Complaint to Trading Standards

Formal complaint to Trading Standards about a trader engaging in unfair commercial practices, misleading conduct, or breaches of consumer protection law.

When to use this template

Use this letter when a trader has engaged in unfair commercial practices, misleading advertising, aggressive selling, or has supplied goods or services that are unsafe, counterfeit, or misdescribed, and you wish to report the matter to your local Trading Standards service. Trading Standards can investigate, prosecute, and issue enforcement orders. This letter is a regulatory complaint, not a claim for compensation.

When NOT to use this template

Trading Standards acts in the public interest and cannot recover your money for you — use a Letter Before Action or a county court claim for that. If the matter involves a financial product, report to the FCA. If it involves food safety, report to the Environmental Health department. Trading Standards focuses on enforcement rather than individual redress, though your complaint contributes to enforcement action.

Legal Basis

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1277), implementing the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (retained and amended post-Brexit); Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008; Consumer Rights Act 2015 (product safety and trader obligations); Trade Descriptions Act 1968. Trading Standards is the primary enforcement authority for these Regulations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗Expecting Trading Standards to act as a mediator or recover your money — they are a regulatory enforcement body
✗Not providing a clear description of the unfair practice complained of
✗Not keeping copies of all evidence — receipts, contracts, advertisements, and correspondence
✗Not also reporting to Citizens Advice Consumer Service (the national consumer helpline that feeds intelligence to Trading Standards)

Build Your Letter

Fill in your details

Complete the fields below. Required fields are marked with *.

Your full name*

Your address*

Date of letter*

Your local council / Trading Standards service*

Trader's name or company name*

Trader's address*

Date of your purchase or transaction*

Description of the unfair practice or problem*

Letter preview

[YOUR FULL NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]

[DATE OF LETTER]

Trading Standards
[YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL / TRADING STANDARDS SERVICE]

---

Dear Sir or Madam,

**FORMAL COMPLAINT — UNFAIR TRADING PRACTICES**
**Trader: [TRADER'S NAME OR COMPANY NAME], [TRADER'S ADDRESS]**

I write to make a formal complaint against the trader named above, whom I believe has engaged in unfair commercial practices in breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and/or related consumer protection legislation.

**My details**

Name: [YOUR FULL NAME]
Address: [YOUR ADDRESS]

**Details of the trader**

Business name: [TRADER'S NAME OR COMPANY NAME]
Business address: [TRADER'S ADDRESS]
Website (if applicable): [insert if known]

**Purchase details**

Date of purchase / transaction: [DATE OF YOUR PURCHASE OR TRANSACTION]
Goods / services purchased: [describe briefly]
Amount paid: £[amount]

**Nature of my complaint**

[DESCRIPTION OF THE UNFAIR PRACTICE OR PROBLEM]

**Legal basis**

I believe the conduct described above may constitute:

1. A misleading action under Regulation 5 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (false information or presentation likely to cause the average consumer to take a transactional decision they would not otherwise have taken); and/or
2. An aggressive commercial practice under Regulation 7 (harassment, coercion, or undue influence); and/or
3. A breach of the trader's professional diligence obligations under Regulation 3.

**Evidence**

I enclose the following in support of this complaint:

1. Receipt / invoice / order confirmation.
2. Photographs of the goods / screenshots of the advertisement.
3. Correspondence with the trader.

**Request for action**

I ask that Trading Standards investigate this complaint and consider taking appropriate enforcement action. I understand that you act in the public interest rather than on behalf of individual consumers, but I hope this complaint will assist any ongoing monitoring of this trader.

I have also reported this matter to Citizens Advice Consumer Service (ref: [if applicable]).

Yours faithfully,

[YOUR FULL NAME]

Unfilled fields appear as [FIELD NAME]. Review the letter carefully before sending. This template is a starting point — adapt it to your specific circumstances.