Conned by competitions
(for all nations)
Enter your postcode in the field at the bottom of this page to see if your local authority trading standards department has the full leaflet version available on its website.
Many people receive mailshots or telephone calls telling them they have won something such as holidays, jewellery, electrical goods, cash sums, etc. Be aware that to claim such prizes you may have to attend a long presentation and there may be hidden costs, or make a lengthy phone call charged at a premium rate, or accept a long demonstration of a product in your own home.
If someone telephones you, or calls at your door whether they were invited or uninvited, and the goods cost more than £35, you have rights to cancel the contract within a seven-day cooling-off period. Failure by the company to give you notice of these cancellation rights is a criminal offence.
