Press Release

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Trading Standards team will operate Buy With Confidence - the approved business register which gives local people access to businesses which have been checked and authorised by Trading Standards authorities.

The Buy With Confidence brand has been developed so people will associate its logo with businesses they can trust and rely on. The scheme is already well established and now operates in more than 50 UK counties and boroughs from Cornwall to Argyll & Bute.

The scheme applies to most consumer-facing sectors – from home improvements and repair garages to computer repairs and car sales.

All businesses coming under the Buy with Confidence scheme will have been vetted, approved and will continue to be monitored by Trading Standards, to help ensure customers receive a quality service.

Businesses are only included once they’ve completed a series of stringent checks, including a visit by a qualified Trading Standards professional. Those working in and around people’s homes will also be criminal record checked.

The scheme is not for profit and is only run to improve standards for consumers. Businesses must have been trading for at least six months before they can apply and must demonstrate to the auditing officer that they are trading in a fair, honest and legal manner with a customer-friendly service.

A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Council said: “We welcome Buy With Confidence because it’s devoted to ensuring customers are treated fairly and get value for money and it also means that those traders who act dishonestly will become increasingly isolated.”

Benefits of the scheme to your business:

• Reassures customers you're trustworthy and provide good customer service
• Directory listing on the Buy With Confidence website, used by the public to find dependable businesses
• A Trading Standards check-up before admission to ensure you're legally compliant
• Ability to use the Buy With Confidence logo and say you're “Trading Standards Approved”
• Set yourself apart from competitors - only those good enough to pass our vetting get onto the scheme
• Open to most business sectors, not just home improvement and/or the motor trade
• Access to advice direct from local authority employed Trading Standards professionals
• Get information about changes to the law that could affect your business
• Not for profit - run by local authorities, so all fees go back into the running and promotion of the scheme
• Help protect your community from rogue traders and illegitimate businesses

   Look here https://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/ to find out more about the scheme and how to join.