The scammers you cannot avoid

Millions of people have been unable to avoid these dodgy scammers, who target you even in the safety of your own home. Here's how to fight back.

Not many people knock at my door. The postman occasionally, or a neighbour, but (touch wood) that's pretty much it. If there is a knock at the door, my wife and I tend to share a slightly puzzled look.

However, others aren't quite so lucky, and are on the receiving end of regular visits from door-to-door salesman flogging all sorts.

And a new campaign from the Office of Fair Trading suggests that there should be cause for concern when you hear a knock at the door.

Dodgy doorstep traders

The watchdog has launched a campaign seeking to raise awareness of the number of dodgy door-to-door salesmen and the techniques they employ, after revealing nearly three million people have at some point been caught out by a rogue doorstep trader.

And it can prove a very expensive mistake to make. Victims of such shady salesmen have lost an average of £600, rising to a whopping £1,100 for those over the age of 55.

What are they selling?

It's worth noting at this point that there are plenty of doorstep salesmen who are legitimate. It is, after all, a completely legal way to try to drum up business.

However, a number of these salesmen are dodgy as hell. And they could be peddling anything, from phony energy deals to electrical goods to home improvements. And while they will always be offering their services at a very attractive price, you are basically waving goodbye to that money.

It's on the rise

And it's becoming more of a problem.

Consumer Direct, the Office of Fair Trading's consumer advice service, has reported receiving nearly 4,000 complaints so far in 2009 about cold callers offering home repairs - up a massive 18% on last year.

A massive 84% of respondents to the survey reported being approached by cold callers in their own home. Worryingly, half (49%) said they felt uncomfortable or intimidated by the process.

Time to fight back!

I particularly like the name of the Office of Fair Trading's campaign - Your Doorstep, Your Decision.

That really gets to the crux of it for me - it's your home, so it's up to you whether you want to open the door to these people, how much of your time you give them, and whether you want to deal with them. Irrespective of the pressure techniques they may employ, you hold all the aces and can call a halt to proceedings at any time.

Here are the main techniques used by these shady salesmen to pressure you into signing on the dotted line. Avoid being manipulated by any of these and you're halfway there.

• The salesman arrives with a gift, and it seems rude not to invite them in or at least discuss what they are selling.
• The seller highlights things in your home, and pretends to be interested in similar subjects, in an attempt to convey that you have lots in common.
• The salesman emphasises the urgency of the offer. You are offered a discount (occasionally with a fake 'call to the boss' to check that the salesman can offer such a 'huge' discount), and made to feel that you are missing out if you don't sign up right away.
• The seller gets you to agree to a harmless statement. By doing so, you are starting to say yes to the sale, probably without realising. The salesman will then ensure that you feel embarrassed if you do not sign up to the deal, having already implied that you will.
• The seller emphasises that the deal will make you happy, as has been the case with previous customers.

• The salesperson will highlight that the product or service has been endorsed or approved by experts - perhaps a professional association or charity.

What you should ask of them

Not all doorstep salesmen are dodgy.

If you want to check that the trader who has called at your home is completely legitimate, then there are six simple things that they should do. So long as your visitor meets these criteria, they are ok.

1) Firstly they should present clear personal identification, and make explicit who it is they are representing.

2) If they are seeking to sell you something, this should be made obvious from the outset.

3) Here's a crucial one - a legitimate trader should provider written information on cooling off periods and cancellation rights.

4) Sellers should avoid using pressure tactics to close a sale

5) They also should not expect an on-the-spot decision

6) And finally, if you ask them to leave, they should do so immediately. If they try to linger, then they are far from squeaky clean.

Learn your rights

If you are wary about your rights as a consumer, then you've come to the right place!

First of all, get up to speed on the latest debt related rip-off by watching this video: Watch out for this debt rip-off

Next, make sure you are clear on your rights as a consumer by reading both Three consumer rights myths exploded and Know your online shopping rights.

And finally, if you have any issues or queries that still need resolving, why not head over to our Q&A section and pick the brains of your fellow lovemoney.com users?

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