News

NEW NAPIT INITIATIVE TO INCREASE BUSINESS FOR MEMBERS

NAPIT is supporting a scheme offering new business leads for members and consumer protection for their customers.

Buy With Confidence is an initiative launched by Trading Standards to provide the public with approved trades people they can trust. The idea behind the scheme is to eradicate rogue traders and promote honest, reliable trade professionals.

NAPIT is taking part in a pilot project in Hampshire to see if the scheme is of benefit to its members.

Leader of Hampshire County Council Ken Thornber says: “When people are looking for information about businesses they can trust, they often contact the county council’s Trading Standards for advice and were pleased to be able to put them in touch with tradespeople who we know have passed our checks.”
“We are looking for businesses that trade lawfully and offer good customer service – in return we offer membership of a scheme which consumers and businesses will recognise as fair and independent. The latest edition of the Buy With Confidence directory contains information on over 500 organisations from more than 100 different trades in Hampshire. Being able to use the Buy With Confidence logo demonstrates to potential customers that a business is committed to good practice and fair trading.”

Buy With Confidence is run on an individual basis by local authority Trading Standards’ departments and the scheme has spread to many parts of the country. Trades people are vetted by Trading Standards before they join the scheme to confirm the reputation of their businesses and compliance with the law.

Working in partnership with Trading Standards gives trades people on the scheme an added advantage over their competitors as customers are safe in the knowledge that they are dealing with a business they can trust.
Buy With Confidence also offers a wide range of other benefits to trades people:
• your business is featured on the Buy With Confidence website with a hot link to your own website
• you receive a certificate to display on your premises and the use of a Buy With Confidence logo
• your business name is added to a list held by your local authority to recommend to consumers
• you are given a named contact for your business with the Trading Standards Service
• you receive information on new legislation and warnings about trading scams.

Trades people are also offered the chance to advertise in a directory featuring other Buy With Confidence members in their area.

Joining the scheme is likely to cost NAPIT members a small fee but it is hoped that the benefits will far outweigh any cost. The scheme emphasises the importance of fair trading and has a strong local focus, running concurrently with national schemes such as Trustmark’s scheme of approved trades people, giving customers further protection from rogue traders.

For further information on how to join NAPIT and be part of the Buy With Confidence scheme please contact the Sales Team on: 0870 444 1392 or alternatively email: info@napit.org.uk, further information on Buy With Confidence can be found by visiting: www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk where a map lists the local authorities taking part in the scheme.