Cardiff Council’s Trading Standards Service together with the All-Wales Doorstep Crime Partnership has launched a guide to raise awareness about unwanted doorstep callers. The pamphlets, which have the slogan ‘If in doubt, keep them out!, help advise people what to do when they have an unknown doorstep caller. The advice is:
- If you think a suspicious caller has been to your door report it to the Police immediately. Dial 999 or use your local police force general contact number.
- Try to remember a description of the persons, their vehicle or anything else suspicious as it may help track them down.
- Don’t let a rogue trader try to pressure you by saying a neighbour has already had the work done or has bought what they are offering.
- Be wary if they say that they are only in the area for a short time and put pressure on you to make a quick decision.
- Don’t trust anyone who knocks on your door and says you have something wrong with your house that they can fix. Ask yourself why you haven’t noticed before.
- Don’t be fooled by anyone saying they can do the job at a knock down or special rate.
- Think about asking traders who cold call at your door to leave some literature that you can look at in your own time so that you don’t feel pressured into buying what they are offering.
- If you feel that what they are offering is a scam you may want to tell your friends and neighbours in case they try the same thing on them.
Councillor Judith Woodman, Executive Member for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, said: “Getting a call from a stranger can be a worrying experience, particularly if you are elderly or live alone. These pamphlets help to raise awareness about how to deal with this situation without putting yourself at risk. They give simple advice about how to find out if the caller is genuine and, if you’re still not sure, they tell you to keep them out. No-one should feel intimidated in their own home and we would urge anyone who has concerns to contact the police.”
