Sandwell Trading Standards

11/12/2025

Do you have a Baumatic, Candy, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Lamona, Iberna or Montpellier tumble dryer?

An urgent safety message has been issued concerning some models of Haier Heat Pump Tumble Dryers.

The alert identifies that certain integrated heat pump tumble dryers manufactured by Haier pose a fire risk due to an internal short circuit during normal use.

Product owners are urged to stop using the appliance immediately and unplug it if possible. Check the model and serial number online using the official links, which are included in the full alert via the link in the comments below and contact the manufacturer to arrange a repair.

28/06/2023

21/10/2022

A Smethwick shop owner who stockpiled more than 750,000 illegal ci******es and to***co with a retail value of more than £300,000 has been jailed for 30 months at Coventry Crown Court.

Alice Davey, Sandwell’s Director of Borough Economy, with some of the seized illegal ci******es and to***co, and detection dog Cooper from Wagtail UK

03/10/2022

🐶 Good boy Cooper!

🐾 Cooper the sniffer dog visited two shops with officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and our Licensing Team.

🚫 In a shop in Smethwick, HMRC seized 3,400 packets of illicit to***co with a retail value of over £40,000.

🚫 Trading Standards seized 228 items relating to illegal vapes worth £2,000.

15/06/2022

Want to help your loved ones stay safe against scams?

It’s important to always keep an eye out for scams. They can and do affect anyone, and it's Scam Awareness Fortnight, so a great time for a heads up.

Something might be a scam if:

👀 it seems too good to be true – for example, a holiday that’s much cheaper than you’d expect
❗ someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly
📢 you suspect you’re not dealing with a real company – for example, if there’s no postal address
🔔you’ve been asked to transfer money quickly or pay in an unusual way – for example, by purchasing vouchers or through a transfer service like MoneyGram or Western Union
👉you’ve been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs
✍️you haven't had written confirmation of what's been agreed

Get involved with scams awareness today ⤵️

28/04/2022

🚨 | A 47-year-old woman from was arrested on suspicion of illegal money lending and money laundering offences during an operation led by our team last week.

Large quantities of cash, documentation and electronic devices were found during a search of the house in .

Thanks to Sandwell Police and Sandwell Trading Standards for their assistance 🤝

Read the full story and find support on our website ➡️ bit.ly/38Az2fv

16/02/2022

👀Be scam aware.👀

We have been made aware of a scam just over the border in Birmingham. The letters look official but are not from the council and the phone number on the letter isn't a council number.

⛔Never let anyone into your property without checking an ID card.

📞If in doubt, do not let them enter until you have checked with the council they are genuine using a council phone number. (Details in comments)

👀Stay alert to email and text scams offering refunds on tax, TV Licensing and other services.

⚠️Beware if people are asking for payments over the phone - make sure they are genuine

⛔Only click links in emails if you are sure they are not a scam.

📢Please be vigilant and spread the word to anyone who you know.

20/12/2021

Tuesday 14th December saw us carrying out joint teamwork with West MIdlands Police () and a very clever dog. Two operations were carried out at shops in Rowley Regis and West Bromwich.

Around 1,000 packets of suspected counterfeit to***co with an estimated retail value of £10,000 were discovered.

“Some great teamwork from , and one very clever doggo uncovered around 1,000 packets of suspected counterfeit to***co at two shops in Rowley Regis and West Bromwich. The stash had an estimated retail value of £10,000👏🐶”