How can I contact the service?
You can contact us by:
Contact Trading Standards
What happens when I contact you?
The officer will listen to your complaint or enquiry, ask questions and then advise you on your consumer rights and how best to resolve any dispute.
Is the service free and confidential?
Yes. We will not discuss your call with anyone without your consent and this is a free service.
The officer records any advice that is given but these records are confidential and only re-opened if you contact us again or we need to analyse calls for statistical or monitoring purposes.
It may be agreed that the best way to resolve any dispute is for the advisor to contact the trader on your behalf. We may need you to sign a written authority giving us permission to discuss your case to avoid any data protection issues.
What if my complaint concerns a trader from outside the Island?
The majority of traders are keen to resolve complaints amicably with their customers but disputes with traders overseas can present additional challenges.
Your Jersey statutory rights are similar to those in the UK and our officers hold a UK qualification enabling them to give advice on both UK and Jersey law. We are well connected to our UK counterparts so there may be circumstances when we can seek assistance from other UK authorities.
If you have a complaint with an overseas trader, contact our service and we can advise before you decide to register a compliant online.
Is there any other help available?
Yes, Econsumer.gov is a multilingual public website which was set up to allow e-commerce complaints to be referred across borders. 28 countries now participate in this initiative ranging from the United States, Japan, Australia and South Korea. If you have an e-commerce related complaint with a trader outside the Channel Islands or the UK they may be able to help.
The European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net) provides consumers with advice and information when shopping within the European internal market but is not restricted to e-commerce complaints. If you are in dispute with a trader located in a European Country, the ECC-Net may be able to help.
Similarly the Better Business Bureau is available for USA and Canada related complaints. Once again, these are not restricted to e-commerce. You can report a scam, complain about products, services, advertising, privacy or business practices.
Econsumer.gov website
The European Consumer Centre Network website
Better Business Bureau website
Can the officer get involved in my complaint?
The most important role of the officer is to empower you to take control of your complaint.
You will know what consumer rights you have and what steps to take to resolve your complaint or you may be directed to an organisation better placed to help.
In some circumstances the officer may speak to a trader or another organisation on your behalf but we will not do this without discussing this with you first and we will not seek to take over your case.
If, having followed our advice you are unable to resolve a complaint, come back to us again. There are often other options which can be explored.
What if the trader has broken the law?
In listening to you, our officer may suspect a trader has broken a trading standards law. Don’t worry, your case is still confidential and you will still be advised on how to take your dispute forward. However, the officer may investigate further and take appropriate steps to change the practice to bring the trader into compliance with the law.
What if I am unhappy with the advice I have received?
If you are not happy with the advice or service you have had from Trading Standards, you have the right to complain. We will treat your complaint confidentially, seriously and quickly.
First, speak with the Chief Trading Standards Officer or Deputy who may be able to sort out the issue straight away. If you are still unhappy then there is a formal complaints procedure that you can follow.
Email the Chief Trading Standards Officer
gov.je