Advice against Doorstep callers

This entry was posted in General July 16, 2018

At Ableworld we pride ourselves on being an ethical trader that will never pressure sell our mobility items, and if we feel that a product should have an assessment then we will not sell these items before we have discussed and demonstrated the product in person.

Our Ableworld staff will never knock on your door to sell our products or services, nor will we pressure sell over the telephone, as we know this is an unethical way to do business. There is, however, many companies that do work like this, and in turn manage to upturn large sums of cash. Doorstep callers are persuasive in the way they can get you to open your door to them, however this can immediately put you in danger of a potential scam.

While there are legitimate tradespeople and officials, it is wise to be alert when answering your door. Doorstep scammers can be persuasive or pushy, but also polite or friendly, and it can be easy to fall victim. It is especially important to be vigilant and mindful if you live on your own.

At Ableworld we know how upsetting it can be to be faced with a Doorstep caller, therefore below are some useful tips to guard against them:

• If you open the door and are in doubt about the caller, keep them out. If they are genuine they will contact you by other means, such as by letter.
• Have a door security chain installed onto your door, and make sure it is attached when you open the door. This way you can view the caller and still speak, but you are ensuring that they cannot come any further.
• Always ask and check the identification of the caller by phoning their employer. Do not use the phone number they supply, but keep a list of key contact numbers near your phone so you can check out if they are a legitimate caller.
• Never agree to callers who say “we are only in the area today”. Do not let anyone carry out work on your house until you get a second opinion. If you take their details, you can be the one who then decides if and when the work gets done.
• Never keep large sums of money in the house and keep purses out of sight, not near the door.
• Never give out any of your details or signature. Some scammers ask you to complete a survey so they can get hold of your personal details, or use it to persuade you to buy something from them.
• Call a friend, neighbour or relative about any scams you become aware of. Contact a local relative or nominated neighbour who can help verify a cold caller.
• Report scams or suspected scams to Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040. If you think someone is a rogue trader call 101, or to report a distraction burglar or rogue trader that has taken your money and is still in the area, call 999.

Remember you always have the right to ask all unwanted callers to go away and not return.

At Ableworld we genuinely care about the safety wellbeing of our customers, and therefore if you are concerned about a local mobility doorstep caller, please contact your local Ableworld store where we will be able to assist you further.

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