A roofing company knocked on the man's door and convinced him to sign a contract for work on a small flat roof of an outbuilding. They said the work was worth £6,000 and he reluctantly handed over a cheque for more than £500 as a deposit.
The next day, the pensioner was concerned about the cost of the work and was unhappy with the high pressure selling methods the trader had used during his uninvited visit. He cancelled the cheque and wrote a letter to the trader explaining why he was cancelling the contract.
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The trader was unhappy and rang him to insist he reinstate the contract and deposit. They also wrote to him telling him he couldn't cancel and contract and threatened county court action.
At this stage, the elderly man contacted the County Council's trading standards team for advice. An officer informed the trader that they had not given the correct cancellation rights and so the contract was unenforceable.
The trader has now confirmed that the contract has been cancelled and they have given written assurance that they will stop trading in this way.
Councillor Mick Murphy, Cabinet Member for Community Safety at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "It's despicable that companies can prey on the elderly in this way by just turning up at their door and pressurising them into agreeing to work they probably don’t even need. We hope this story helps other people find out more about their rights.
"I would also urge anyone who does need work to their home or garden to use our Buy With Confidence scheme, where all the traders have been vetted by our trading standards officers."
(CD/GK)
