MSE News: Crackdown on doorstep energy salesmen

Plushchris

I wonder if there is a case for deception against the suppliers when they knock on the door and lie to you.

I.E Obtaining details by deception?

I'm no legal expert but it sounds well dodgy to me when people are told they are signing something "to recieve information" or "to say I've been to read the meter" etc.

They would probably get out of it by saying the customer should have read what they were signing or something (usually covered up by their pricelist/map/whatever else is on their clipboard)

squidworth

Stop calling my a**e, only this afternoon EDF came round with a LCD display thingy trying to flog me their rubbish, and i'm in the middle of a "no cold callers" zone... i was on the phone at the time they are a right royal pain

I_luv_cats

I had British Gas call around, he said "Can I check your meter" I said what for? He said "I'm not here to sell anything"

Anyway I sent him away with a flea in his ear!!! I complained to BG.

It is ridiculous that it has come to this, is it really the only jobs that exist to pester people!!

d-seven

I had a British Gas saleswoman come round whilst I was doing the front garden the other week. Not content with disturbing my gardening, she wanted to sign me up, saying that she could do it instantly as she had an internet PC.
I had to keep politely tell her I wasn't interested and any signing up to her company would only be done in my own time and after my own comparing of the other electricity suppliers, if I found they were better value.
You really have to bite your tongue with these people sometimes. They cant seem to comprehend that they are on your doorstep expecting you to sign up there and then, so people might just get more than a little p1$$ed off with them.

Pincher

What chance do they have if they took no for an answer?
Their job is to convert a no to a yes.

Women learn from an early age to brush people off.

"Are you rich?" "What car do you drive?" "I'm washing my hair" "Could you be a dear and carry my shopping?"

Try:

"I am moving soon."

"Scusi, no parlo Igles"

"You have to f***ing forgive me, I have Turrets, you slimy maggot. So sorry."

"What!!, what did you say!!! I'm deaf, NHS won't give me an implant, and my hearing aid is not working. You want to give me £300 a year? Have you got it in cash!!! No cheques!!!!"

Plushchris

Pincher wrote: »

"Scusi, no parlo Igles"

That wont work, they target areas where there are a high number of imigrants that dont understand english.

Sowilo_2

Good one for tradesmen is to say you rent the property. They are gone.
Phone calls; most phones have a hold, transfer or privacy button. Use it and leave them hanging. Or, more annoying, say just a moment there is someone at the door. Put the phone down and listen to them trying to get your attention.

Jim450122

I would just like to say that I am a canvasser for Everest and I completely agree with everything everyones saying, I hate doing what I do but we all need to make a living. The reason they are so pushy is because most door to door people only earn comission or a very small basic rate so they are always desperate to make sales/appointments to hit targets.

But I still hate how some of the others I work with will ignore these stickers and not listen when people say they are not interested. The second someone says to me 'I'm not interested' or 'No thank you' I leave immediately.

With the others they tend to not leave you alone unless you say it is a rented property. So that would be my advice if you need to get rid of someone pushing home improvements.

When it comes to others, just say you are not comfortable disclosing personal details at the door and that if what they have told you is true when you look it up online you will probably switch. That way they can report to their boss that you are likely to switch and they get credit for it as well as you getting rid of them so everybodies happy.

Ofcourse there is always the option of slamming the door in their faces, people do this to me and I'm never offended because I can understand why it annoys them.

Hope that helps someone out there.

elfen

Do the same thing I do to the Jesus-creepers; tell them I'm just preparing for my next human sacrifice and since they knocked.....they're it

Altarf

Plushchris wrote: »

I wonder if there is a case for deception against the suppliers when they knock on the door and lie to you.

Yes, section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 -

2 - Fraud by false representation

(1) A person is in breach of this section if he—

(a) dishonestly makes a false representation, and

(b) intends, by making the representation—

(i) to make a gain for himself or another, or

(ii) to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss.

(2) A representation is false if—

(a) it is untrue or misleading, and

(b) the person making it knows that it is, or might be, untrue or misleading.

(3) “Representation” means any representation as to fact or law, including a representation as to the state of mind of—

(a) the person making the representation, or

(b) any other person.

(4) A representation may be express or implied.

(5) For the purposes of this section a representation may be regarded as made if it (or anything implying it) is submitted in any form to any system or device designed to receive, convey or respond to communications (with or without human intervention).


A person who is guilty of fraud is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or to both);

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to a fine (or to both).

As the door to door salespeople stand to make money in commission from their lies, then there is a strong case for them to answer. The only real hurdle would be the 'dishonest' test, but as they are trained in the products they sell, then I think that they would have a hard case to argue that they lied by mistake rather than lied deliberately.

So next time you have an energy salesman at the door who is less than honest with the truth, instead of just telling them to go away, or reporting them to their company, for a laugh you could try reporting them to the police.