Door-to-door sales
If you don't want it, don't buy
it
People may knock on your door trying to sell you things. It's
illegal for the salesperson to bully you or use physical force to
pressure you into buying. Don't feel you have to buy anything if
you don't want to. Here is some advice on how to deal with
door-to-door sales.
How to handle door-to-door
sales
It can be hard to know what to do when someone knocks on your
door and asks you to buy something. Don't rush - take all the time
you need to make your decision. Follow these tips:
- Take time to think it through. Ask the
salesperson for documents about the product and say you will think
about it
- Keep good records. Read and keep all the
documents you are given and hold onto any receipts
- Get help. If you are not happy with the goods,
get some help from your state consumer affairs or fair trading
office (see get help if you're not
happy below for the list of offices)
- Check they are licensed. If they are trying to
sell you a financial product, ask the seller if they have
an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) and check that
they are licensed by phoning ASIC's Indigenous Help Line on
1300 365 957 or ASIC's Infoline on 1300 300 630 or
searching ASIC Connect's Professional Registers. Find
out what an AFS
Licence means.
Video: Your Rights Mob Facebook page
Your Rights Mob facebook page video
Watch this NITV story on the new Facebook page, ACCC -
Your Rights Mob. The page informs and empowers people to stand
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Don't feel pressured to buy
Smart tip
Think to yourself: is this something I really need? Even if it
is, you might get it cheaper in the shops.
People sell their goods by going door to door because they think
they will have a better chance of making a sale than they would in
a shop. If someone comes to your house selling something you
wouldn't buy in a shop, you should definitely not buy it.
There are rules that state how a door-to-door salesperson can
behave. They are different for each state but generally
salespeople:
- Cannot come early in the morning or late at night
- Cannot come on Sundays
- Cannot use physical force or bully you into buying
something
- Have to give you a contract in writing and let you know about
the cooling-off period
- Must leave your house if you ask them
Case study: Pat buys something she doesn't want
A man came to Pat's house selling cleaning products. The man
came into her house and stayed for an hour until Pat agreed to buy
the products. After the man had gone she decided she didn't want
the cleaning products - she only bought them so the man would leave
her house. She contacted the fair trading office in her state to
help her get a refund on her purchase.
For more information see your legal rights and listen to
our audio segments on what to be aware of when you're
shopping.
Use the cooling-off period
Door-to-door sales must
offer a cooling-off period - a set timeframe in which you can
return the goods and get your money back if you change your
mind.
When the salesperson is selling you the goods, they have to let
you know about the cooling-off
period, which is normally between 5 to 10 days depending on
which state you live. This means the salesperson cannot start work,
or if you change your mind they must give back the money you paid
for the product, within the cooling-off period.
If the door-to-door salesperson doesn't tell you about the
cooling-off period, you are entitled to a longer cooling-off
period.
Case study: Dan changes his mind
A door-to-door salesman came to Dan's house to sell him a mobile
phone. Dan agreed to buy the mobile phone because the man told him
it was a really good deal and he wouldn't be able to get it
anywhere cheaper. A few days later, Dan went to a mobile phone shop
and saw the same phone for half the price. He called his fair
trading office, who told him that he could get a refund because he
had changed his mind within the cooling-off period.
Get help if you're not
happy
If you
feel like you have been pressured into buying something or you
aren't happy with something you've bought, contact the fair trading
agency in your state. These agencies can tell you more about the
laws on door-to-door sales and whether or not you can get a
refund.
Do Not Call Register
If you receive a lot of telemarketing and research calls you can
sign up at the Do Not Call Register run by the
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). This will
reduce the number of telemarketing and research calls that you
receive.
Don't feel pressured into buying from a
door-to-door salesperson. Read all the documents the salesperson
gives you before you sign up, and if you don't want the product,
don't buy it.
Related links
Last updated: 01 Dec 2014
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