Memorandum by the Department for Trade
and Industry (DTI) (GTS 52)
NOTE FOR ODPM SELECT COMMITTEE ON ITINERANT
TRADERS
Local Authority Trading Standards Services,
among their wide range of consumer protection work, advise on
and investigate complaints from householders about sub standard
property services and those where misleading claims or price indications
have been used. They will pursue these where complaints can be
substantiated and traders traced. However, this work addresses
all complaints of this nature and does not treat complaints against
members of the Traveller community any differently from complaints
against others who offer home improvement or maintenance. Equality
and diversity requirements and legislation would preclude authorities
from treating the traveller community any differently to anyone
else.
In their market study report on doorstep selling
published on 12 May 2004, the Office of Fair Trading considered
the issue of cold callers offering overpriced or substandard goods
or services, a high proportion of which offer property repair
or maintenance. OFT recommended that the DTI should consult on
a possible ban on cold calling to offer property maintenance or
repairs, and the issues associated with it. Ministers accepted
this recommendation and this option is included, alongside other
measures to improve consumer protection, in the public consultation
launched in response to the OFT report on 14 July 2004. The consultation
document was brought to the attention of The Gypsy Council, National
Travellers' Action Group and regulatory bodies such as LACORS.
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