Media Release 5 October 2008


SCOTSS welcomes new regulations to protect consumers

New laws to protect consumers from high-pressure sales in the home 
are good news for Scottish Consumers, the Trading Standards Chief Officers'
Society in Scotland said today.

SCOTSS welcomed the arrival of new doorstep selling regulations which offer
further protection for consumers who buy on the doorstep from salespeople.
The regulations, which came into force on 1 October, are designed to protect
consumers when they enter into contracts signed in their home or their place
of work.

The new laws, cover both solicited and unsolicited contracts meaning that 
consumers are covered if they enter into an agreement after a salesman has
cold-called or if they have invited a salesman around to their home.

Diavid Thomson, SCOTSS Chairman, said: "The old regulations were
introduced in 1987 and gave consumers seven days in which to change their mind
about a contract if they had signed it following a cold-call. These regulations
were particularly helpful in tackling rogue traders engaged in home maintenance
work like roofing, block paving and tarmacing.

"The new law now covers solicited as well as unsolicited calls, which is good
news as the regulations have been expanded to further protect consumers from
high-pressure selling in the home.

"Overall, the new regulations are a positive improvement, but we want to make
sure consumers are aware that the rogue element may look to pressure
householders into letting them start work straight away. Consumers should not
feel pressured into letting traders start work straight away and should always
take time to think about agreeing to any work on their home, taking the
opportunity to shop around and get more quotes first."


ENDS

Note to Editors

SCOTSS is the professional body which represents trading standards 
services in all 32 Scottish local authorities. It coordinates 
fair trading, safety and weights & measures issues across the country.
As a section of the Trading Standards Institute its purpose is to 
promote excellence and enhance the professionalism of its members 
in support of informing consumers, encouraging honest businesses 
and targeting rogue traders.