Questions
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Answers
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What sort of people is the zone designed to
prevent calling?
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The zone is primarily designed to reduce
instances of doorstep crime and distraction burglary and therefore
the primary purpose is to prevent rogue traders. However, the zone
is there to stop any unwanted cold callers and to empower residents
to have confidence to deter callers away who they do not wish to
deal with.
The zone is not designed to prevent people from distributing
leaflets or catalogues such as Betterware or the “Avon Lady”. It is
also not designed to stop people on legitimate business such as
gas, electricity and water meter readers.
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No Cold Calling Zones were established to
protect residents from unwanted doorstep callers. They are designed
to act as a deterrent to stop businesses cold calling in areas that
are clearly marked as No Cold Calling Zones. The zones empower
local residents to feel confident about sending unwanted callers
away.
The outcome is then a reduction in doorstep crime and distraction
burglary.
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How do businesses know they are operating in a
No Cold Calling Zone?
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Street signs are erected at all access points
used by cold callers to alert them that they are in a no cold
calling zone. Residents are all provided with stickers to display
on their front doors to make callers aware that the area is a No
Cold Calling Zone and that the resident will not deal with
them.
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What is cold calling?
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Cold calling is the act of making unrequested
and uninvited visits to consumers’ homes with the intention of
selling goods or services.
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Is cold calling illegal?
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Cold calling is not illegal, however, anyone
who does sell you goods or services that cost more than £35 is
required to provide you with a written notice giving you 7 days in
which to cancel. If this notice is not provided the contract for
the goods or services will not be enforceable meaning you will not
have to pay even if goods have been provided or work has been
carried out. Anyone who fails to give this notice will also be
committing a criminal offence, which Trading Standards will
investigate.
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Can I refuse someone entry to my home?
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Yes, absolutely. You are under no obligation
to allow anyone to enter your home and can refuse access. You
should never allow anyone access to your home unless you are able
to verify their authenticity and confirm that they have a valid
reason for being there. Legitimate callers will not mind being
challenged and will expect you to ask them for identification and
want to check that it is genuine.
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How can I check whether a caller is genuine
and has a legitimate reason for calling at my property?
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Very few people will actually have a
legitimate reason for turning up at your home unannounced and
without an appointment. However, on rare occasions some legitimate
callers may call at your home.
The most likely people to visit your home unannounced are utility
companies attending your property to read a meter. Most of these
companies operate a password scheme allowing you to register a
password. Once you have registered your password, any caller from
the company should be asked to provide the password before being
given access to your property. If they cannot provide the password
they are not from the utility company and should be told to leave.
You should be able to find the details for registering a password
on utility bills, if you cannot find the details call the customer
service number and ask about their password scheme.
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Can politicians call when canvassing?
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The zones are not designed to prevent
politicians from canvassing for elections, however, residents are
under no obligation to speak to anyone at the door and canvassers
are encouraged to respect residents’ wishes.
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Can religious groups call?
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As with politicians, the zones are not
designed to stop religious groups from calling. However, residents
are under no obligation to speak to anyone at the door and
religious groups are encouraged to respect residents’ wishes.
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Can market researchers call?
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The zones are not designed to prevent market
research from being undertaken. However, this should not be market
research that includes the selling or promotion of goods or
services. Where possible we would always encourage market
researchers to make appointments before calling.
Residents are under no obligation to speak to anyone at the door
and canvassers are encouraged to respect residents’ wishes.
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Can charity collectors call?
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The zones do not seek to prevent legitimate
charity collections, however, we would expect charity collectors be
able to satisfactorily identify themselves.
Some charities ask for donations to be left for collection, usually
they will leave a bag or a leaflet and then return to collect
items. If you get requests like this you should always read the
details provided as not all collectors that collect in this way are
acting for charitable purposes, often you will find that the
collector is a business collecting items to sell for profit and
they will include a company registration number on their paperwork
as opposed to a charity registration number.
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How can I find out if the charity calling is
genuine?
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All charities are required to be registered
with the Charity Commission. You cannot claim to be a charity if
you are not registered. Some organisations that carry out
collections are not charities but businesses collecting clothing or
other goods to sell for profit. To check whether an organisation is
a registered charity you should visit the Charity Commission
website.
Any charity carrying out collections for money has to get a permit
from the local borough or district council giving permission for
this. If you want to confirm that the charity collection is
authorised you can contact your local borough or district council
who should be able to tell you.
There is no requirement for a permit if you are not collecting
money.
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What can be done if someone does cold call in
a No Cold Calling Zone?
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It is not illegal to cold call, even in a No
Cold Calling Zone. However, in a No Cold Calling Zone the residents
have made a decision that they do not want cold callers.
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What should I do if I receive a cold call?
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Trading Standards advice is always to say no
to cold callers. We would advise against dealing with anyone who
makes a cold call to your home to try to sell goods or
services.
To report suspicious incidents of cold calling you should
telephone Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454
040506 or visit the
Citizens Advice Website
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