CHESHIRE Trading Standards officers are warning residents to be on their guard against rogue traders who call at houses offering to carry out home maintenance including resurfacing and block paving.
Trading Standards advises that it is unlikely to be in a resident’s best interest to enter into contracts as a result of a ‘cold call’, that is someone knocking on your door uninvited.
Residents are advised to use businesses recommended by friends and family, or establish that businesses are reputable by other means.
Trading Standards’ investigation manager Andrew Rees said: “Ensure that you know who you are doing business with, that they have a proper address and telephone number which you can verify, and remember they should be prepared to give you a quote and time to think about it before you commit. Ideally, get at least a couple of quotes.”
Advice from Cheshire County Council Trading Standards is: “Don’t enter into a contract/agreement when somebody ‘cold calls’. Give yourself time to think.”
Andrew added: “If you are concerned that you may have entered into a contract/agreement as a result of a cold call you may have some protection - the trader is required to give a notice of cancellation rights which will give you seven days in which to change your mind.
“In the absence of these cancellation rights the contract is unenforceable, i.e. you cannot legally be forced to pay.
“It’s vital that consumers who have been cold called and entered into a contract contact Consumer Direct as soon as possible on 08454 04 05 06.
“Consumers should report any cold calling activity so that appropriate action can be taken, again to Consumer Direct.
“We’d like to hear from anyone who has had work carried out or has any information about a business trading as ‘Natural Stone Paving’ from Birmingham which has been involved in some cold calling activities.”
