Public warned to be wary of ‘uninvited salespeople’

Trading Standards and Police Scotland have today issued a warning after reports that traders visiting Orkney are offering machinery, tools and other goods for sale.

Householders, farmers, and other businesses in the county are being reminded by the council and the police service that doorstep calls from uninvited salespeople are unlikely to result in any great bargains, in many cases, leading to complaints about high-pressure selling of over-priced and poor quality goods or services – which are very often not needed, wanted, or planned.

The law generally requires door-to-door sales people to give consumers:

• A notice detailing cancellation rights.
• A 14-day cooling-off period within which consumers can cancel any agreement and receive a full refund.
• Information on how consumers can cancel the contract.

The law also requires that traders going door to door possess a street traders’ licence or pedlars’ certificate – you should ask to see this.

The Council’s trading standards manager, Gary Foubister, said: “From the experience of enforcement agencies, doorstep traders often turn up at homes causing stress and worry for some of our most vulnerable householders and then disappear without leaving so much as an address.

“This makes it impossible to obtain any redress should the goods develop a fault.”

Anyone with any concerns about the sellers’ approaches is being asked to report information such as the type and registration number of any vehicles used.

Police Scotland can be contacted on 101 or Trading Standards can be contacted  via 873535 or by email at trading.standards@orkney.gov.uk