Cold callers advice
It's rare nowadays for people to be tricked by rouge traders or doorstep scammers, but it's still important to be on your guard when answering the door to someone you don't know. Here's a few handy tips to bear in mind if a cold caller offers to carry out repairs or maintenance work on your home after a flood or storm.
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- Never engage with cold callers knocking on your door or who call out of the blue telling you that you have a problem.
- If work does need doing, get three quotes from different and independently sourced traders.
- Always ask for a written quote and contract for any work before engaging a business.
- Never pay up front before the work is complete.
- Be careful with online reviews of businesses as these may not be genuine.
- Make sure to get all contact details for the trader, including their name, address, phone number and/or email address.
- Carry out independent checks (where possible) to satisfy yourself that they are who they say they are, and their business is located where they say it is.
- Don’t feel pressured into making a quick decision.
- If you require emergency repairs and have household insurance which covers the risk, use the insurance emergency helplines.
- If you require any emergency repairs, make sure to go with a reputable trader: don’t rely on social media recommendations.
- Ask friends and/or family for genuine recommendations.