Tightening of rules over doorstep sellers
November 3, 2008
Doorstep selling has always been a controversial area, but at the same time there is evidence that the number of people that are turning to doorstep sellers offering cheap goods and services has been increasing over the past year as a result of the tighter credit conditions that have come into play since the onset of the global credit crunch. Many people have now found that they are unable to get finance to pay for more expensive work from more reputable firms, and many have therefore opted for cheap services and goods from doorstep sellers.
It has recently been reported that more stringent rules have now been put into place in relation to doorstep selling, and whilst these improved regulations will provide greater protection for consumers industry officials are also warning that people need to take care not to get involved with rogue traders when it comes to doorstep selling.
Doorstep selling is arranged via a visit from a salesman, hence the name doorstep selling. However, under the new regulations those signing up to have work done will be given a seven day cooling off period, whereby they can change their minds about the work without being penalised.
In the past this level of protection was only offered in cases where the salesman cold called at a person’s home rather than if they were invited, so those that contacted a firm and asked a salesperson to call round, and then subsequently signed a contract, were not protected under this clause. However, the protection will now also apply to those that have actually invited a sales person to their home as well as to those that have someone cold call.
One official from the Office of Fair Trading said: “These new regulations will mean that the law is a lot clearer for consumers. People buying goods in their own home now have a safety net of seven days in which to change their mind, regardless of who arranged the visit.”
Consumer Direct is a government helpline, and officials from this firm claim to have received over fifty thousand complaints last year relating to doorstep selling.
Many of the complaints that were made in relation to doorstep sellers were in connection with work such as home improvements, gardening services, and double glazing. Six years ago the Citizen’s Advice Bureau launched a super-complaint with the Office of Fair Trading in relation to doorstep sellers, and these changes have come about as a result of the complaint.
An official from the CAB said that the new regulations would be closely monitored in order to determine how well they were working, and that it was hoped that the new law would help to protect the elderly and vulnerable. She said: “For far too long doorstep selling has been an area in which unfair trading practices have thrived.”
The OFT said that it is still important for consumers to make sure that they do not fall for scams and rogue traders. One official from the OFT said: “Consumers should always take time to think about agreeing to any work on their home, taking the opportunity to shop around and get more quotes first.”
- Consumers warned to be careful about doorstep lenders It seems that some doorstep lenders are enjoying a healthy year this year, as the global credit crunch continues to take its toll on households, and an increasing number of consumers, such as those with
- Payday loan popularity increases Over recent months many consumers have faced increasing difficulties when it comes to getting finance of any sort, with the global credit crunch resulting in far tighter lending criteria and far tougher credit conditions. Many
- Drop in property prices leads to increased sales According to recent reports there has been a drop in the amount that many homeowners are asking for their properties, and this has led to an increase in property sales. With property sales having slumped
- Tough times ahead for homeowners Officials from a debt advisory company have stated that following bleak forecasts from the Council of Mortgage Lenders with regards to house price movement homeowners in the UK need to brace themselves for some very
- Sub-prime lenders slated by CAB Sub-prime lenders in the UK have come under fire from the Citizen's Advice Bureau, with officials from the CAB accusing sub-prime lenders of dishing out loans to consumers that cannot afford them, and then getting
Comments
Got something to say?