Change to doorstep selling rules

Home owners who buy from salespeople who visit their homes now have seven days to cancel the agreement following an amendment to rules by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

The doorstep selling regulations cover all salespeople who visit consumers in their own homes, regardless of what they are selling

Conservatories, double glazing and utility companies are all bound by the legislation and will now be forced to give customers sold to in this way a one week cooling off period.

Buying a conservatory can be a huge decision and research and effort must be made to choose the right company and design.

The change to the legislation means an end to the previous practice, whereby if the home owner initiated the visit they werent entitled to the cooling off period. Now, the new rules ensure all transactions over the price of £35 will be covered.

The OFT is in the middle of a newspaper marketing campaign promoting the change, which also means companies must inform their customers in writing of their right to cancel.

Figures from OFT research show that only around 70 per cent of those who buy from doorstep salesmen are satisfied with the transaction.