FAQs - Doorstep selling
Our most frequently asked questions about doorstep selling are below.
If your question hasn't been answered, then please telephone Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.
Or you can visit their website at www.direct.gov.uk/consumer (opens in a new window).
You can also view our leaflets by using the link in the more information section on this page.
Q - My elderly parents received a visit out of the blue from a company selling house alarms. They were persuaded to pay nearly £3000 and the alarm was fitted the next day. Do they have any rights?
A - Yes. If you are visited by a salesman knocking door to door and you agree to buy something at that visit, you are normally allowed a cooling off period. (There are a few exceptions, for instance for items costing less than £35).
Even if the trader fitted the alarm within that time you may still be able to cancel and ask them to remove it at no cost.
This will depend on whether it has been permanently connected to your property.
We would argue that a wireless system is not permanently fixed.
Related documents
The following documents are in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download the PDF software for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)