Rogue Traders are people who pretend to be builders needing to do 'urgent' repairs or sales people offering bargain products. They often pressurise householders to pay in advance for materials or do poor work at highly inflated prices.

They will often cold call on vulnerable households and deliberately overcharge for unsatisfactory goods and services. This can include charging for unnecessary work, damaging property deliberately in order to obtain money, leaving work unfinished and intimidating householders.

Victims of this practice are often vulnerable or elderly and in the most serious cases, offenders will return to the same victim again and again until their savings are exhausted.

Our recommended advice on tackling doorstep rogue traders includes:

• Close and lock your back door before answering the front door.
• Use a spy hole, chain or window to have a look at the caller before answering the door. If you do not recognise them speak through the closed and locked door. 
• Display a No Cold Calling sticker on your door - these are free and available from your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
• Never buy goods and services from people calling at your door.
• If the caller is selling something or offering work on your house or garden tell them that you are not interested and ask them to leave.
• If they do not leave tell them you will call the police.
• Always ask for proof of identity. Take it from the person (through the letterbox) and read it carefully.
• Phone the company or organisation the caller claims to be from (use the number in the phone book) to confirm their identity.
• If you have any doubt – keep them out.

If you do need to employ a tradesman, please remember these useful tips: 

• Avoid any cold callers that may turn up or ring unexpectedly or unannounced offering to carry out repairs.
• When seeking a reliable trader, talk to family, friends and neighbours to get recommendations, or look for a Trust mark-registered firm. Details of accredited traders in your area are available from Norfolk Trusted Trader. Report any unscrupulous traders either to police or Trading Standards.
• Ask traders to provide you with written contact details, and consider getting written quotes (not estimates) from at least three traders. Ask about insurance backed guarantees.
• Consumer law allows you a seven day cooling off period so you can change your mind about any service offered by someone who arrives uninvited or by appointment.
• Keep back part of the cost until the repair job has been satisfactorily completed. This will provide an incentive for the trader to complete the job or put right any problems.