Trading Standards product evidence request: what to do
Confirm the request, deadline and affected products. Appoint a response owner, map each requested document to the actual model and batch, and control stock while safety concerns are assessed. Explain gaps clearly and seek specialist advice on notices or disputed findings. Factory records can be coordinated through Cambridge China Bridge.
Confirm what the officer is asking for
Trading Standards has powers to request technical documents. Verify the sender through the council’s published contact details, then save the request and attachments. Ask the officer to confirm the product models, batches, concern, requested documents, response deadline and submission method. Clarify whether the correspondence includes a formal notice and ask which rules the officer is assessing.
Acknowledge receipt promptly and name your response contact. If a document cannot be obtained by the requested deadline, explain the gap and propose a delivery date before that deadline. Ask for written confirmation of any extension; keep working to the existing deadline until a change is confirmed.
Build an indexed response for the actual goods
Turn the request into a document register: requested item, relevant model or batch, file name, source, status and outstanding question. Depending on the request, gather declarations of conformity, full test reports, risk assessments, drawings, specifications, instructions, label photographs and supplier records. Use the technical-file guide for file contents rather than rebuilding that checklist here.
Check that each report describes the goods supplied, including materials, components and model variants. Keep originals and identify translations separately. Ask the laboratory about authenticity or scope where needed; see checking product test reports. Mark missing evidence as missing. Do not substitute a similar model’s report without explaining the difference, or alter an old document to make it appear contemporaneous.
Map and control potentially affected stock
As a precaution where safety is uncertain, hold potentially affected stock from sale and dispatch while the concern is assessed. Identify goods in your warehouse, with fulfilment providers, in transit and already supplied. Record quantities, locations, batch references and customer destinations. Use batch traceability to connect factory records with sales and deliveries.
Preserve representative goods, packaging, labels and complaint records. Record the reason for the hold and who can authorise release. Where safety risks or consumer incidents are identified, you must immediately notify your local Trading Standards service. Do not wait for the factory’s replacement report. Discuss next steps with the officer; use the product recall guide if customer action is needed.
Coordinate the factory and your UK response
Appoint a UK response owner to collect input from purchasing, quality, warehouse staff and customer service. Give the factory a precise document request tied to the supplied model and batch. Ask for the production specification, component changes, original reports and an explanation of discrepancies. Cambridge China Bridge’s own staff in China can help obtain and organise factory records.
Send an indexed pack with a covering response that addresses each request, distinguishes confirmed facts from unresolved points and names outstanding documents. Keep a dated log of submissions, calls, stock decisions and promised follow-ups. Ask the officer to confirm receipt and identify remaining questions. Treat an acknowledgement as receipt, and seek explicit clarification before assuming the case is closed or held stock can be released.
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Escalate technical and legal uncertainty
Seek a product-safety specialist or suitable laboratory when test coverage, product classification or a proposed correction is unclear. Give them the actual specification, supplied sample, reports and the officer’s concern. Ask what the existing evidence establishes and what further assessment would resolve the gap. Agree any sampling approach with the officer before commissioning work intended to answer the request. For standards selection, see our guide to finding the correct UK product standards.
Seek a solicitor experienced in product safety promptly if you receive a formal notice, an interview request under caution, threatened prosecution, or a dispute about the scope of stock restrictions. Share the complete correspondence and deadlines. Ask for advice on the specific response and any available challenge. Continue coordinating evidence and stock controls while advice is obtained.
Frequently asked questions
What documents should I send to Trading Standards?
Follow the specific request. Index each document against the supplied model and batch, explain what it covers, and list gaps. Ask the officer to clarify unclear items rather than sending an unexplained folder.
Can I keep selling while Trading Standards checks?
Do not assume the request settles that question. Check any notice with a specialist. As a precaution, hold potentially affected stock where safety is uncertain and clarify release conditions with the officer.
What if my Chinese factory cannot provide the report?
Tell the response owner and officer what is missing and what you are doing to obtain it. Propose a delivery date and ask for any extension in writing. Seek technical advice if the evidence cannot be recovered.
When should I get a product safety solicitor?
Seek advice promptly for a formal notice, an interview under caution, threatened prosecution or disputed stock restrictions. Send the solicitor the request, correspondence, evidence and deadlines.