Consumer watchdog warns over cold-callers

CONSUMER rights chiefs have urged householders to give cold-calling tradesmen a chilly reception if they try their hard-sell tactics on the doorstep.

Claims of cut-price home improvements, two-for-one deals and limited time offers should all be treated with deep suspicion, the National Consumer Agency (NCA) has said. Calls to the NCA’s helpline suggest that all too often people fall for what seems like a bargain and find out too late that they’ve made a costly error of judgment. “It is something that happens year-round but during the summer period it seems to be more prevalent,” said agency assistant director Catherine Lenihan.

The services most commonly offered are paving or tarmacing driveways, replacing gutters, installing new windows and landscaping gardens. Typically, the sales patter includes claims that the company is in the neighbourhood for a limited period and is only offering the special deal while working locally.

“They often say they can do the job immediately and householders love the convenience of that because it is difficult trying to arrange a suitable time for tradespeople to call. They know exactly how to approach people.” Often, however, they seek an up-front cash payment to buy materials that don’t appear, or do the job as promised but use inferior materials or unqualified labour with no guarantee.

“In Limerick there was a particular area targeted by tarmac people from the UK. We’ve also had a good few complaints about a PVC guttering crowd who were telling people it would add value to their house — which of course people love to hear. But we also got another complaint from someone who was told — completely incorrectly — that if they paid for improvements they would get half the money back from the council,” she said.

Hard-sell tactics are outlawed under consumer protection legislation as an “aggressive practice” but Ms Lenihan admits it is a hard offence to prove and prosecute. Equally difficult is pursuing rogue traders who disappear after doing a poor job. Not to tar every tradesman with the same brush, the NCA is offering tips to householders to help them tell the cowboy from the genuine service supplier.

“If they’re genuine, they’ll be happy to give you their office address, landline number and names of customers they’ve worked for and to go away and give you time to check all that out. If they want the work, they’ll come back. With the way the economy is now, they should be doing everything to give a customer confidence in them and you have the right to expect that,” said Ms Lenihan.

* NCA: 1890 432 432 or consumerconnect.ie.