Doorstep selling

Doorstep crime is when rogue traders come to your door, uninvited, and pressure you into:

• buying something
• signing up for a service

They may try to sell their product or service in a way that is intimidating.

Examples of door step crime are traders who:

• tell you guttering, roofing, paving is in need of urgent repair – this may cause you to panic and allow the work to take place
• take a deposit and never return to do the work
• charge unreasonable prices, or increase the price of the work as the job progresses
• don't have cancellation policies, or give cancellation notices, guarantees or warranties
• produce poor quality work, refuse to fix problems, don't finish the work

Not all doorstep sellers commit a crime.

Avoid doorstep selling scams with these tips:

• don't agree to anything just to get rid of a seller – don't buy anything you don't want to
• check and take note of the seller's ID card, including their full address, not just a PO Box or phone number - check the address exists
• if you tell someone to leave your home, it's a criminal offence if they don't do as you ask
• even if a seller tells you your cancellation rights, remember that once you pay them they have the money and you don't!
• get a receipt – any guarantee is worthless if a business disappears, or ceases trading
• don't pay the full amount, or a large deposit, up front
• get and keep a copy of any paperwork, advert or flyer

Print a Trading Standards Warning poster to stick on your front door.

Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, it may be a criminal offence for a trader to ignore your sign.

It is a legal requirement that traders trade fairly. By law, for contracts concluded away from trade premises, consumers must be given a 14 day cooling off period to consider, or cancel, contracts costing more than £42.

Read UK Government doorstep selling regulations.

Contact us to report doorstep selling in North Ayrshire.