Changes have been made to weights & measures legislation and regulations concerning traders who sell products by weight or measure.
The main changes involve:
- Requiring traders who deliver goods sold by weight or measure to a purchaser outside your business premises to provide purchasers with an invoice or delivery note as soon as possible show the true quantity of goods (section 13)
- If goods are not pre-packaged, the trader must ensure they are counted before or at the time of sale, and by or in the presence of the purchaser (section 15)
- If goods are not pre-packaged, or if pre-packaged and the purchaser wants to confirm the net quantity, all measurements must be done by or in the presence of the purchaser before or at the time of sale (section 15A).
There is also an increase in prosecution penalties as well as new offences that can be issue with an infringement offence notice fee. A fuller explanation and links to the Act and the Regulations are below.
The changes have been notified by Trading Standards, a division of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, which is responsible for the enforcement of New Zealand’s weights & measures legislation.