Oldham residents alerted to bogus doorstep callers

Oldham Council

This comes after Trading Standards received reports from residents living in Royton, Chadderton, Shaw, Delph and Springhead, of approaches being made to carry out tasks such as garden works, tree felling, paving and jet washing.

Often doorstep callers have targeted areas with flyers that offer ‘discounts for OAP’s’ but the flyer contains no contact details relating to the business other than a phone number.

When a trader usually offers to carry out at a resident’s home, the consumer is normally entitled to a 14-day cancellation period and the trader is required to give a written notice of these cancellation rights which gives us full details of their business names, address and identity. In these cases, no notice has been given.

Councillor Ateeque Ur-Rehman, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods Services, said: “We take doorstep crimes very seriously in Oldham.

“These crimes not only affect people’s pockets, they can also have other significant consequences. That is why we must all do our bit to report these scams to avoid further residents falling victim to such crimes.

If you have been approached by these people, we advise you to say ‘no’ and not to be pressurised by their persuasive sales techniques. There is a high risk that the work will be shoddy, overpriced or not even completed.”

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