Shopping from home: unsolicited sales visits to your home
If somebody tries to sell you goods or services at your home, normal consumer rights apply and you are still entitled to expect that the goods will be of merchantable quality, fit for their intended purpose and as described, same as if you were buying in a shop.
Furthermore, if they sell you a faulty product on your doorstep, you are entitled to a repair, a replacement or a refund.
But you have other rights too if a seller arrives uninvited. Consumer law calls this type of transaction "doorstep selling”.
The law in this case requires that the seller must give you a written contract and tell you about your right to cancel. This cancellation period must be at least seven days.
Scams
Although many doorstep transactions may involve genuine businesses and products, unscrupulous operators can still act illegally in door-to-door sales and unsolicited calls.
So beware of claims such as your roof needs fixing, your water is not clean or your vacuum cleaner doesn't work properly. If in doubt, say "No".
Remember too that the doorstep selling rules cover unsolicited visits not just to your home but also to your workplace so long as the trader is selling to you as a consumer rather than as a business client.
If instead of calling to your door the seller contacts you remotely at your home to place your order - by phone or email, for example - this is an instance of "distance selling" (see below).
Learn about your rights when shopping from home
