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
If you are bothered by doorstep sellers
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
Deter doorstep sellers
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.
The law says
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.
Report doorstep selling
Contact us to report doorstep selling in North Ayrshire.