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The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has urged people not to take advantage of rogue traders who call touting job opportunities after receiving a number of reports in recent weeks. 
OFT reminds people In the Isle of Man, it is illegal for traders to conduct telemarketingincluding by phone, and asked the public to remain vigilant.
Households approached in this way are often persuaded to accept quotes because they initially appear cheaper than local tradespeople and they can start by making an offer straight away.
Cowboy builders can be very persistent and won’t take no for an answer easily.
Many unscrupulous sellers who sell products over the phone not only offer poor workmanship but also use substandard materials. Any “guarantees” they offer are likely to be empty talk.
They will often pester residents, asking them to do unnecessary work or even take their victims to a bank to make payments. This means that if something goes wrong, the trader is unlikely to return to fix the problem and will most likely not be covered by insurance.
Friends, neighbours and relatives of older and vulnerable people should make them aware of the following advice.
- Do no Hire walk-in traders
- Do no Forced to do unnecessary work
- Do no “We just arrived in the area and found a problem
- Do no Pay a large amount of cash upfront
- Place one of our “We Don’t Deal With Unwanted Guests” signs on your porch or front door window. These signs are available from the OFT office or website
Anyone who is being harassed by a rogue trader should call the police or Trading Standards for advice. Anyone who is concerned that they have been harassed by a rogue trader should contact the OFT’s Trading Standards team by emailing iomfairtrading@gov.im Or call +44 1624 686500.
John Wannenburgh MHK, Chairman of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), said:
“Fortunately this is not a common occurrence on the Isle of Man, but when we become aware of these cases we, along with the police and other law enforcement agencies, take them very seriously.
“I must be clear that we will not hesitate to take aggressive enforcement action in situations like this, particularly where elderly or vulnerable people are clearly being targeted.
“Our advice is simple, do not engage with unsolicited traders. A large number of traders operating in this way do not live on the island and will use hit and run tactics, only being on the island for a few days in the hope that law enforcement will not catch up with them. The public are our eyes and ears, so if you suspect a trader is telemarketing, contact the Office of Fair Trading or the police before posting on social media.”
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