Your Security: Door to Door Sales

Your home is your sanctuary. However, unexpected visits from door to door sales people can easily shake this sense of security. When your doorbell rings without warning, make sure that you understand your rights.

Although many legitimate businesses still use a door to door sales approach, it is a method that is attractive to scammers because it gives them direct physical access to your home.

At 84 years old, Doreen lost over $7’000 in cash to door-to-door con men. She never heard from them again and was unfortunately unable to recover her losses.

While door to door scams are less predominant than telephone or online scams, they do still occur, especially to older people.

Scammers often target older people for the following reasons:

Assumptions of accumulated wealth
Free from dependents getting in the way
An older person may be more likely to live alone
Age-related health issues make older people a vulnerable target

Thankfully, Australian Consumer Law requires that businesses must operate in a way that protects consumers.

Here are just some of the obligations and requirements of door to door salespeople, as covered by Australian Consumer Laws. If visiting your home without your prior consent, they are required to:

Comply with contact hours: an uninvited visit can only occur between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm on Saturday and never on a Sunday or a Public Holiday.
Show identification and give full contact details: the representative must tell you what they are selling. They must show identification and give full contact details, both their own and the supplier they are representing – including their name and physical business address, the supplier’s business name, the supplier’s ABN or CAN and the phone number, email address and physical address of the supplier.
Leave your property immediately, if you ask them to: they cannot contact you for at least 30 days in relation to the product or service they have approached you about, once you ask them to leave.
Provide a written copy of any signed agreement, immediately: there is no negotiation on this. Don’t accept a “we’ll send you a copy in the mail”, they must provide you a copy as soon as you sign it.
Tell you about the cooling off period: the words ‘Important Notice to the Consumer: you have a right to cancel this agreement within 10 business days…’ should be clearly stated on your copy of the agreement. The sales representative must tell you how you can go about ending the agreement.
Not ask you to waive your rights: any request for you to waive your cooling off period rights should ring alarm bells.

If you suspect you’ve just been scammed, visit Scamwatch to find out where to get help.

If, like most people, personal security is a priority for you, making the move into a retirement living community may be an option. In a retirement village, you will feel comfortable living in a secure environment.

Uninvited door to door salespeople are deterred thanks to visible signage, on-site village managers, gated access, security lighting and secure entry.

Begin the search with Retirement Living Online for your ideal new home in:

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