Consumer Champions Announce On-Line Partnership Success

The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland 
(SCOTSS) recently joined forces with the Scottish Enterprise 
Network in an effort to help their business members operate 
legally and profitably on the Internet.  Trading standards 
officers throughout Scotland actively took part in the Network's 
'E' Business Week that ran from 10-14 June.  The most high 
profile presence was at a series of networking events in Glasgow, 
Aberdeen, Moray and Edinburgh when officers were on hand with a 
mobile display, presentation and leaflets providing advice to web 
based businesses on how best to comply with the Distance Selling 
Regulations, The E-Commerce Directive and other legal requirements. 
Large numbers of business representatives attended the events and 
they gave a warm welcome to the initiative.

In addition to the displays Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Council 
jointly carried out a survey of websites based in their areas to 
determine compliance with Trading Standards Legislation. This 
revealed that some 80% currently failed to comply with all 
requirements and follow up action is to be taken.

During the week Trading Standards Departments in Inverness, Dundee 
and Greenock also ran in-house events where targeted advice was 
given to local companies. Amongst the businesses who attended these 
forums was a butcher worried about the implications of a 7 day 
cooling off period for fresh meat deliveries; the representative 
of a "shopping mall" of local businesses who is now in position 
to trade internationally; and a business outsourcing software and 
office supplies globally for a major hardware manufacturer.

SCOTSS presence at this event was assisted by a £10,000 Grant from 
the Government's Modernisation Fund for Trading Standards. The 
project entitled "The 'E'arly Bird" will use the contacts made 
during the week as a launch pad for providing more comprehensive 
advice to consumers and businesses on the perils and pitfalls of 
this important market place. SCOTSS also commissioned the AHRB 
Research Centre for Studies in Intellectual Property and Technology 
Law at Edinburgh Law School to conduct some research into the 
international and long-term implications of Internet trading.  
The research findings will be published widely. 

Consumer Affairs Minister Melanie Johnson is delighted with the 
success of the project. "E-commerce is growing rapidly and the 
government is committed to seeing on-line business flourish.  
This project has given over 1000 businesses in Scotland the 
opportunity to get information to help them meet legal requirements 
for on-line trading. It has also put them in direct contact with their 
local trading standards service, and I am sure they will do all they 
can to give them advice tailored to the particular needs of their 
business. That should give a big boost to consumer confidence in 
buying goods and services over the Internet."

Chairman of SCOTSS, Bill Cassie, echoes the Minister's sentiments.  
"Effective consumer protection is enhanced by informing and 
educating business and consumers on the law as it relates to 
distance selling and on-line trading. Helping businesses to get 
it right at the outset saves them falling foul of the law needlessly, 
lessens the chances of consumers running into serious problems, and 
makes the job of enforcement so much easier.  The project has been a 
great success in that regard and I would urge any business unsure of 
the rules of on-line trading to get in touch with their local trading 
standards or consumer protection department." 

The rules on e-commerce include consumer rights to:

·Clear information on seller's details, price and description of the 
goods and services on offer, delivery costs and payment arrangements
·A 7 day cooling-off period
·Protection of credit card payments

The project is also likely to be hailed as a success by the delegates 
due to attend the annual conference of the Trading Standards 
Institute in Birmingham from 9-11 July.