How to deal with a door to door salesman
Your rights and regulations when dealing with door-to-door salesmen
When a door-to-door salesman comes knocking at your door it can
often be difficult to convince them to leave before they've made
their sales pitch. They can get increasingly pushy and you may end
up with something that you had absolutely no intention of buying
probably just to make them go away.
You may also be approached in the street or at a shopping centre
where your perhaps weary state is taken advantage of by a salesman
who forces you to agree to purchasing needless, but expensive,
goods or services.
In all these cases it is important to be aware of your rights
and the regulations that are in place to protect you from dodgy
doorstep sellers.
Doorstep selling regulations
When a trader tries to sell you goods or services at your home,
or anywhere outside of their business premises, they must advise
you in writing of your cancellation
rights. These are usually set out in their contract which
they should provide you with at the point of sale, but if there is
no written contract then they still must give you
this information in writing.
If they cannot provide you with your cancellation rights in
writing then they are breaking the law and you should report the
trader to your local Trading Standards office.
These cancellation rights give you a 7 day cooling-off
period in which you can cancel the goods or services. If
you cancel, the trader must repay any money that you have already
paid, including any deposit.
To cancel a contract you must:
- Cancel in writing and post (or deliver in
person), or email the trader. A cancellation form for you to use
should be provided by the trader, though you do not have to use
this.
- Do this within 7 days of signing the
contract.
You should also:
- Keep proof of cancellation: if posting - send by recorded
delivery, keep the delivery slip and keep a copy of your
cancellation. If emailing, keep a copy of the email.
- Remember that cancellation is effective on the day you post,
deliver or email your cancellation - not the day
the trader receives it.
If the seller does not acknowledge your letter or won't let you
cancel, or if you think they have breached the regulations in any
other way, then report them to your local Trading Standards
office.
For doorstep selling regulations to apply the goods or services
must be worth more than £35 and they must not be perishable goods
such as food and drink. The regulations also do not cover land,
insurance, credit or investment agreements.
Claims Financial