Age Restricted Products Test Purchaser
We are looking for young people who are 13½ to 16½ years old who look their age to help with occasional targeted tobacco, alcohol firework and other age restricted product test purchasing.
You need to be able to follow instructions well, be reliable and confident to find, look at and purchase items in retail premises in a calm manner.
During intelligence led test purchase operations, volunteers are asked to enter shops and attempt to purchase age restricted products acting as a regular member of the public would. Where sales occur, the evidence gathered like this can be used to take enforcement action. If need be, we use exceptional tactics, for example volunteers are asked to be untruthful about their age or enter shops on their own while being monitored remotely by covert surveillance equipment.
Volunteers will always require written consent from a parent or guardian before taking part and will not be asked to visit premises near where they live, close to their school or anywhere they are likely to be recognised.
Young people will be collected from home and returned. Although volunteers are not paid, we do provide an appropriate meal and refreshments during operations and a voucher to the value of £20 redeemable in a major high street retailer. A certificate that can be used for Record of Achievement / Citizenship portfolios is also provided. Some volunteers have used participation in test purchase operations as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
Mission Statement
Buckinghamshire and Surrey County Council Trading Standards Service aims to create an environment of confident consumers and trusted traders by providing advice and guidance to consumers and businesses. However there will be occasions when a range of different actions may be necessary to deal with cases where trading standards laws have been breached by businesses or others. Our work, campaigns and projects can be found on the Business and consumers page: http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/business-and-consumers/trading-standards
