Doorstep Selling - Your Rights, and How to Avoid being a Victim of Rogue Selling

Don't be a Victim

• Avoid buying or selling any good or services at the door
• IF YOU ARE NOT SURE< DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR
• Keep your front and back door and all windows LOCKED
• Fit a door bar or chain and USE IT
• Only Deal with Callers by Appointment
• DO NOT trust ID Cards. Never use the phone number on the ID card to verify the identity of the caller
• DO NOT keep large sums of money in the house

BEWARE
Doorstep Sellers may use lines like these to get into your home:

• "I noticed you've a few loose tiles on your roof ...."
• "Congratulations! You've won a prize! If you could just sign here ..."
• "There have been a lot of Burglaries round here ...."
• "This cut-price special offer is only available if you sign today ...."
• "I'm doing a survey ...."

Remember, doorstep sellers can be extremely persuasive. Once you let a doorstep seller into your home, they will expect a sale - and they won't give up easily. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.

What Can you do?

• Obtain at least 3 quotes so you can compare the cost of the work
• Look in business directories/magazines for traders contact details and check to see whether they are a member of a trade association
• Ask friends, neighbours, or family for recommendations
• Ask Traders where they have done work and speak with those customers if possible.

Know your Rights
Cooling off Period

• If the goods and/or serives cost more than £35 and the contarct was entered into at your home or workplace (or at another individual's home) then you have a 7 day cooling-off period to cancel the contract.
• This 7 day cooling-off period is applicable for contracts resulting from both unsolicited (e.g. when an uninvited trader knocks at your door) and solicited (e.g. when you have asked the trader to call on you) visits.
• You can ask the trader to start work within the 7 days cooling-off period, but this request must be in writing and if you then change your mind once the work has begun you will be liable to pay a reasonable sum for the work already carried out.

TRADING STANDARDS ADVICE IS TO USE YOUR 7 DAY COOLING-OFF PERIOD TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHETHER YOU NEED TO HAVE THE WORK DONE AND THAT YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE TRADER THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN.

WE ADVISE THAT YOU DO NOT BUY GOODS OR SERVICES AT THE DOOR.

Your Right to Cancel

• The Trader must give you a written notice of your right to cancel the contract whether or not you have a contract in writing. Failure to provide this is a CRIMINAL OFFENCE, the trader cannot enforce the contract against you and you are not under any obligation to pay for any goods and/or services provided.
• TRADING STANDARDS ADVICE IS NEVER PAY THE FULL AMOUNT FOR THE CONTRACT UP FRONT. However, if yoy have received your written notice of your right to cancel, have paid a sum of money and then decide to cancel  the contract within the 7  day cooling-off period:
• if the work has not started, you are entitled to full repayment of the money already paid
• If the work has already started, or goods have already been purchased by the Trader, you will be required to pay a reasonable sum for the goods and/or serives provided prior to the cancellation

Copyright Trading Standards
For further advice contact Trading Standards by calling
Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06

Potential Scam using NHW Name

This is a message from Northamptonshire West Police.

Please be aware of a report received by the Police on behalf of National Neighbourhood Watch concerning the following scam.

Dear Watch member

A resident in South London has reported a possible scam taking place in his locality.

A man claiming to represent 'Neighbourhood Watch Support' telephoned to say that a Neighbourhood Watch brochure was going out to all the local residents. The caller was encouraging local businesses to advertise in this brochure.

The resident agreed to place an advertisement and later received a further phone call from a company calling itself 'Business Community Support Multimedia'. The caller took some details over the phone.

At a later date the resident received a letter with a 'proof' for the advertisement. Apart from the name of the business and the contact phone number, every detail was incorrect. The accompanying letter said that unles s any amendments were received within five days (by phone, email or fax) they would assume that the details were correct and place the advert.

The resident tried several times to contact the company by email and phone but to no avail, finding his emails unanswered and his phone calls cut off. Luckily he had not yet paid any money for the advertisement.

We would like to make it clear that there is no such organisation as 'Neighbourhood Watch Support' and the Neighbourhood & Home Watch Network does not produce any such local brochures nor contract Business Community Support Multimedia to do so.

If you have any concerns, questions or issues you would like to raise relating to this, please contact us on enquiries@nationalnhw.org or 0116 229 3118 and do not agree to anything over the telephone or on your doorstep.

Thank you

WB/CMS/1520/10.

First Post to the Kislingbury Neighbourhood Watch Information Page

On this site I shall be posting regular notices that I receive from the police about Crimes, Warnings about Crimes, advice on how to be Safe in your Home, and how to protect your Property.

I hope that you will find this a useful source of information for yourself, and any of your vulnerable neighbours.

If you need to contact me about anything please call me on 07855 388 751, and leave a message if I do not answer, or send me an email to timwarduk@aol.com

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Thank you