Portsmouth trading standards are committed to protecting the public and supporting fair, safe, and legal trading across the city. We make sure businesses comply with consumer protection laws, and help prevent scams, unsafe products, and dishonest practices.
What we do
We work to:
- protect consumers – investigate complaints, enforce laws on age-restricted sales, and tackle the sale of illegal tobacco and counterfeit goods
- support businesses – give guidance to help local businesses understand and meet their legal obligations
- ensure product safety – monitor and enforce safety standards for goods sold in Portsmouth, including recalls and compliance checks
- enforce vaping regulations: oversee the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes and vapes, ensuring they meet legal standards
- promote fair trading – act against rogue traders and unfair practices to ensure all business can compete fairly
We work closely with partners such as Citizens Advice, the police, and community organisations to keep Portsmouth a safe and fair place to live and trade. For more information on how we enforce trading standards laws, see our enforcement policy.
What we cannot do
We can’t give direct advice to the public. All consumer complaints must go through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. We use this information to target our enforcement work. Please note, we may not take direct action on individual complaints.
We can’t obtain compensation on your behalf. Consumers have rights, and if a trader breaks those rights such as by supplying faulty goods or poor service – the consumer may be entitled to compensation. We don’t obtain this compensation on your behalf, our partner Citizens Advice Consumer Service can give you advice on how to obtain compensation yourself.
We can’t provide feedback on the outcome of complaints. After you’ve made a complaint or shared information with Citizens Advice, we usually only contact you if we need more details. We don’t usually provide feedback, unless our officers decide to take formal action based on an individual complaint.
We can’t act in civil cases. Many complaints about traders involve civil matters – such as failing to provide redress for faulty goods. A civil breach doesn’t necessarily mean the trader has also committed a criminal offence. However, Citizens Advice Consumer Service can give you advice on taking your own action.
Contact us
For more information, email trading.standards@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or visit our Facebook page.
You can contact Citizens Advice consumer service online or call 0808 223 1133 (calls from mobile and landlines are free).