Cold Calling

Cold calling, whether it be a stranger on the doorstep offering to trim a hedge or persistent recorded messages offering financial services or energy deals, can be a minor nuisance or at worst be intimidating and provoke fear. In 2010, the Office of Fair Trading received 130,000 complaints about doorstep sellers and telephone sales calls. The Citizens Advice Bureau report that debt management companies alone made a staggering 840 million cold calls in 2009.

These sales methods put people on the spot, pressurizing them into buying something they do not need, cannot afford or are scams. For some, saying no without feeling impolite is difficult and with some telephone calls, there may not be anyone at the other end of the line, just a recorded message.

The Office of Fair Trading recommend having the confidence to say no and getting several quotations before making any large purchases. Registering with the free Telephone Preference Service, meanwhile, can help put an end to unwanted sales calls. They can be contacted on 0845 070 0707. Report any suspicious activity to the police, and advice about your rights as a consumer is available from Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.