MSE News: Consumers warned over doorstep traders this summer 20 July 2011 at 11:02AM in Consumer rights 31 replies 3.4K views

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Consumers should beware of an increase in rogue doorstep traders this summer, warns the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ..."

Read the full story:
Consumers warned over doorstep traders this summer

ALIBOBSY

To be honest its about time doorstep selling was banned. All the good tradesman I know would never drive around knocking on doors for buisness. I have no issue with pushing leaflets through doors or avon/betterware and the like, it is the cold calling that annoys.

We have a hedge at the side of the house and OH cuts it in spring and autumn, but every year during the summer I get numpties in vans asking if I need it doing. Cheeky sod yesterday rolled his eyeswhen I said OH does everything DIY. He then asked about a loose flag at the bottom of the drive. Look I said OH does it or we get BIL who is a builder, he tutted and said "you need a flagger not a builder flower".

At this point I told him to *ahem* jog on or words to that effect.

Ali x

joolsybools

MSE_Guy wrote: »

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Consumers should beware of an increase in rogue doorstep traders this summer, warns the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ..."

Read the full story:
Consumers warned over doorstep traders this summer

It would be great if everyone who has an elderly/vulnerable family member could mention this to them too please :T

no_choice_now

I find this to be very totalitarian, there are many genuine tradesmen who go door to door for their work so they can live and feed their family - as they have been doing for, say, the last several thousand years. For some reason a corrupt transient administrative government now thinks it knows better?

This all smacks of typical SOCIAL ENGINEERING on behalf of the government and the MSM (and repeaters*) to try and program us in to thinking that self employed trades are a bad thing.

Of course there are unscrupulous individuals out there, lots being our "guests" from the EU. But anybody stupid enough to agree to something big on the spot probably deserves to be scammed as punishment for their epic stupidity. Once bitten twice shy.

* Repeater = any news provider who does copy-paste of government policy without critique and calls it news. A bit like this article.

Paulgonnabedebtfree

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

To be honest its about time doorstep selling was banned. All the good tradesman I know would never drive around knocking on doors for buisness. I have no issue with pushing leaflets through doors or avon/betterware and the like, it is the cold calling that annoys.

We have a hedge at the side of the house and OH cuts it in spring and autumn, but every year during the summer I get numpties in vans asking if I need it doing. Cheeky sod yesterday rolled his eyeswhen I said OH does everything DIY. He then asked about a loose flag at the bottom of the drive. Look I said OH does it or we get BIL who is a builder, he tutted and said "you need a flagger not a builder flower".

At this point I told him to *ahem* jog on or words to that effect.

Ali x

I know it can be pretty intrusive even if a tradesman is on the level.
I have to admit, this is how I got my own window cleaning business started 20 years ago. Although it might be intrusive, I would always be brief and to the point. I always accept "no thanks" or "we'vew already got one" with good grace and immediately withdraw.
I've done face to face canvassing. I've done leaflets only.
Face to face, one customer per 25 houses was not unusual - sometimes much better. With leaflets, you're lucky to get 1 in 100. People tend to procrastinate with leaflets or just forget about them even if they intend to respond. I think my record was getting a job from a leaflet that I had dropped off about 3 years before. The householder put it aside in case her then window cleaner let her down - which he eventually did.
There are definitely different levels of doorstep canvassing. You might get the energy sellers trying to bamboozle you with numbers or trying to make it appear (without actually saying so) that they are your current supplier - even after having been told no.
You might get the odd job men/tarmaccers who who either overprice work by many times or give a low quotation then try to hassle more out of you after the job is done.
Then you get someone like me who is totally honest and gracefully withdraws without trying to persuade someone to change their mind.
The problem is that it's easy to lump everyone together.
If I want more work, sorry, but I will door knock for it unless it's a "no cold calling" area or until door knocking becomes illegal.
If I ever pick up a job worth more than £35 in this manner, I will follow the law and give the prospective customer a sheet explaining that jobs over £35 must carry a 14 day cooling off period. A lot of people aren't aware of this law change that was introduced a couple of years back.

Paulgonnabedebtfree

no_choice_now wrote: »

I find this to be very totalitarian, there are many genuine tradesmen who go door to door for their work so they can live and feed their family - as they have been doing for, say, the last several thousand years. For some reason a corrupt transient administrative government now thinks it knows better?

This all smacks of typical SOCIAL ENGINEERING on behalf of the government and the MSM (and repeaters*) to try and program us in to thinking that self employed trades are a bad thing.

Of course there are unscrupulous individuals out there, lots being our "guests" from the EU. But anybody stupid enough to agree to something big on the spot probably deserves to be scammed as punishment for their epic stupidity. Once bitten twice shy.

* Repeater = any news provider who does copy-paste of government policy without critique and calls it news. A bit like this article.

I agree with most of your post but disagree with you saying that some people deserve to be scammed. Just because someone may be suffering from temporary (or even permanent) stupidity, it does not make it open season to cheat them. IMO of course.

Transformer

no_choice_now wrote: »

I find this to be very totalitarian, there are many genuine tradesmen who go door to door for their work so they can live and feed their family - as they have been doing for, say, the last several thousand years. For some reason a corrupt transient administrative government now thinks it knows better?

This all smacks of typical SOCIAL ENGINEERING on behalf of the government and the MSM (and repeaters*) to try and program us in to thinking that self employed trades are a bad thing.

Of course there are unscrupulous individuals out there, lots being our "guests" from the EU. But anybody stupid enough to agree to something big on the spot probably deserves to be scammed as punishment for their epic stupidity. Once bitten twice shy.

* Repeater = any news provider who does copy-paste of government policy without critique and calls it news. A bit like this article.

As if its that easy to tell the genuine from the scam artists, scam artists sound genuine enough till get their dosh. Hence better to avoid totally:D

Paulgonnabedebtfree

Transformer wrote: »

As if its that easy to tell the genuine from the scam artists, scam artists sound genuine enough till get their dosh. Hence better to avoid totally:D

That's the problem really. I know that I'm honest as does anyone who knows me. A stranger on the doorstep doesn't though.

no_choice_now

Paulgonnabedebtfree wrote: »

I agree with most of your post but disagree with you saying that some people deserve to be scammed. Just because someone may be suffering from temporary (or even permanent) stupidity, it does not make it open season to cheat them. IMO of course.

Of course that was tongue-in-cheek hence why I added the "once bitten twice shy" bit. But there is a degree of truth to the subject, just as people who play with plug sockets will eventually learn the hard way that it's not a good idea. If there is one pandemic the world is suffering from these days it's a lack of any degree of common sense.

It's a bit hard to argue that people without common sense don't deserve what comes to them. Reference playing with plug sockets / walking across a road without stopping and looking / jumping off a pier if you can't swim / etc etc the list goes on.

But why should honest tradesmen and consumers who require them be punished because there's a few bad eggs and a load of stupid people?

If a council can find the resources to fine a mother £75 because her daughter dropped a bit of sausage roll, they can sure find the resources to identify and fine unscrupulous traders without harming the honest ones. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-561762/I-dropped-morsel-girls-sausage-roll-litter-police-fined-75.html

no_choice_now

Transformer wrote: »

As if its that easy to tell the genuine from the scam artists, scam artists sound genuine enough till get their dosh. Hence better to avoid totally:D

It's really not very difficult to tell a tradesman that you will only pay when the job is completed satisfactorily. Any genuine tradesman would have no problem with this. It's not rocket science lol

fluffnutter

no_choice_now wrote: »

I find this to be very totalitarian, there are many genuine tradesmen who go door to door for their work so they can live and feed their family - as they have been doing for, say, the last several thousand years. For some reason a corrupt transient administrative government now thinks it knows better?

This all smacks of typical SOCIAL ENGINEERING on behalf of the government and the MSM (and repeaters*) to try and program us in to thinking that self employed trades are a bad thing.

Of course there are unscrupulous individuals out there, lots being our "guests" from the EU. But anybody stupid enough to agree to something big on the spot probably deserves to be scammed as punishment for their epic stupidity. Once bitten twice shy.

* Repeater = any news provider who does copy-paste of government policy without critique and calls it news. A bit like this article.

How have you managed to turn a thread about unscrupulous doorstep selling practices into a thinly veiled dig at immigration??

And your comments about 'totalitarian', 'social engineering' and 'program... into thinking' are nothing short of paranoia.

Furthermore, you view anyone who is 'stupid' (try elderly or vulnerable or intimidated) enough to 'agree to something.. on the spot' as deserving of being ripped off and having 'epic stupidity'.

All in all, yours is a very unpleasant post.