Do Not Knock » Consumer Action

Consumer Focus (UK) calls to end cold-call energy doorstep sales

Consumer Action — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:24:12 +0000

In July 2011, UK based consumer watchdog Consumer Focus called on the energy industry to end cold-call doorstep sales.

The call comes as new research from the watchdog shows that more than nine out of ten people who have bought energy products on the door would never do so again and only 4% of people are positive about energy door step sales.

Other key findings from the watchdog’s research included:

Only 1% of consumers see doorstep sales as a useful way to find out about products
Only 3% have a positive view of any type of doorstep sales, down from 9% in 2009.²
50% of those who sign up on the door for a product or service, and then changed their mind, signed up because they felt pressurised
79% of customers would prefer prior appointments agreed before a sales visit

Read more about this media release from Consumer Focus by clicking here.

TV programs investigate door-to-door sales

Consumer Action — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:14:45 +0000

Australia’s two major current affairs programs, Channel Nine’s A Current Affair and Channel Seven’s Today Tonight, have both recently investigated the practices of door-to-door salespeople. These links will take you to the video of each program:

Power scams revealed (Today Tonight, Channel Seven, 5 August 2011)
Power School (A Current Affair, Channel Nine, 10 August 2011)
And a follow up to Power School: Inside the power school (A Current Affair, Channel Nine, 15 August 2011)
Hidden camera house (A Current Affair, Channel Nine, 22 August 2011)

Eastern suburbs scammers on the move

Consumer Action — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:04:57 +0000

Door-to-door salespeople offering building and handyman services can be scammers in disguise. This article from Victoria shows why you should always use a licenced professional and ask for a written quote (Eastern suburbs scammers on the move, Whitehorse Leader, 16 March 2011)

Doorknockers switching unsuspecting households onto new utility contracts

Consumer Action — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:55:25 +0000

This Herald Sun article by Karen Collier highlights the problems caused by dishonest door-to-door salespeople (Doorknockers switching unsuspecting households onto new utility contracts, Herald Sun, 20 August, 2010)

Jan’s story: left confused and upset

Consumer Action — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:12:17 +0000

Jan, an 80 year old living on her own, had to deal with financial and emotional stress as a result of her door-to-door sales experience:

Jan has high anxiety and mental health issues. She advises that she didn’t sign any forms or have any verbal agreement with the salesman that came to her door. She was unaware that her energy provider had been changed until she received a cheque from her old provider for $180 as refund for her Centrepay deductions, which was the remaining money left over after her account had been finalised.

Jan was left confused and upset and – her Centrepay arrangement has been cancelled and she didn’t know who her energy provider was or how to get her old provider back.

Do Not Mail Service offers some relief to Australian households

Consumer Action — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:22:40 +0000

Most of us have heard about the Do Not Call Register, and since you’re on our website it’s safe to assume you’re aware of the Do Not Knock sticker – but less well know is the Do Not Mail service run by the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA).

Registering with the service will stop the ADMA’s member organisations from sending you addressed direct mail, cutting down the amount of unsolicited mail you receive. While it isn’t a silver bullet and you may still receive mail from non-ADMA aligned companies, it should make a difference to how much advertising material you receive – particularly when combined with a prominently displayed No Junk Mail sticker.

More information on the program, including how to register, is available at http://adma.com.au/consumer-help/do-not-mail.

Savvy State MPs use the ‘Do Not Knock’ stickers as a campaign tool

Consumer Action — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:21:59 +0000

Everyone knows that politicians like to be associated with a winner, be it a sports person, actor or even the winner of the raffle at a school fete. So we’re taking it as a compliment that a number of Victorian politicians are printing their own version of the sticker with their name and contact details attached.

We’re reliably informed that the community response to politicians distributing Do Not Knock stickers has been extremely positive, with many residents taking the time to ring their local member and thank him or her for sending it. Many residents have also commented on how much they appreciated their local MP using his or her communications budget on something so practical.

We’re hoping that more of them will jump on board as the campaign continues to gather momentum and they realise just how popular the sticker is.

Clever energy companies produce their own Do Not Knock sticker

Consumer Action — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:20:42 +0000

Door-to-door energy sales have caused more than a few problems for consumer over the years, so it’s fair to say that we were a little shocked when a prominent electricity provider asked our permission to produce and distribute its own version of our sticker.

Of course, this company’s motivation was a little different to ours – if it can get its customers to put the sticker up on their door its rival electricity suppliers will have less opportunity to take away their customers.

But regardless of the motivation, we think this shows that the sticker is working and is gaining increasing recognition within the community. After all, if the electricity retailer didn’t think salespeople weren’t respecting the sticker it wouldn’t have bothered to fund production of its own.

We’re keen to see who’ll be next to get behind the sticker – if this story is anything to go by it could be the person or industry we least expect.

Getting a handle on door-to-door selling in Bedfordshire, England

Consumer Action — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:19:58 +0000

An eagle-eyed Do Not Knock campaign supporter recently spotted this innovative approach to dealing with unwanted door to door sales in the United Kingdom.

The county of Bedfordshire is one of a handful that have introduced ‘no cold calling zones’. Zones are set up by Trading Standards bodies working, with local Police and local or district councils.

Zones are established by erecting prominent street signs like the one pictured here, that indicate that unsolicited door-to-door sales are banned. The street signs also include a ‘bogus caller hotline’ which residents can call to report salespeople breaking the rules.

It’s great to see local communities working together to stamp out unwanted sales approaches, and there’s no reason a similar system in parts of Australia with local council involvement.

We’ll certainly be keeping our eyes open for the chance to trial such a program here.