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The
Local Trader
Code
of Practice is an accepted industry standard. It is
a mark of credibility and competence and indicates
a respectable reputation. Members must sign the
code of practice and agree to abide by
it.
Full
details of the Code are outlined below:
Local
Trader Code of Practice
Each
member shall comply with this Code and any other
Guidance issued by Local
Trader
from time to time.
1)
All transactions
a.
Each member shall conduct its business lawfully,
comply with all relevant UK and US equivalent
legislation and judicial decisions and trade fairly
and responsibly.
b.
Each member must display their privacy policy
prominently and must make available a link to their
published trading terms and conditions and these
must clearly state if any product/service provision
guarantees have been put in place, and what they
are, as well as their full returns
policy.
c.
Each member must publish its privacy policy on a
web page named privacy. For example: privacy.html,
privacy.php or privacy.asp etc. A link to the
privacy page must be prominently displayed at any
point on the site where a member collects user
data.
d.
Each member shall act reasonably and with integrity
in the day-to-day conduct of its
business.
For
example:
i.
Provide adequate training for members of its
staff, bringing to their attention the
principles of this Code and requiring them to
carry out their duties in accordance with it.
Also, ensure continuous and appropriate training
of staff in respect of current legislation and
best practice.
ii. Follow where appropriate any requests
conveyed to the members by the Council of the
Association from the enforcement
authorities.
iii. Follow where appropriate any guidance notes
issued by the Council of the Association.
iv. Notify the Association of any matters, which
might adversely affect the reputation of the
industry or of the Association.
e
Each member shall:
i.
Comply with all relevant government legislation
revisions, updates and amendments. For
example:
*
Administration of Justice
* Consumer Credit (and regulations
thereunder)
* Sex Discrimination
* Disability Discrimination
* Race Relations
* Data Protection
* Consumer Protection
* Criminal Justice
* Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts
Regulations
* Trade Names and Copyrights
* Companies and Sole Trader Acts
* Human Rights
* Mental Health
This
list is not exhaustive.
ii.
Use plain English in all communications.
iii. All correspondence must show the full
business address, telephone number and email
address, where used.
iv. In all contacts by staff or agents, ensure
that the member's identity is clearly
disclosed.
v. All members have a duty to ensure that their
agents, subcontractors and subsidiaries comply
with the Local Trader's Code and Guidelines.
vi. Comply with all reasonable requests by
consumers, clients, or their appointed
representatives for information concerning their
purchases,agreements and accounts.
vii. All members shall ensure that the Local
Trader's Code is available on their own
websites, or that they publish a "Compliance"
text link from their site which points to this
page.
2)
Confidentiality
Members
must keep in strict confidence any information
supplied by consumers or others, except where
disclosure is authorised by the consumer or others
or permitted or required by law.
3)
Complaints
a.
Each member shall have in place adequate processes
to deal with consumer or client complaints, this
must contain the following minimum
procedure:
i.
The management level at which complaints are
handled
ii. The time frame in which complaints are
handled
iii. The remedy, if the complainant is not
satisfied
iv. Complainants must be advised that one of the
remedies is referral of the complaint to Local
Trader where appropriate.
b.
Members shall deal with complaints speedily,
responsively, in a user-friendly fashion and at an
appropriate management level.
c.
Members' complaints procedures must be made
available to the complainant or his/her advisor on
request.
d.
If a complaint is made to Local
Trader
in
relation to dealing with a member of Local Trader,
we will deal with the complaint in accordance with
the published complaints procedure.
6)
Local Trader
a.
Local Trader
shall
monitor the compliance of members with the Code and
shall each year publish a report of the number and
types of complaints received.
b.
Any instance of non-compliance shall be drawn to
the attention of the member concerned. In the event
of continued non-compliance, or a serious breach,
the Disciplinary Committee will take such action as
it deems appropriate, including a warning or
recommendation of expulsion of the member concerned
from membership.
c.
Membership of Local Trader entitles the member to
display an approved trade association symbol
thereby indicating their adherence to this Code of
Practice.
d.
The approved trade association symbol is based on a
star rating between one and five stars. Adverse
star ratings are due to a level of complaints
received about a member and/or a level of general
non compliance of this code.
e.
Each member must inform Local Trader of all Trading
Names in use.
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