Door-to-door scams

The set-up

They come to your door offering goods and services.

The hook

It is hard to say 'no' when they are in your face, at your door or in your home.

The sting

The goods are of poor quality, very expensive, the services provided are shoddy and the scammers are hard to track down.
 

What a door-to-door scam looks like

Scammers who come to your home can be very intimidating. It can be very difficult to say 'no' to pressure to buy goods or services ... which can turn out to be poor quality and very expensive, with little chance of getting your money back.

You will not get value-for-money. If there is a money-back guarantee, it could be worthless.

Variations on door-to-door scams

Survey scam

Some scammers like to disguise their sales pitch by pretending to be taking a survey. You may also be billed for work that did not get done.

Protect yourself from door-to-door scams

• If you are not interested, just say 'no'.
• By law these people must leave when you tell them to. 'Please leave' is all you should ever have to say. If you say that and they refuse to comply, call the police. They are breaking the law.
• Do not accept late night visits from sales people. Tell them to 'please leave' and close the door.
• Do not accept a return visit once you have already said 'no'.
• Ask for identification. Make sure you are happy with the quality of the ID. If not, do not allow them into your home.
• Ask for all quotes, contracts and receipts to be in writing.
• Do not agree to deals straight away. Tell the person you are not interested, or that you want to get some independent advice.
• Read terms and conditions very carefully. Cheap deals often have hidden costs.
• Shop around to see if you can get a better deal elsewhere.
• Ask for contact details of other clients, so you can check to see if customers are happy with what they have received. Legitimate businesses are happy to do this.
• Check that you have received everything you paid for. Make sure goods are delivered before you pay.

Door to Door Sales Act

You have legal rights under the Door to Door Sales Act. But only credit sales are covered by the Door to Door Sales Act. The Act does not cover cash sales.

Be aware that you do not have a legal right to a cooling-off period if you pay in full.

Be wary of someone who will not accept a cheque. A cheque can be cancelled if you are not happy. Once you pay cash, it is gone.

See here for more information on shopping at home and door to door sales.  

Help protect others from door-to-door scams

If you have scammed at your door or in your home, please share your story here. We will treat your report in the strictest confidence and remove your personal details before posting your story on our site.

Report your scam story to us.