Doorstep Traders: We received a report yesterday (Wednesday 24th July) of traders going door to door in Sudbury, offering to clean driveways. One resident was approached at the door by two males, one driving a dark coloured van, the other in a car. The individuals offered to clean the driveway and attempted to start the work even though the resident had declined. The resident told the traders they did not want any work carried out and the traders left. No money was paid. Were you approached? Did you see any vehicle they were travelling in? If you have any information please contact us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133. While it might be tempting to agree to low prices being offered on the doorstep, think twice. Our advice is:
- never agree to have any work done as a result of a cold call, and don't be pressurised into having the job done immediately
- if you think work needs doing to your home, get quotes from 2 or 3 traders. Ask friends and family for recommendations of traders who have carried out work for them. You can also check Suffolk Trusted Trader for traders that have been vetted and approved by us: https://trustedtrader.team/Suffolk/
- ask for the full name & address from a trader before considering dealing with them, and never rely solely on a mobile phone number
- ask for a written quotation detailing all the proposed work and a final price for the job BEFORE the work is started
- only pay in full once the work is completed to your satisfaction and don't pay cash
Nuisance Calls: How do you deal with nuisance calls? We've put together the following top tips to help reduce the scam and nuisance calls that you might be receiving:
1 - Register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). This will stop legitimate companies from making unsolicited sales and marketing calls to your phone number, so when you receive a call, you'll know a scammer is on the other end of the line.
2 - Consider installing a call blocker. Talk to your home phone provider. Most of the major landline phone providers now offer a free service to reduce the number of nuisance calls that you receive.
3 - Screen your phone calls. Consider only answering calls from numbers you recognise. Legitimate callers are likely to leave a message.
4 - Call 159 if you receive a call claiming to be from your bank. When you call, you'll be put through to your bank's genuine customer service line. Be aware that scammers may be able to keep your phone line open even after you’ve hung up, so if you hang up on a dodgy call, use a different phone to call the company back on a trusted number or wait for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
5 - Report phone scams.
How to report phone scams:
Registering with the Telephone Preference Service will stop you getting nuisance calls, but if someone’s still bothering you 28 days after registering, then report them to the Telephone Preference Service. You can report nuisance calls or texts to the Information Commissioner’s Office. They can fine companies that break the law. Companies calling you about PPI claims, personal injury claims or other claims can't call you unless you’ve told them they can. If they call without your permission, you can report them to the Information Commissioner's Office. If you receive a spam call on an iPhone, you can report it to your provider by texting the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726. If you have an Android phone, text the word ‘call’ to 7726. You’ll then receive a message asking you for the scam number. For scam calls received on WhatsApp, open the WhatsApp chat with the dodgy phone number and tap 'block.' You can report the contact by tapping 'report contact' and 'block'. You can also report scam calls to Action Fraud.
Slush-ice Drinks: With the school summer holidays now in full swing, we are reminding parents and businesses about the guidance on glycerol in slush-ice drinks. Slush-ice drinks should not be sold to children four years of age and under and free refill promotions should not be offered to under-10s. This is to prevent young children from being exposed to excessive amounts of glycerol, which is used as a substitute for sugar to create the slush effect in these drinks. At very high levels of exposure – typically when several of these products are drunk by a child in a short space of time – glycerol intoxication could cause shock, hypoglycaemia and loss of consciousness. It is likely that there is under-reporting of glycerol intoxication, as parents may attribute nausea and headaches to other factors.
Hunting for a new home?
- Use reputable rental platforms.
- Check landlord out and verify ownership.
- Don’t pay before you see the property and when you do, pay rent securely.
- Make sure you find out which deposit protection company they use.
Could you spot a loan shark? The illegal Money Leading Team are offering free online training in September to help you learn how to spot the signs and what to do. The training covers basic information about illegal money lending as well as discussion of the legislation and Government Agencies responsible for regulation and investigation around money lending. Follow on training is also available to encourage participants to reflect on barriers that might make it harder for people to seek help. Please find the free training sessions available below:
Introductory Training ‘How to spot a loan shark’ https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/illegal-money-lending-introductory-training-1478579
Follow on Training (Introductory training should be completed first) https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/illegal-money-lending-follow-on-training-1481489
Product Recall: 3M are recalling all 3M™ PELTOR™ X4 Series Earmuffs manufactured between March 2020 through September 2022. 3M has identified that X4 earmuffs manufactured during this time period may develop cracks on the exterior surface of the cups. This presents a risk of damage to hearing. All product manufactured in this timeframe must be removed from service even if no cracks are visible on the cups.
Cup model: X4A
Colour: GREEN
Material description: X4A US PELTOR OVER THE HD EARMUFFS 10/C
Material ID: 7000104073
Cup model: X4A
Colour: ORANGE
Material description: 3M PELTOR X4A- OR US 10/CS
Material ID: 7100097446
Cup model: X4B
Colour: GREEN
Material description: EARMUFF BACKBAND 3M PELTOR 10/CS
Material ID: 7100123161
Cup model: X4P3
Colour: GREEN
Material description: X4P3E US PELTOR CAP ATTACH EARMUFFS 10/C
Material ID: 7000104078
Cup model: X4P5
Colour: GREEN
Material description: 3M PELTOR X4P5E US 10/CS
Material ID: 7100097429
Cup model: X4P5
Colour: ORANGE
Material description: 3M PELTOR X4P5E- OR US 10/CS
Material ID: 7100097526
Cup model: X4P51
Colour: GREEN
Material description: X4P51E- US EARMUFF FULL BRIM 3M PELTOR
Read the Product Notice for directions on how to determine impacted products and replacement instructions https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/2381686O/stop-use-and-recall-notification-3m-peltor-x4-series-earmuffs.pdf