Door-to-Door Sales Fraud Solicitors in London
Updated on Friday 29th November 2019
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Door-to-door sales are common practices anywhere in the world, but unfortunately, many of them are nothing but scams. False salespersons use different tactics to convince people to buy things they will never receive or need. Fraudsters have varied methods and sales tactics to make money and leave innocent people without money. If you are a victim of fraud, you should talk to our door-to-door sales fraud solicitors in London and ask for legal advice. The same thing is available for persons accused of fraud who need to get in touch with a criminal defence solicitor in London for help.
How does the fraud mechanism work?
Fraudsters can sell different things at the door, such as magazine subscriptions, home decorations and small appliances, medical products, alert systems and other things that numerous persons do not need. Here are a few steps and tactics that should raise question marks when dealing with them:
- Door-to-door sellers present a wide range of products that look genuine and that are quite expensive.
- The story sounds quite convincing and fraudsters have a very persuasive speech when presenting the products or services.
- False sellers ask for money or even details about the bank account, promising that the products will be delivered the next day.
- To be more credible, door-to-door sellers present a contract with information about the company they represent and about the products they sell.
- To conclude the sale even faster, fraudsters ask for cash payments and then promise that the products are on their way.
Unfortunately, elderly persons are most the vulnerable to this type of scams, and door-to-door sellers know that they can be easily fouled. Our criminal defence lawyers in London can give proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Also, persons accused of frauds should seek immediate legal advice from one of our door-to-door sales fraud solicitors in London who can take your case and offer a suitable approach in front of the authorities.
Common door-to-door scams
Donations, survey scams, home maintenance scams, students claiming they want to raise funds for school, electricity providers saying the contract is expired or sellers presenting all sorts of domestic products are common door-to-door scams that people must pay attention to. Anything that looks or sounds suspicious from a seller’s presentation should make people think more about the validity and authenticity of the services or goods offered. Above all, it is important to know that people should not feel pressured or forced to buy things they do not want, and they can close the deal at any moment without any concerns regarding the seller.
How can we protect against door-to-door sales frauds?
Refusing to open the door to strangers and give personal information and eventually money is still available for persons of any age. However, if you believe that the door-to-door seller is genuine, and want to talk to him/her, be sure you take some precaution measures:
- Ask for ID and information about the company he/she represents;
- Avoid letting the seller enter your house for further presentations and discussions;
- You should call the company the seller represents and see if he/she really works there;
- Do not sign a contract without reading it in the first place and do not give money for products you didn’t see;
- Feel free to close any discussion if the seller is pushy or uses high-pressure sales methods.
The attraction of purchasing products or services right at the doorstep of your house is huge, but above this, it is highly recommended to verify if the seller really works for the company he/she represents. You should pay attention to all the details and never give personal information, particularly if the seller is persuasive and asks for money. People who believe they have been scammed should seek immediate legal advice and support from a door-to-door sales fraud solicitor in London. You can also get in touch with the Citizens Advice and report such scams right away.
Frauds in UK
Frauds take many forms and among these door-to-door scams are widespread, transforming persons into real victims in a couple of minutes. We have gathered facts and statistics about frauds in UK that you might find them interesting:
- E-commerce frauds using debit or credit cards summing up to around GBP 393.4 million have been registered in 2018.
- Approximately GBP 218.2 million representing cheque frauds have been prevented last year.
- More than 17,000 door-to-door scams are reported each year in UK.
- Most of the persons trapped by door-to-door scams are more than 65 years of age.
If you need legal advice for fraud cases like these, feel free to contact our door-to-door sales fraud solicitors in London.