an enforcement policy which explains how we go about ensuring that traders comply with the law.

We will be helpful and open. For example, we will be less likely to take formal action against anyone who regularly seeks advice from us and complies with any advice we give. We will confirm specific advice in writing on request.

We will act proportionately and consistently. We will choose the most appropriate course of action to take by taking account of various criteria including:

• the seriousness of the offence and its impact on people who are especially vulnerable
• the steps the trader took, or failed to take, to prevent the offence
• whether the business has complied with any advice we have given
• the history of compliance and in particular whether any previous warnings went unheeded
• evidence of fraudulent, deliberate, irresponsible, reckless or negligent behaviour.

We will be fair and we will target our action at the right people. Although we may give advice to the complainer, we will not act on their behalf. We will only form an opinion after examining the facts. We will use standard widely-used risk assessment schemes.