Isle of Man watchdog warning over illegal cold calls by rogue traders

Residents are being asked to look out for the elderly and vulnerable

A consumer watchdog has issued a warning over rogue traders making cold calls on the Isle of Man, after a number of recent reports.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has issued a reminder that such actions are illegal on the island and anyone approached has been urged to report it.

An OFT spokesman said many who called "not only carry out poor quality work, but also use sub-standard materials".

Any guarantees provided were "likely to be worthless", he said.

Friends, neighbours and relatives of elderly and vulnerable people have been asked to look out for any suspicious behaviour by traders.

Chairman John Wannenburgh said the public were the watchdog's "eyes and ears", and urged people to "contact either the OFT or the police before posting on social media if you suspect that a trader is cold calling".

He said: "When we are made aware of these cases we take them very seriously, as do the police and other enforcement agencies.

"We will not hesitate to take positive enforcement action in such circumstances, in particular where the elderly or vulnerable are obviously being targeted."

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