Wiltshire Trading Standards

21/08/2026

Following our recent prosecution of a Westbury car trader, if you are looking for a reliable Buy With Confidence Trading Standards Approved business in the area then we can highly recommend Jefferies Car Centre.

If you're looking for a secondhand vehicle (or other approved businesses), visit buywithconfidence.gov.uk for traders who have been independently audited by Trading Standards.

There’s been quite a bit of local press recently about a Westbury car dealer being taken to court and facing charges.

We’re not going to comment on someone else’s case, but it does highlight something we feel is really important when buying a second-hand car...

👉 WHO you buy your car from matters.

We’ve been selling cars under the same family name in the local area for over 20 years, and we are proud to be Trading Standards Buy With Confidence approved.

We know that buying a second-hand car doesn’t come with a guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong. Cars are mechanical, and sometimes they do have faults. That’s part of the reality of buying a used vehicle.

What makes the difference is what happens when something DOES go wrong.

At Jefferies Car Centre, we deal with problems professionally, fairly and in accordance with the law. We understand our responsibilities as a motor trader and, just as importantly, we understand our customers’ rights.

Our Trading Standards approval isn’t just a logo we put on the website. It means our business has been assessed against specific standards and we have chosen to operate our business in a way that gives our customers confidence.

We’re proud of the reputation we’ve built over more than two decades, and we believe that buying a car should come with more than just a set of keys.

It should come with confidence that if something does go wrong, you’re buying from a business that will deal with it properly.

20/08/2026

⚠️ Dog Owners: Product Recall Notice

Years has issued a voluntary recall of all Years Fresh Meals (excluding the Chef's Collection range) as a precaution while it investigates a potential issue linked to buckwheat used in its recipes.

The company is advising customers to:

🐾 Stop feeding Years Fresh Meals immediately, whether or not your dog is showing symptoms.

🐾 Do not give the meals to other animals, sell them, or donate them.

🐾 Monitor your dog for symptoms such as: • Excessive blinking or squinting • Pawing at the eyes • Eye discharge • General eye discomfort

🐾 Contact your vet if symptoms develop or do not resolve within a few days, and mention the recall.

Years has paused subscriptions for six weeks while recipes are reformulated and is arranging collection of unused meals with customers receiving a full credit for affected orders.

For full details and recall information, customers should visit the Years website or contact the company directly.

https://www.years.com/pages/care

19/08/2026

⚠️ Product recall for ASDA Hapello Power Train

The product poses a choking⚠️

If you have this product at home, please stop using it immediately and keep out of reach of children. Return it to your nearest ASDA store for a refund.

Share this recall with anyone who may have bought or used the product.

https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alerts-reports-recalls/product-recall-asda-hapello-power-train-2608-0111

For more information: https://corporate.asda.com/product-recall-hapello-power-train

19/08/2026

19/08/2026

*** WESTBURY MOTOR TRADER PROSECUTED AFTER DENYING CUSTOMER REFUNDS ***

Benjamin John Meacham, 35, of Phipps Close, Westbury, appeared before Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 18 August, where he pleaded guilty to three offences relating to the sale of motor vehicles through Meachams Car Centre and Meachams Car Centre Westbury Ltd. He was fined £1,400 and ordered to pay a further £2,600, comprising £980 in prosecution costs, £1060 in compensation and a victim surcharge of £560.

The prosecution followed complaints from two consumers who purchased vehicles that were either faulty or not as described and were subsequently refused refunds after attempting to exercise their legal rights.

In the first case, a Westbury resident purchased a Ford KA for £2,200 after seeing it advertised on social media in March 2025. During a test drive, the vehicle displayed a flashing odometer, which Mr Meacham assured the customer would be repaired.

Further faults developed after the purchase and, despite the vehicle being returned for repair, the defects remained unresolved. When the customer sought to reject the vehicle and obtain a refund, repeated requests were refused. The vehicle later became a non-runner.

A second investigation involved the sale of a Fiat 500L to a Melksham resident in June 2025 for £1,850.

Following the purchase, the customer discovered the vehicle had previously been classified as a Category S insurance write-off, meaning it had sustained structural damage. Trading Standards officers found that this information was available when the vehicle was acquired by the business but was not disclosed to the customer before the sale.

When the customer attempted to reject the vehicle because it had not been accurately described, she was informed that Mr Meacham could not refund her and could not take the vehicle back. A subsequent written request for a refund received no response.

Cllr Paul Sample, Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: "When purchasing a vehicle from a trader, consumers have clear rights and should be able to make informed decisions based on accurate information about the vehicle they are buying."

"In this case, one customer was sold a vehicle that developed significant faults and was denied a refund, while another was not told that the vehicle they purchased had previously been classed as a Category S write-off."

"Motor traders must ensure vehicles are accurately described and must respect consumers' statutory rights when faults arise."

"We are committed to protecting consumers and ensuring businesses comply with their legal obligations. We will continue to investigate and take action against traders who engage in unfair trading practices."

"Anyone looking to buy a vehicle should consider using the Buy With Confidence scheme, where businesses have been audited and approved by Trading Standards."

Residents who believe they may have experienced similar problems should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

For details of local Trading Standards approved businesses, visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk.

19/08/2026

18/08/2026

*** HANDYMAN FINED AFTER TAKING MORE THAN £2,000 FOR WORK THAT WAS NEVER CARRIED OUT ***

Michael Collins, 42, of Broad Street, Trowbridge, who traded as MC's Gardening & Handyman Services, appeared before Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 18 August where he pleaded guilty to two offences relating to unfair commercial practices. He was fined £300 and ordered to pay a further £1,700, comprising £880 in prosecution costs, £700 in compensation and a victim surcharge of £120.

The prosecution followed complaints from two Wiltshire residents who paid Mr Collins for home improvement services that were never delivered.

In the first case, a Chippenham resident agreed to pay £1,250 for painting and decorating work after seeing the business advertised on social media. Between September and November 2024, she paid Mr Collins £700. Despite repeated promises that the work would begin, no work was undertaken and no refund was provided.

In the second case, a resident from Christian Malford paid him £1,391.53 towards fencing work, including a deposit and the cost of materials. He failed to start the project and Trading Standards enquiries later established that the materials had never been ordered despite assurances given to the customer.

During an interview under caution, Mr Collins admitted receiving £700 from one victim and £1,391.53 from the other. He also confirmed that no work had been carried out at either property and that none of the money had been returned.

Cllr Paul Sample, Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: "These residents paid significant sums of money in good faith, believing the agreed work would be carried out. Instead, they were left out of pocket and understandably frustrated when nothing happened, despite repeated and subsequent false assurances from Mr Collins."

"Consumers should be able to trust that traders who accept payment for services will either deliver on their promises or return the customer's money, but that trust was broken in these cases."

"We are committed to protecting consumers and will continue to investigate and prosecute traders who engage in unfair trading practices."

"Anyone looking for a reputable trader should consider using the Buy With Confidence scheme, where businesses have been audited and approved by Trading Standards."

Residents who believe they may have been affected by similar practices should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or via www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

For details of local Trading Standards approved businesses, visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk.

18/08/2026

Since the start of the year, many toys and craft items have been recalled as they may contain trace levels of asbestos. Recalls so far have included sand-filled stretchy toys, craft boxes and sand art kits. And there may be more to come.

Check the list of recalled items here: https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alerts-reports-recalls?keywords=asbestos&product_alert_type%5B%5D=product-recall&product_recall_alert_date%5Bfrom%5D=01/01/2026

17/08/2026

Working together to help keep consumers safe! 🛡️💚

A great example of Trading Standards teams across the region helping to keep our communities safe.

17/08/2026

*** PRODUCT RECALL - SIMPLE KIND TO SKIN MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER 730ML - WITH BATCH CODES 613841 & 613941 ***

From the Simple website:

In the UK, we are recalling a limited number of Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water 730ml products with specific batch codes (613841 or 613941) as a precaution due to the possible presence of bacteria, which has the potential to cause eye inflammation for some consumers.

Affected Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water 730ml products have one of the following batch codes on the bottom of the bottle: 613841 or 613941.

We are recalling these products as a precautionary measure because the safety of the people who buy and use our products is our top priority.

Other Simple products are not affected by this issue.

We understand that product recalls can be concerning, and we are sorry for any concern or inconvenience this may have caused.

https://www.simple.co.uk/product-recall-notice.html