An updated version of the Guidance of Property Sales has today (Tuesday 1 September) been launched by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team.
An updated version of the Guidance of Property Sales has today (Tuesday 1 September) been launched by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team.
The guidance is intended to help property sales businesses to comply with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) and the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 (BPRs) when carrying out activities in the UK.
It has been produced by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team of Powys County Council in its role as the UK’s lead enforcement authority for the Estate Agents Act 1979. This latest guidance replace now replaces the Office of Fair Trading’s ‘Guidance on Property Sales’, which was issued in September 2012.
James Munro, Team Leader for the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team, said: “The regulations have broad coverage but the way they impact on property sales businesses will depend on the particular services you offer. This guidance is intended to help property sales businesses comply with the regulations.
“If you treat your consumers, business customers and competitors fairly, then you are unlikely to breach the regulations. However, if you treat them unfairly, you may face criminal and/or civil enforcement action.”
The guidance can be downloaded from www.powys.gov.uk/estateagency and enquiries about the guidance should be emailed to estate.agency@powys.gov.uk
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Notes to Editors
About National Trading Standards
National Trading Standards delivers national and regional consumer protection enforcement. Its Board is made up of senior and experienced heads of local government trading standards from around England and Wales with an independent Chair. Its purpose is to protect consumers and safeguard legitimate businesses by tackling serious national and regional consumer protection issues and organised criminality and by providing a “safety net” to limit unsafe consumer goods entering the UK and protecting food supplies by ensuring the animal feed chain is safe.
National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team
• The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT) is hosted by Powys County Council under a contract awarded by the National Trading Standards Board on behalf of the UK government. NTSEAT is the lead enforcement authority for the Estate Agents Act 1979 and has responsibility for prohibiting or formally warning businesses or individuals found to be unfit to engage in estate agency work in the UK. The Team is also responsible for overseeing the UK’s consumer redress schemes and issuing guidance to businesses on estate agency work.
• Further information can be found on their website www.powys.gov.uk/estateagency, and the team can be contacted on estate.agency@powys.gov.uk.