Residents of Castle Vale might be interested to learn of a new scheme being introduced in three areas of Birmingham designed to stop traders from calling at peoples’ doors to sell their wares. ‘No cold calling’ zones are being introduced in Yardley Fields, Sparkhill and Garretts Green to reduce doorstep crime and tackle rogue traders.
About 100 signs are being erected in each area stating it is a no cold-calling zone and warning traders that residents do not buy at the doorstep.
Councillor Neil Eustace, Chair of the Public Protection Committee, said: “It is now well established that distraction burglaries and rogue trading are interlinked. All too often a seemingly innocent doorstep seller is actually checking things out for a return visit.Tarmac gangs and rogue builders are operating across the city and they target the most vulnerable people in our community, particularly elderly people living alone. Incidents of older people losing thousands of pounds are not unusual. “
Residents in the zones will be warned about the hazards associated with dealing with uninvited callers. Trading Standards officers will be patrolling the zones and looking for people who call door-to-door uninvited.
John Watson, Midlands Regional Director of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Our advice to consumers is: a decent builder will never have the time to go knocking on doors.”
March 19, 2008...12:02 am
Stop cold callers campaign
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March 23, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Hopefully the “No Cold Calling ” campaign will also include the political cold calling for the forthcoming local elections.
We hardly see or hear a word from the local councillors (possibly because none of them live on the Vale) from one year to the next but amazingly they all come out of the woodwork come election time to tell us how wonderful they are!
They, and their canvass teams should also be barred from Cold Calling!
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