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Early WarningsLancashire Trading Standards Service has established a network to quickly send out warnings by email whenever we receive information about potential dodgy traders, particularly when they are targeting the elderly and vulnerable. If you want to be included in our email notifications please email Dawn Robinson If you have information about suspect traders or scams please contact Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506, website Consumer Direct. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once. For details of the latest warnings about doorstep criminals and scams in and around Lancashire click on the links below
Lancashire residents are asked not to deal with a cold calling damp proofing and building contractor, a limited company with various addresses including a Barnsley one, believed to be currently offering free damp proof surveys in the Hyndburn area, and likely to move elsewhere in Lancashire soon. In 2007, Lancashire Trading Standards Service were notified of problems with the company targeting vulnerable people in Lancashire, claiming that it is illegal not to have a Damp Proof Course and that residents wouldn't be able to sell their house without one. They are also believed to have claimed that the damp in consumers' houses would cause major wood rot. Whilst making appointments they ask a number of questions which help target vulnerable individuals e.g. is the person over 50, do they live alone and whether they have any builders in the family, information we would advise householders not to disclose in such circumstances. We strongly advise consumers never to deal with cold callers. However, consumers who do should be aware that they will have a seven-day cooling off period to cancel any work agreed to, or any purchases made over £35, although if the trader has already begun to carry out any job when cancellation occurs, the customer may have to pay for the work carried out so far. Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against the customer unless information about your right to cancel is given in writing. Please refer any complaints and further information to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street, Preston, Lancashire via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Lancashire residents are asked to be wary about cold calling jewellery purchaser who is currently operating in the Fulwood PR2 area. Lancashire Trading Standards Service has received information about a man in his 50's smartly dressed in a suit and with an affected posh accent who is targeting central Lancashire households this week, purchasing medals and jewellery from elderly householders. In addition please watch out for two men with Irish accents, driving a small white van with yellow writing and a mobile number on the side, who have been targeting households in the Morecambe LA4 area today (22/09). They offer to tarmac drives, and then try to buy not-for-sale vehicles and caravans off householders, using persistence to get their way. Please advise all contacts not to deal with cold callers, and refer any complaints and further information to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street, Preston, Lancashire via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Lancashire residents are asked to be wary about a bogus clothing collection company which is currently targeting the county. Lancashire Trading Standards Service has received information about a company which leafleted households in the Fulwood and Chorley areas this week, and may now be heading elsewhere.
Brands affected Kirov, Kremlin and Glen's vodka, sold in 70cl bottles, have been identified as the most common counterfeits, with a recent problem over Spar Imperial vodka sold at non-Spar outlets- it is stressed that there is no problem with the Imperial sold in Spar shops. Identification The counterfeit SPAR Imperial Vodka has a hint of acetone smell (similar to nail varnish). Bottles of the counterfeit samples are identified by the code QI:1445c and a smudged inkjet code reading that looks like 102234 04/08/02. Legitimate bottles are notated by 700ml66mm followed by two symbols and then the numbers 8809. There is no lot code present on the neck of the counterfeit bottle samples, whereas lot codes are present on all legitimate stock. The only legitimate outlet is a Spar store and if sold elsewhere they should be considered suspicious. Issues with methanol The bulk of the alcohol comes from Eastern Europe where counterfeiters often create a product containing levels of cheap, industrial chemicals such as methanol. Methanol is normally found in vodka at extremely low levels, but high levels should not be present. An excessive intake of methanol can cause poisoning and the effects include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness and dizziness, blurred vision leading to blindness, and breathing difficulties. Counterfeit vodka seized in Lancashire has been found to contain up to 20 times the maximum legal limit of methanol. Anyone who may have drunk counterfeit products is advised to seek immediate medical advice.
Residents are asked to be wary about an unknown male who is currently believed to be operating in the Chatburn, Ribble Valley area. He has recently knocked on an elderly lady's door in Chatburn & told her he was Keith from a company called Morbens (a real company who are believed to be unconnected with this man) & handed over the contact details for this company. The woman bought a mattress for £300 cash and was driven to the bank by the trader who ensured that she used her bank card to withdraw the money. She is unhappy with the product but is unable to obtain a refund since the contact details she has are unconnected to the actual trader who sold the goods. The trader cold calls and does not give written cancellation rights as required by law, he breaches the Business Names Act requirements, and he is prepared to apply pressure in order to get payment. Consumers agreeing to deal with cold callers should be aware that they will have a seven-day cooling off period to cancel any work agreed to, or any purchases made over £35, although if the trader has already begun to carry out any job when cancellation occurs, the customer may have to pay for the work carried out so far. Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against the customer unless information about your right to cancel is given in writing. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street , Preston, Lancashire via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Residents in the Fleetwood, Thornton , Cleveleys and Poulton areas are asked to be wary about a number of cold-calling tradesmen who are currently targeting these neighbourhoods. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street , Preston, Lancashire via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Residents who like a flutter on the horses are being warned not fall for the bogus racing tipster mailings currently sweeping the country. The Office of Fair Trading estimates that punters lose at least £5million every year to such scams. Punters are often 'guaranteed £10,000 a week' using 'unrivalled access to insider information' for a discounted membership fee of £100. Every week hundreds of people lose money to a variety of tipster scams. Often victims receive a glossy mailing from a fake 'racing pundit' who claims to have access to inside information from trainers and owners and an amazing success rate that guarantees large profits. Other tipster scams promise consumers a regular income placing bets on other people's behalf with punters told to send on winnings for successful bets while losses are "protected" by a money-back guarantee. Victims often end up paying hundreds of pounds for a non-existent service and when they try to get their money back they find out that the pundit's name is made up and the address given is just a mailbox. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street , Preston , Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any loss of money the matter should also be referred to the police.
Residents are asked to be wary about two men with Irish accents, who have been recently working in the Aughton area offering to carry out gardening work door to door. They use a mobile number and a number with a 01704 area code, and drive a white transit van with a trailer and the name of the company on the side. The name of the company is believed to consist of two initials followed by Tree Technology. They have a card which states they offer special rates of 35% discount for OAPs, and that will accept payment by cheque but refuse to do this in practice. On one occasion they drove an elderly lady to the cashpoint and charged several hundred pounds to trim a hedge. Secondly be aware that a Trader called Tree Services, believed to start with a man's name, who also claim to offer special rates for OAPs but in this case use a 01254 number, recently cold called an elderly lady in the Skelmersdale area and charged her £380 to trim some trees. Despite disagreeing with the price she was intimidated into paying in cash since three men came into her house to tell her the final cost and take the money. Thirdly, there are concerns about a trader named after a local river valley, who uses a 01524 number and advertises in local newspapers including the Citizen, who has recently taken £9,000 from a Morecambe resident for painting, flooring and guttering work which has apparently been badly done or is unfinished. Two men work together to carry out the jobs, and are aggressive when their standard of work is questioned. All of the above three traders are believed to cold call and not give written cancellation rights, there are also indications that they are prepared to apply pressure in order to get payment. Consumers agreeing to deal with cold callers should be aware that they will have a seven-day cooling off period to cancel any work agreed to, or any purchases made over £35, although if the trader has already begun to carry out any job when cancellation occurs, the customer may have to pay for the work carried out so far. Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against the customer unless information about your right to cancel is given in writing. We advise residents never to deal with cold-callers, to ensure you obtain full name, address and landline details from all workmen, and to double-check identification and references from other customers- do not assume credentials are genuine. Also ensure any price you are quoted is fair and genuine by obtaining estimates from other traders, and by ensuring the work agreed and the price to be charged is written down on a quotation before you agree to the work starting. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street , Preston , Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Residents in the PR6 area of Chorley are alerted to concerns about a high pressure sales team selling carpet cleaners and currently operating in their area. The company is contacting residents and offering to clean carpets for free in return for comments on the cleaning performance. However, once in the house to provide this free service, the salesmen refuse to leave until they have sold one of the cleaners. In one house they stayed for over two hours until the sale was finally agreed. They are believed to be targeting elderly and vulnerable consumers with hard line sales techniques. Be warned that if you or your neighbours deal with this company you may end up paying £2000 for an unwanted vacuum cleaner. We advise residents never to deal with cold callers. Anyone who does deal with a tradesman who cold-calls will have a seven-day cooling off period to cancel any work agreed to, or any purchases made over £35, although if the trader has already begun to carry out any job when you cancel, you may have to pay for the work carried out so far. Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against the consumer unless information about this right to cancel is given in writing. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street, Preston, Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against the consumer unless information about this right to cancel is given in writing. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street, Preston, Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against you unless information about your right to cancel is given in writing. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street , Preston , Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
There are five traders driving a white van, they have Irish accents and claim to be from Birmingham . One man and a cleaning machine is left at each property and collected shortly afterwards. We strongly advise residents not to deal with any cold callers. However, if you are caught, be aware that when dealing with cold callers there is a seven-day cooling off period to change your mind, cancel any purchases you have made over £35, and obtain a refund. The contract will not be enforceable against you unless information about your right to cancel is given in writing. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street , Preston , Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once on 999.
Reports of poor workmanship by G'n'A Roofline Services Lancashire Trading Standards Service has received a number of complaints about the quality of work carried out by a company of two men, one with an Irish accent, calling themselves G ‘n' A Roofline Services, and giving an address in Cheshire on paperwork. G ‘n' A Roofline Services has been cold calling local residents in the Preston and Chorley areas and offering to fit a dry verge cap system for gable ends, which is a system where plastic caps are fitted to the apex of the roof, in order to protect tiles and stop rain from entering. There are allegations that the trader initially quotes a high price but then offers a reduced rate to make householders feel that they are getting a bargain. Prices may then be increased when other ‘faults' are noticed, and in some instances the final bill has been £1,000 or more. Work appears to be carried out to an extremely poor standard and the trader is often reluctant to rectify the faults on any of the complaint premises. Some householders have been forced to pay out again for a reputable company to put the work right and fix leaks in their roofs. The company is also offering a ten year guarantee that may prove difficult to enforce, as the paperwork bears either no address or just an accommodation address. We advise residents not to deal with cold-callers, however if you do, the trader should give written 7-day cancellation rights , without which the contract will not be enforceable against the consumer Also to ensure you obtain full name, address and landline details from workmen, and to ask for identification and references from other customers. Obtain estimates from other traders, and ensure the work to be done and price to be charged is written down before you agree to the work starting. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street , Preston , Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Residents are advised to be wary of several men with Irish accents and a white van who cold called an elderly man in the Accrington area on Friday 11 January, did some unsatisfactory paving work on his drive, and drove him to the bank where he was made to hand over £2,500. They are believed to have also worked in the Ribbleton area lately. Any further information on such callers would be gratefully received. New scams include customers who have placed adverts in Loot being called by an unconnected man who claims to be from the paper, and wants the placer of the advert to hand over personal and credit card details so that the account can be processed manually following a problem with the details given. He gives a bogus telephone number when challenged. A company calling themselves US Petroleum Holdings have been writing to Lancashire residents asking if they wish to invest in a new oil well, copies of share certificates are provided and a good return on the investment promised, while a company from Frankfurt, Germany seems to be targeting the recent sellers of shares to ask if they wish to invest the money realised. The latter requests passport and driving licence numbers along with a banker's draft. In addition, Lancashire Trading Standards Service is still receiving complaints about bogus foreign lottery companies, often giving addresses in Spain or Holland, with either foreign names or names such as ‘UK Lottery' or ‘Euromillions'. A recent one is Biotonic Nivelle based in France . They all inform customers they have won a large sum of money but that they must pay an initial administration fee, and often hand over personal bank account details or fill in a form authorising banks to release information. Several Lancashire residents have lost large sums to these scams over the last three months. Meanwhile the usual fraudulent ‘phishing' emails claiming to be from Nationwide, Lloyds, RSBC etc are still doing the rounds demanding full account details, and despite publicity we are still receiving reports of victims. Any vulnerable individuals should be warned that there is an increasing number of these types of companies out there, that it is impossible to win on a foreign lottery unless you actually participate in one, and that many genuine national lotteries are only open to a country's own residents. No bona fide lottery, such as the El Gordo Spanish National Lottery, would demand up-front fees. And never give out your personal bank details in response to an unsolicited call or mailing. Consumers agreeing to deal with cold callers should be aware that they will have a seven-day cooling off period to cancel any work agreed to, or any purchases made over £35, although if the trader has already begun to carry out any job when cancellation occurs, the customer may have to pay for the work carried out so far. Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against the customer unless information about your right to cancel is given in writing. We advise residents not to deal with cold-callers, to ensure you obtain full name, address and landline details from workmen, and to ask for identification and references from other customers. Also ensure any price you are quoted is fair and genuine by obtaining estimates from other traders, and by ensuring the price to be charged is written down before you agree to the work starting. Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street, Preston, Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Updated 30th April 2008 Lancashire County Council Trading Standards,
58-60 Guildhall Street, Preston, Lancashire PR1 3NU. Web design: itsa Ltd |
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