Northern Ireland Trading Standards Service

20/05/2026

This year’s World Metrology Day theme is “Metrology: Building Trust in Policy Making” and marks the 151st anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention on 20th May 1875.

World Metrology Day highlights the importance of accurate and reliable measurement in every aspect of life.

12/05/2026

🚗TSS have received reports of scammers contacting people pretending to be from car finance lenders, offering fake compensation.

Money Saving Expert offers free tools to find your lost car finance info and help you draft a complaint to the finance company. www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/reclaim-car-finance

🔒 You do not need a solicitor to check if you’re eligible for any refund and will never be asked to make up-front payments.

❌ Never share bank details, passwords, or ID documents

07/05/2026

05/05/2026

Does your business sell products, services, or digital content online? If so, it’s essential to understand your legal responsibilities and get the basics right from the start.
When customers buy online, they can’t inspect goods like they can in a shop — they rely on the information and descriptions you provide.
This means goods must be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose.

Getting online selling right helps your business to:
✔️Avoid costly mistakes
✔️Reduce complaints
✔️Build customer confidence
✔️Strengthen your reputation
✔️Support long term business growth

For a full checklist of your responsibilities, read the guidance or watch the full vodcast at:
nibusinessinfo.co.uk/onlinesellingrules



Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI

https://youtu.be/VpAWEKy5BFA

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

27/04/2026

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA has launched Trading Standards Service NI Businessline, a dedicated telephone helpline designed to support local businesses with trading standards regulations.

Read more: www.economy-ni.gov.uk/news/minister-launches-new-trading-standards-service-resource-support-local-businesses

27/04/2026

🤔 Not sure if an investment firm is genuine?
🔎 Use the FCA Register to check if a firm is authorised.
If they’re not listed, your money may not be protected.
A quick check could save you money and heartbreak
Learn more 👉 www.fca.org.uk/consumers/fca-firm-checker

23/04/2026

Many scam victims are persuaded to share personal identification, often when dealing with fake investment or cryptocurrency platforms. Scammers claim this information is needed to “set up” an account.

If you’ve shared documents such as your passport or driving licence with someone you don’t know, be aware this information can be misused to open bank accounts or apply for loans and credit cards in your name.
www.cifas.org.uk/pr
Stay alert. Stay safe.

16/04/2026

🚗 Learning to drive or know someone that is?

After looking into the AA Driving School and BSM Driving Schools’ online pricing practices, we’ve ordered them to refund thousands of learner drivers and pay a fine of £4.2m over drip pricing.

More than 80,000 customers will be refunded after they weren’t shown the total price upfront when booking lessons online. Instead, a mandatory £3 booking fee was included later, which is against the law.

This action follows our investigations into both driving schools - owned by Automobile Association Developments Limited (the AA).

This is the first time we’ve used our new consumer powers to secure money back for consumers. Where the rules are ignored, we’ll step in to put things right.

Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-orders-the-aa-and-bsm-driving-schools-to-refund-learner-drivers-over-drip-pricing

30/03/2026

Selling online? Make sure you’re getting it right.
If your business in Northern Ireland sells goods or services online, it’s vital that customers receive the right information before they buy.

Make sure you understand:
✔️ The information you are legally required to provide
✔️ Clear pricing, delivery and returns details
✔️ Customer cancellation rights
✔️ How good practice builds trust and protects your reputation
For a full checklist of your responsibilities, read the guidance or watch the full vodcast at: www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/onlinesellingrules

Getting the basics right protects both your customers and your business.
Department for the Economy NI Invest Northern Ireland
https://youtu.be/va_I_gQi1ws

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

30/03/2026

Be wary of emails stating there is a problem with your Apple account.

Apple will never ask you to verify your account via email links, threaten to delete your data unless you act immediately or use generic greetings.

23/03/2026

Signs of a scam website:

Unofficial website addresses – look closely for typos or sites similar in name e.g. www.tescostores.com instead of www.tesco.com

Prices or offers that sound too good to be true

Poor spelling/grammar, or pixelated images and graphics.

Dead links – for example, links such as the ‘contact us’ and ‘about us’ pages that don’t lead anywhere.

Look out for the padlock – a padlock next to a website's URL means the site is encrypted, so what you do on it – such as browse or make payments – can't be intercepted.