Small new biz selling online - do I need to be registered with Trading Standards?

m33r4

I started an online business selling fresh vanilla last December. I also sell on Ebay. Business has been appalling and after I have sold my current stock, I am packing it in. I have lost money.

Around the time I started this business, I emailed the local village council to ask if I could sell at the market (once a month). I told them I had vanilla beans, extract, powder, paste. I also told them I had vanilla soap, vanilla lip balm for sale and gave them my website address. Although I only made the soap and lipbalm for a hobby, I felt that if I could make a good profit with the latter 2 too, I would have bought a cosmetic certificate to produce in quantity. I never got a reply from the market administrator until about a month ago. She informed me that they had 1 stall available but that I was not allowed to sell the soap or lip balm and only the vanilla items (ie food). I looked into the small print and I had to have a public liability insurance. Because this would cost me about £300 appx for the year, and also since I was planning to stop the business anyway and just wanted to get rid of this one stock, I decided not to go for the market stall. She asked me to reply by a certain date if I did want the stall. I didn't reply and the deadline date went by. I thought nothing of it. A week or so later, out of the blue, I get an email from the market administrator again who told me they would not allow me to sell at the market because I was not registered with Trading Standards and with Environmental Health? I didn't know I had to be registered? Anyone can shed some light on this please?

I pack my own vanilla and also label them with use by date, country of origin, ingredients, best kept at which temperature.

I did advertise the lip balm and soap on my website but have never sold any. I also advertised vanilla oil (cosmetic) on my website but I don't handle those as if I had had any order, I would have dropshipped those from a contact on Ebay.

Further to the telephone call, I also got a whole package of information material from Trading Standards asking me to get in touch with them for advice.

Help please?

Thanks.

s_b

do nothing
you are packing in anyway

Mistral001

The OP could continue to receive letters with demand etc to comply etc. from local council and maybe trading standards. They do not know whether you sell one item a year or millions. So unless you want to continue and try to make a profit, I would close down everything. Close website and ebay shop and take all items of ebay etc. Then write to all the authorities you have contacted and tell than that you no longer sell these items.

Premier_2

m33r4 wrote: »

I started an online business selling fresh vanilla last December. I also sell on Ebay. Business has been appalling and after I have sold my current stock, I am packing it in. I have lost money.

Around the time I started this business, I emailed the local village council to ask if I could sell at the market (once a month). I told them I had vanilla beans, extract, powder, paste. I also told them I had vanilla soap, vanilla lip balm for sale and gave them my website address. Although I only made the soap and lipbalm for a hobby, I felt that if I could make a good profit with the latter 2 too, I would have bought a cosmetic certificate to produce in quantity. I never got a reply from the market administrator until about a month ago. She informed me that they had 1 stall available but that I was not allowed to sell the soap or lip balm and only the vanilla items (ie food). I looked into the small print and I had to have a public liability insurance. Because this would cost me about £300 appx for the year, and also since I was planning to stop the business anyway and just wanted to get rid of this one stock, I decided not to go for the market stall. She asked me to reply by a certain date if I did want the stall. I didn't reply and the deadline date went by. I thought nothing of it. A week or so later, out of the blue, I get an email from the market administrator again who told me they would not allow me to sell at the market because I was not registered with Trading Standards and with Environmental Health? I didn't know I had to be registered? Anyone can shed some light on this please?

I pack my own vanilla and also label them with use by date, country of origin, ingredients, best kept at which temperature.

I did advertise the lip balm and soap on my website but have never sold any. I also advertised vanilla oil (cosmetic) on my website but I don't handle those as if I had had any order, I would have dropshipped those from a contact on Ebay.

Further to the telephone call, I also got a whole package of information material from Trading Standards asking me to get in touch with them for advice.

Help please?

Thanks.

What help do you need?

Is there no contact details on the communication from TS?

Surely better to get the information you need 'direct from the horse's mouth' than rely on unverified, anonymous posts/opinions on an internet forum?

m33r4

Premier wrote: »

What help do you need?

Is there no contact details on the communication from TS?

Surely better to get the information you need 'direct from the horse's mouth' than rely on unverified, anonymous posts/opinions on an internet forum?

I came on here, as I usually do when I need advice from others who have been through a similar thing. I do like you guys:). I would also only contact TS if I was legally required to register with them or environmental health hence asking for advice here.

The 3 page letter ends with: "If you require any further advice or would like to discuss the contents of this letter then please do not hesitate to contact me".

Thanks.

paulwf

I'd be tempted to list everything as job lots on ebay starting at 99p and get rid of it all.The longer you hang onto the stuff the more hassle it is causing you.

If you are handling and packing food items you usually need to register with environmental health a month before you start trading. Rules do vary depending on location as it is handled at council level, by all means call them up for clarification but as above I'd try and just close the business asap.

m33r4

I have closed the business by shutting my website and also ebay shop. What about the stock I have already packed - can Environmental Health still chase me for trying to sell this?

paulwf

m33r4 wrote: »

I have closed the business by shutting my website and also ebay shop. What about the stock I have already packed - can Environmental Health still chase me for trying to sell this?

Possibly. You're still storing and selling food products. However I'm not sure how they'd find out, but then I'm not sure how you intend to sell your stock.

BTW environmental health aren't that scary, their approach is usually to work with food handlers to improve standards, they aren't trying to catch anyone out for the fun of it. Still, your stock is now getting older and you haven't got a retail portal so sell it as a job lot as soon as you can

patman99

What about selling via a stall at a car boot sale ?. At my local one we have a few people selling home-made produce. None of them are registered with TS or EH.