Black Friday warning: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is
Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service is warning consumers to be wary of scams when shopping online this Black Friday. New research shows more than one in four … Continue reading
Tradesman who pressured vulnerable customer fined
A tradesman who pressured a vulnerable pensioner into paying £2,000 to have loft insulation removed and then bombarded her with aggressive calls demanding she pay the £5,000 balance, has been … Continue reading
‘Toolkit’ will help protect students from scams
Our trading standards service is encouraging students and young people to use a new online‘toolkit’ to help them guard against scams. A recent survey (2022) found that a third … Continue reading
Rogue trader ordered to repay elderly victim £27,500
A rogue trader has been ordered to pay almost £40,000 after convincing a pensioner to let him carry out roofing work that wasn’t needed. The victim, from Somerset, used her … Continue reading
Illegal tobacco seized
Illegal tobacco and vapes worth almost £100,000 have been seized from five premises across Plymouth. Acting on intelligence, officers from our trading standards service, visited six commercial and retail premises … Continue reading
Has your home been damaged by Storm Ciaran? Beware of rogue traders…
Our trading standards service is urging householders, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, to be on their guard for rogue traders who might try to take advantage of the damage caused to … Continue reading
19 million lose money to scams but fewer than a third report
#NoBlameNoShame campaign launched to encourage people to talk about scams. 73% of UK adults – or 40 million people – have been targeted by scams, with 35% – or 19 … Continue reading
Rogue trader jailed
Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service is warning rogue traders that if they break the law they will be prosecuted after Ambrose Christopher Reilly from Plymouth was jailed … Continue reading
Shopkeeper admits selling counterfeit tobacco
A Taunton shopkeeper has pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit tobacco and has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of community work. Allen Ahmadi, 31, proprietor of Wawel Polish shop, … Continue reading
Plumber who defrauded elderly couple given suspended sentence
A rogue plumbing and heating engineer who ‘preyed’ on an elderly couple, defrauding them of £13,000, has been given a 12-month suspended prison sentence. Gary Coombes, 58, of 20 Quantock … Continue reading