Police warning following distraction burglary

Following on from last week's Trading Standards warning about rogue traders, this week the police have issued a warning about distraction burglaries after an incident in Yate.

At approximately 11am on Thursday February 16th, two unknown men came to an address in Priors Lea, Yate, saying that they were there to do some work inside. They pushed a large hole in the ceiling before leaving, saying they would be return to fix it. The victim later discovered that they had stolen a box of valuables.

The Police are reminding residents to be wary of unexpected visitors. Use a door chain whenever possible, and check all other entrances are locked before opening the door.

Remember: Not Sure, Don’t Open The Door! Genuine callers will always be prepared to return or wait while you check their credentials.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Police on 101. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. 

Rogue Traders in South Glos – Let Trading Standards Know

South Gloucestershire Trading Standards have repeated the warning given recently to residents to be extra vigilant when dealing with unexpected callers at the front door.

Officers are aware that rogue traders are currently operating in the area and are offering to buy gold or jewellery or carry out, amongst other things, paving, roofing and gardening work. Reports suggest they are currently operating in Yate and Frampton Cotterell areas.

South Gloucestershire Council Trading Standards advise residents:

• Do not to deal with unexpected visitors at your door you do not know who they are or what their history may be.
• Do not allow any unknown and unexpected visitor into your home. If possible, try to deal with them through a window or use a door chain.
• Ensure your front and back doors are closed and locked if your attention is elsewhere.
• If you are unhappy or feel intimidated by the visitor – shut the door and call the police.
• If you think you or someone you know may have been targeted by scammers or rogue traders, please contact senior Trading Standards enforcement officer Neil Derrick on 01454 864565 or 07801 200104 as soon as possible.

Remember: Not Sure, Don’t Open The Door

For advice on this and other consumer matters, please contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06, Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm.

New telephone scam - don't fall for this one!

South Gloucestershire Trading Standards would like to remind residents to remain vigilant and suspicious of unexpected telephone calls. Some local residents have received unsolicited telephone calls about crime prevention and alarms. The caller claims to be ringing on behalf of the local ‘Safe and Strong’ group.

South Gloucestershire Council’s Safer and Stronger Community Groups DO NOT contact people unexpectedly by telephone to offer crime prevention advice or sell equipment such as alarms. THIS IS A SCAM.

If you receive a call claiming to be on behalf of the Safe and Strong group please hang up immediately.

If a telephone number is recorded on the 1471 facility, please report this to Trading Standards by contacting the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

Watch out for scams!

Trading Standards are once again warning local people to be on their guard against scams. 

• There are reports of rogue traders targeting residents in the Yate, Westerleigh and Filton areas offering block paving, landscaping and patio laying services. 
• A new tactic is cold calling residents and offering to clean and seal your path or driveway for a cash payment.

There are some concerns that these traders are not providing consumers with written notice of their right to cancel, which is a criminal offence, and that they are using aggressive tactics to convince residents to agree to the work.

There are a number of steps you can take to try and avoid becoming the victim of a rogue trader.

• Be wary of traders who cold call and the deals they offer you – it is unusual for genuine tradesmen to need to cold call to drum up work!
• Do not allow any unknown and unexpected visitor into your home.
• If they claim work needs doing, get a second or even third opinion from other professional tradesman.
• If you agree to work you are afforded cancellation rights by law, and these should be given to you in writing.
• Check any paperwork you are given to make sure it has not been backdated and includes everything you have agreed to.
• If you are unhappy or feel intimidated by the visitor – shut the door and call the police.

If you do have work you wish to be carried out, why not use a trader who is a member of the Trading Standards operated Buy With Confidence scheme?

For a list of approved traders, visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk or contact South Gloucestershire Trading Standards on 01454 864419 or email trading.standards@southglos.gov.uk.

If you believe you have fallen victim to a rogue trader, or would like some further pre-shopping advice, please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

Watch out for paving contract scam

South Gloucestershire trading standards is urging local residents to be very careful signing home improvement contracts when dealing with doorstep salespeople.

Legally you are entitled to a seven-day cooling off period after signing a contract with a door-step trader. During that time you can back out of the agreement with no consequences. However, several block paving businesses which operate in the region are suspected to be routinely back-dating contracts when they are signed by customers, preventing them from exercising their right to back out.

The workmen then turn up at the customer's property, usually when they are not at home, and start digging up the driveway. When the customer complains, the business may refer them to the contract which makes it look as if it was signed over a month ago.

It is a criminal offence for doorstep traders not to give customers a written notice of their right to cancel the agreement within seven days of signing it, but this may be waived by the customer only if they sign to say that work can start immediately. Most block paving businesses give such written notice, but some use the tactic of writing an earlier date on the contract so that they can effectively start work immediately and it looks as if the customer has already had their seven day cooling off period.

Anyone entering into such an agreement is recommended to check any date that is written on the agreement straight away and make the salesperson correct it if an earlier date is written on there. If you feel that you have been duped by this method and the work has started within the seven days without your consent, please report the business to Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

Councillor suggests new approach to car sales nuisance

Cllr Alan Lawrance checks out some of the cars for sale at Westerleigh Rd roundabout.

A South Glos councillor’s “homework” could pay dividends with a new approach to the nuisance of cars for sale around the Westerleigh Road roundabout, Yate. The cars occupy spaces intended for people visiting the Common.

Alan Lawrance recently attended a training session on Street Trading, where it was explained that if streets were zoned, trading in a particular area would need a licence. What is more, several court cases in London mean that selling a single car could be regarded as street trading.

Dodington Parish Council’s Environment and Planning Committee has now written to South Gloucestershire Council asking for the Westerleigh Rd roundabout to be designated as a no-trading area.

“This could be a way to stop this long term nuisance” said Dodington Parish Cllr Paul Hulbert. “If these spaces aren’t occupied for hours or days at a time, visiting cars won’t block up the nearby streets”.