Chargeable business advice is managed and administered by Essex County Council's (ECC) Trading Standards Service.
These terms and conditions will be subject to yearly review.
Request for advice
You can choose the level of support we give you. Levels of support and timescales for requests can be found in our business advice and charging policy.
Before we give you advice, you need to send us an order number. We will be able to guide you through your query and the process. You may also wish to take independent legal advice. If your query is urgent, please let us know.
You will be given the appropriate guidance and advice on Trading Standards legislation in line with the business charging option that you’ve selected.
We will identify the Trading Standards legislation that you need to be aware of and give you advice in general terms on how you can comply with these laws.
This may include us sending you guidance notes and useful links. We may also discuss some examples of your products and or services with you.
You are advised to take independent legal advice for any specific issues you may have about your particular business or to discuss the benefits of Primary Authority advice with us.
If you subscribe to a business advice option that includes an allocation of hours, and do not use all or some of those hours within 12 months of the date subscription, the unused hours will be lost and not rolled over into the next year.
Payment
In asking for business advice, you or your business agree to pay the charges associated with your chosen option within 28 days of receiving an itemised invoice from us for the services provided.
Our charges are shown in our business advice and charging policy.
Payment is to be made to:
- Name: Essex County Council
- Bank: Lloyds TSB Plc
- Sort: code 30-00-02
- Account number: 00508549
Payment can be made by:
- cheque
- BACS
- debit care
- credit card
Please email us at trading.standards@essex.gov.uk if you have any questions. Please use reference ‘TSBUSADV’ on any correspondence.
Unfortunately we are unable to accept cash for the services we provide under this scheme.
If you do not pay us the outstanding amount within the prescribed time, then we may institute civil proceedings against you and or your business to recover the cost. Future services under this scheme will cease to be provided until the outstanding amount is settled in full.
Looking after your information
Businesses should be aware that we are subject to legal duties. This may require the release of information under the Freedom of Information Act, the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 or any other applicable legislation or codes that govern access to information and that ECC may be under an obligation to provide such information on request. Such information may include matters relating to, or arising out of this scheme. For more information about how we use personal data please see our privacy notice page.
Whilst in our possession, we will safeguard your personal information according to the requirements of all relevant Data Protection legislation. We will stop using your information 6 years after our last contact and your information will be securely deleted one year after that.
We will use the information you have supplied for the purposes of maintaining a record of advice given, invoicing and for enforcement purposes under relevant consumer protection legislation.
We are empowered to enforce a variety of civil and criminal statutes. We have a duty to investigate any allegations of breaches of such legislation and the provision of advice under this scheme does not affect this duty in any way whatsoever.
Affiliation
The use of the services under this scheme does not entitle you or your business to use any of our logos or claim any affiliation with ECC or ECC Trading Standards in anyway whatsoever.
Complaints
If you or your business have any complaints or are not satisfied with the quality of the services provided under the scheme or the timeliness of the information provided to you or your business, then please refer to our complaints process.