Trading Standards

Our duty is to create and maintain a safe and fair trading environment where Kent businesses can operate and grow and Kent consumers can engage in their economic activity with confidence.

What we do

Trading Standards work with businesses and developing partnerships to drive Kent’s economic growth and protect residents.

To achieve this we:

• investigate persistent and serious criminal activities, in particular those involving fraud, counterfeiting, scams, doorstep crime and persistent consumer detriment
• support businesses by offering professional business advice and guidance, including Primary Authority Partnerships
• audit high risk businesses such as farms, food and feed producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers
• provide animal health, welfare and feed advice
• carry out regular market surveillance, such as at Kent ports, markets and boot fairs, to prevent unsafe or illegal products entering the market
• reduce illegal sale of tobacco and alcohol to children and young people as well as reduce access to illegal tobacco.

Find out more about the work we do to protect consumers, vet local traders and share information on scams.

We also comply with the regulators code (PDF, 66.3 KB).

Find out how we protect the public, businesses and the environment by reading our enforcement policy (PDF, 181.4 KB).

We do not

• give advice or opinions to consumers about their individual complaints. Consumer advice and complaint handling is carried out by Citizens Advice on behalf of Trading Standards.
• close businesses (we have no powers to do this)
• take court action on your behalf in the civil courts
• get you your money back (we have no powers to do this)
• tell you if we are investigating a business or give you information we hold about them.