TATTERSHALL AND TATTERSHALL THORPE VILLAGE SITE

DON’T BE A VICTIM OF DOORSTEP CRIME

At this time of year Trading Standards notice an increase in the number of calls received from the victims of doorstep crime. The sun is usually shining, the days are long and the doorstep criminals are out to relieve unsuspecting members of the public of their hard earned cash!

At best those ringing Consumer Direct for advice have paid hundreds or thousands of pounds for either very little work or for work that has been completed to a very shoddy standard. At worst they have been forced to withdraw their life savings to pay for something they did not want or need. The price they quote is likely to increase as the work gets started and often the workmanship is so poor it can cost a lot of money to put right.

Spotting a doorstep criminal is not always obvious. We call them criminals because this is exactly what they are. Don’t be fooled - they can be well dressed, drive smart cars (bought with your money) and the vans they use are often professionally sprayed with company name and logos. All in all they can seem like a very respectable set up so BEWARE. They can be very persuasive and won’t give up easily, especially if you let them into your home. What’s more, they almost certainly will not be contactable when things go wrong and even if you do manage to get in touch by phone, it is likely that they will not bother to turn up, unless it’s to try and sell you something else.

Common lines used include:

- “I noticed a few tiles loose on your roof” (when trying to get you to have unnecessary or expensive roof repairs)

- “There have been a lot of burglaries round here, we can make your house secure” (when trying to sell overpriced security systems)

- “We’ve been doing a job round the corner for the council and have some tarmac left” (when trying to sell you a new driveway which will likely be very uneven and start sprouting weeds within a few weeks).

We’ve heard it all, we’ve seen the devastation they leave behind, so DON’T BE A VICTIM:

- If you need work doing, then get 2 or 3 quotes from well established traders or those that come on recommendation from people you trust, who have already had work done.

- Take time to think and shop around.

Other sensible precautions to use when protecting your home and yourself from becoming a victim of doorstep crime include:

- Keep front and back doors locked

- Fit a door bar/chain and USE it

- Only deal with callers by appointment

- Always ask for an identity card and check out the details

- Do not keep large sums of money in the home

REMEMBER that if you do buy goods costing more than £35 from the doorstep you are usually entitled to a 7 day “cooling off period”. Any trader not providing these rights is committing a criminal offence and the contract is not enforceable.

Finally, for further advice or to report an incident (try to get vehicle registration details and a description of the person if possible) please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.