Case Study
Tick Box scheme helps keep customers and businesses safe
The convenient nature of self storage can make it easily susceptible to criminals looking to store illicit and counterfeit goods in an easy to access location. The Tick Box scheme, a partnership between the Intellectual Property Office, Self Storage Association, and Trading Standards, combats this through a simple set of procedures and ongoing support to members. The scheme, launched in 2020, has now grown to over 200 members covering 1000 facilities across the UK.
One of those members, successfully implementing the scheme over the last few months, is InnerSpaces Self Storage based in Cowes, Isle of Wight. InnerSpaces offers tailored storage solutions with more than 400 units of varying sizes catering to personal and business needs. The business has developed a strong reputation for prioritising security, convenience, and customer satisfaction. Ensuring the safety of their customer’s goods is central to their business.
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Why did you sign up to the Tick Box scheme?
As members of the UK Self Storage Association (UKSSA), we stay updated on industry developments. We learned about the Tick Box scheme through UKSSA. We found it aligned with our existing practices, especially our commitment to safeguarding our facility and customers from counterfeit, illicit and prohibited goods.
“Signing up was a natural choice, reinforcing our ongoing efforts to maintain a secure environment.”
How was the process of signing up and implementing the scheme?
The process was straightforward, and seamless. We were supported throughout, ensuring that our compliance was robust and efficient.
Implementing the scheme easily fitted into our ongoing practices and training materials meant our team could easily update their knowledge on identifying prohibited items early in the rental process.
The scheme has strengthened our approach to customer verification and reinforced the importance of vigilance across all stages, from inquiry to contract completion.
We now proudly display the Tick Box scheme logo on our website and on-site, encouraging awareness, reminding our team of the scheme and deterring potential criminality.
Has the scheme benefited you?
The Tick Box scheme goes beyond combating counterfeit goods—it serves as a reminder of the need for rigorous checks and monitoring.
It’s encouraged us to look more critically at risk factors such as unusual payment methods, third-party agreements without identification, and suspicious customer behaviour like frequent visits or parcel deliveries. These red flags help identify a broader range of potential criminal activities. The scheme provides valuable insight, helping storage operators remain alert and compliant.
What would be the impact of someone storing counterfeits on your premises?
There are many far-reaching consequences that storing counterfeit or illegal goods could have, going beyond just the immediate risks to our site.
Fake products are not produced in line with safety regulations and could be highly dangerous. Electrical items or unsafe chemicals could cause fires or chemical leaks, putting not only stored goods but the lives of customers and staff at risk.
We also recognise that counterfeit goods open up a network of criminal activity, and from a security perspective these goods could attract criminals and organised criminal networks to our site. This could leave us vulnerable to theft, property damage and intimidation increase, risking the wellbeing of our legitimate customers.
We’ve worked hard to build the trust of our local customers over the 15 years we’ve been operating on the island. Fake and illicit goods would undermine that relationship and damage our standing within the community and industry. It could deter honest customers and impact our business financially.
Furthermore, if illegal activities are linked to our storage units, we could face legal liabilities, regulatory scrutiny, or even closure of our facility.
Storing counterfeit products isn’t just about the immediate risks—it opens the door to a chain reaction of negative consequences, from compromising safety and security to fuelling larger societal issues. At InnerSpaces, we are committed to ensuring that our facility remains a safe, law-abiding environment for all.
