Bromley Trading Standards is urging residents to stay vigilant on behalf of vulnerable friends and neighbours, following a recent rise in local reports of doorstep crime.
Doorstep criminals use common ruses to elicit work from residents at the door. These include familiar lines such as promising to clean out gutters or seal driveways cheaply, or claiming to have been working on a neighbour's home. However, do not be deceived.
Some residents have been quoted as little as £10 for gutter cleaning, only to be left hundreds of pounds out of pocket. These initial offers often escalate quickly, with supposed problems then "discovered" on roofs, driveways, or other parts of your property, leading to inflated prices and pressure to agree to work. The simple solution is not to agree to any work however plausible it might seem.
Dealing with doorstep criminals often involves increasing prices and the feeling of being pressured. There is also a risk of receiving poor quality work and being substantially overcharged, and it may be difficult to get any redress or comeback.
Whatever the work it is you need to have done, the advice is clear: do not deal with doorstep traders.
How to protect yourself
Do:
- Do get several written quotes - prepare a clear detailed brief beforehand.
- Do seek references, read reliable reviews, ask to visit previous jobs.
- Do check directly with any reputable organisation named or whose logo is shown on a leaflet/website to make sure the trader is affiliated - if not, report to Bromley Trading Standards at trading.standards@bromley.gov.uk.
- Do get a contract in writing before works commence. Check the terms and conditions. You should be entitled to a 14-day cooling off period - with full written cancellation information and not just a mention on a leaflet or a tick box to say you agree.
- Do check and verify a trader's insurance.
- Do be wary if you are asked to pay by cash or asked to pay a cheque or transfer money to an individual if they are unconnected with the trader/company you are dealing with.
Don’t:
- Don't deal with traders at the door - it's okay to say no.
- Don't contact traders via leaflets that are delivered through the door - without making thorough checks beforehand.
- Don't pay large sums of money in advance - schedule payment as works progress.
- Don’t accept that traders are members of an organisation because they use a logo.
- Don't be rushed into deciding - seek advice first from someone you trust.
Find a reliable trader with Trading Standards Checked.
Report, advice, and information
If you believe you or someone you know is at immediate risk of losing money to a scam or doorstep criminal, contact the police directly on 999.
Contact Citizens Advice for help and advice on 0808 223 1133 or on the Citizens Advice website.
Contact your bank's fraud team if you think you've been scammed: Call 159 - Stop Scams UK.
If you have been tricked into sending money by bank payment, check out the Toolkit and UK Finance Authorised Push Payment Fraud guidance for more information on recovering lost money.
Report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or on the Action Fraud website.
You can also visit Trading Standards on the Bromley Council website for more information.
For general information about scams in various languages visit the Friends Against Scams website.
Bromley Trading Standards
To keep up with the latest scam alerts and warnings from Bromley Trading Standards sign up on www.bromley.gov.uk/TradingStandardsAlertSignUpForm.
Bromley Trading Standards also runs a fair-trader directory to help you find a safe, reliable trader that you can trust, visit www.bromley.gov.uk/tradingstandardschecked to learn more.