Doorstep crime usually starts with a friendly knock and an offer that sounds sensible: a roof that “looks damaged”, a driveway that could be resurfaced cheaply, a gardener working nearby. This guide sets out what Trading Standards advice and Citizens Advice guidance say about unsolicited callers, and how the 14-day cooling-off rule works if a contract has already been agreed at home. The Citizens Advice pages relied on here apply to England, and Citizens Advice publishes separate advice for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which is not covered.
How doorstep selling goes wrong
Trading Standards advice for the south west of England, published by Devon and Somerset Trading Standards, warns that hundreds of people every year in that region fall victim to rogue traders and scammers, from doorstep sellers to cyber criminals. It stresses that anyone can be a victim and that there is no reason to be embarrassed about reporting. Its guidance on finding a tradesperson for work at home is direct: do not agree to work offered by unsolicited doorstep callers.
Warning signs listed by Trading Standards
The same guidance lists behaviours to refuse or treat as warning signs:
- being rushed into a decision;
- being asked to pay in cash, which is not traceable;
- being taken to the bank, or being asked to transfer money, before any work has started;
- relying on glossy flyers or an impressive website, which may not show the trader’s own work;
- relying on social media posts or trader approval platforms without doing your own research.
The guidance also says that if someone knocks on your door and you are not sure, you should not open it.
What to do instead
The Trading Standards checklist for hiring a business to work on a home includes:
- get three written quotes from reputable businesses;
- research each company, for example by asking for references and looking online;
- decide who to use in your own time;
- make sure you have the full name of the company and the person doing the work, and their contact details, including address, phone number and email;
- ask to see professional qualifications, public liability insurance and, where relevant, a waste carrier’s licence;
- ask whether the company has an Alternative Dispute Resolution policy, so that an independent body is available if things go wrong.
On rubbish removal, the guidance says a householder could face an unlimited fine if their waste is fly-tipped and they cannot show they took reasonable steps to prevent it. It advises checking a carrier on the Register of Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers and keeping a proper invoice and receipt.
The 14-day cooling-off period (England)
Citizens Advice explains that if a business approaches you somewhere away from its own premises, and the service costs £42 or more, you get a 14-day cooling-off period. In that time you can cancel for any reason and get your money back. The period begins the day after you enter the contract, whether it is written down or oral, and 14 days is the minimum a seller must give, so it is worth checking the terms and conditions in case more time has been offered.
For building, decorating or landscaping work, Citizens Advice says the same 14-day period applies if you arranged the job by phone, on the internet, by mail order or somewhere outside the business’s premises, including at your home or workplace. After the cooling-off period ends, your cancellation rights are the same as if you had arranged the work at the business’s premises. There are exceptions: for example, you do not automatically get a cooling-off period if you have something specially made, such as made-to-measure curtains.
Getting money back
If you paid up front or made a deposit and cancel within the cooling-off period, Citizens Advice says you are entitled to all of the money back. The exception is where you asked for services to begin during the cooling-off period: the business can then keep what is necessary to cover the cost of services provided up to the point of cancellation. If a business did work at your request in that period and you paid nothing, you will probably be expected to pay for it unless your contract says otherwise. Citizens Advice suggests sending a cancellation letter or email, keeping a copy as proof, and following up any phone call in writing.
Reporting
Trading Standards guidance says that if a doorstep criminal is on your property now, you should call the police on 999. If you think a rogue trader is operating in your area, call the police on 101. Scams and rogue traders can also be reported through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133, and the guidance says Citizens Advice passes reported scams to Trading Standards.
Frequently asked questions
Does the cooling-off period apply if I invited the trader?
Citizens Advice describes the rule in terms of where the contract was arranged rather than who made first contact: if you were approached, or arranged the work, away from the business’s premises, including at your home, the 14-day period applies subject to the £42 threshold and the exceptions listed above.
Is cash ever safe?
Trading Standards advises against paying by cash because it is not traceable, and against paying before work has started.
What if I only agreed verbally?
Citizens Advice says the cooling-off period begins the day after an oral contract as well as a written one.
The bottom line
Unsolicited doorstep offers should be declined, with any work commissioned through researched, written quotes from named businesses in the customer’s own time. If an agreement has already been made at home for £42 or more, the 14-day cooling-off period in England allows cancellation for any reason, in writing, with a refund subject to the exceptions above. Rogue traders on the doorstep can be reported to the police and to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.