Christmas and New Year information
Find out all the information you need about our services over the Christmas and New Year period. This includes our opening times, waste collection days, and how to contact us out of hours.
Advice and help for consumers
How to get free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues.
Trading Standards works in partnership with the Citizens Advice consumer service providing free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues.
They will advise you and will also refer complex enquiries, urgent enquiries and those requiring further action to Trading Standards.
How to get advice
You can get advice on any issues you may have as a consumer in the UK by:
- visiting the Citizens Advice website
- calling the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 2231133 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)
- calling us on 01946 505005 or emailing us at trading.standards@cumberland.gov.uk to let us know about something you feel we should know about, or to comment on the services we provide.
Problems buying goods or services outside the UK
If you are a UK-based consumer, experiencing a problem with a company in another country and are unsure what to do about it, get in touch with the UK International Consumer Centre (UKICC).
Guidance on charges for the use of debit and credit cards
Payment surcharging is when a fee is charged for the use of a particular means of payment, such as credit cards. Consumers are often unaware of these fees until the final stages of a transaction, when a purchase decision has already been made.
Surcharges are often cited in the airline sector but are also imposed by some retailers in other sectors including:
- rail
- event tickets
- cinemas
- car dealerships
- hotels
Rules prohibit traders from levelling a surcharge in relation to a wide variety of transactions and surcharges are limited in some other circumstances.