Salesmen warning

THE council’s trading standards service is again warning of high-pressure sales techniques by visiting traders.

The department said on Monday that salesmen offering home maintenance, particularly services to clean and seal roofs, were on the increase.

A spokesman advised householders not to agree to any work starting immediately but to take time to think about it and insist on a cooling off period.

“You should never agree to work being done when pressurised with urgency – take your time before deciding to get any work done.  

“If you really want the work done, get it detailed in writing along with the price and name of the person and business you are making a contract with.

“The law requires door-to-door sales people to give you a notice detailing your cancellation rights, the length of the cooling-off period within which you can cancel, and how you can cancel the contract.”

Trading standards are able to provide cards to give to callers which states ‘I DO NOT want you to call at my home – If you persist, you will be reported to the Police and Trading Standards’. 

These can be picked up from trading standards at Charlotte House.

More info on care and maintenance of concrete roof tiles can be found at: www.britishprecast.org/documents/CTMANFRCCMRGUIDEOCT2008.pdf