Shut the door on Nottingham Knockers TRADING standards officers in Hartlepool are urging local resi - Thursday 06 July 2017

By Hartlepool Alert

Shut the door on Nottingham Knockers TRADING standards officers in Hartlepool are urging local residents not to buy goods from doorstep traders. It follows reports of householders being ripped off and intimidated by doorstep traders selling household cleaning products. Ian Harrison, Hartlepool Councils Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, said that residents need to on their guard against rogue traders who are looking to make a quick profit. He said We have recently been made aware of traders knocking on peoples doors offering cleaning products such as dusters, brushes and disinfectants for overinflated prices. They are also known to intimidate residents. The traders, who are known in enforcement circles as Nottingham Knockers due to the origin of the practice, will often have a sympathetic story, claiming for example that they have just been released from prison and noone will give them a job, and they just trying to get back on their feet. However in reality this is just a fabrication aimed at appealing to a persons good nature to make their victim more likely to buy the items they are selling, and in most cases when they are not even needed. Trading Standards investigations have found that the items offered for sale by the Nottingham Knockers can be purchased from genuine retailers for a fraction of the price. In some cases it has been found that items such as dusters have been purchased from a pound shop and then sold on for as much as 10. Mr Harrison added The door knockers can operate solely or in groups and target a specific area on a given day. Like other rogue traders they are more likely to target elderly or vulnerable residents. Investigations have also found that some Nottingham Knockers research an area to identify vulnerable and wealthy residents to plan burglaries. Anyone who sells goods on peoples doorsteps is required by law to hold a peddlers certificate issued by the police. A person needs to be of good character and intends to operate in good faith before a certificate can be issued. However rogue traders can easily forge these certificates and use fake names to conceal their identity. Mr Harrison continued We strongly advise people not to deal with doorstep traders however appealing their offer maybe. Always use a genuine trader you are sure you can trust. Doorstep crime is a top priority for the Councils Trading Standards Team with prevention being its number one goal. Through the Safer Hartlepool Partnership they provide free of charge No Cold Calling window stickers to residents to deter doorstep sales people. The stickers are available from Hartlepool Civic Centre and all of the towns libraries. Residents can also apply to make their street a No Cold Calling Zone which prohibits cold calling in a specific area. For further information or if you have any concerns about rogue traders, contact Trading Standards on (01429) 523362.

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