Selling in Consumers' Homes?

New Regulations protect consumers when buying products and services from traders visiting them at home or work etc. Customers now have seven days to change their mind. Previously, they only had these cancellation rights if a trader's visit was not pre-arranged.

Businesses will need to make changes to their sales contracts to comply with the law. Companies that fail to comply with the regulations will not be able to enforce their contracts, and will be breaching the law which could lead to prosecution and fines.

In addition the following sales practices are specifically banned :-

a.    Overstaying your welcome - you must not outstay your welcome in the           consumers home and must not ignore the consumers request for you to leave and not return;

b.   Pestering the consumer - you must not make persistent, unwanted solicitations by telephone, fax, email or other remote media in order to make a sale;

c.    Using guilt to make sales - inferring that the sales persons job could be on the line if the customer does not buy the product or service;

d.    Aggressive doorstep selling;

e.   Trading unfairly in any way

It is important that all businesses begin to review their business practices thoroughly to ensure that they do not fall foul of the new rules.

The legislation referred to above is:-