Doorstep selling: your rights and how to handle cold callers

Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.

If you agree to buy goods or services costing more than £42 from a trader in your home or on your doorstep, you normally have 14 days to cancel without giving a reason. You never have to open the door, let anyone in or decide on the spot.

You are in charge at your own front door

Not everyone who knocks is dishonest. Charity collectors, meter readers and legitimate salespeople call at homes every day. But the doorstep is where pressure selling and rogue trading happen most, and people living alone are deliberately targeted. Three plain rules cover almost every situation:

You do not have to answer. If you are not expecting anyone, it is perfectly reasonable to ignore the bell or speak through a window or a video doorbell.
You do not have to let anyone in. Ask for identification and check it by ringing the organisation on a number you find yourself, not one on the card. A genuine caller will wait outside with the door closed.
You do not have to decide today. "I never agree to anything at the door. Leave your details and I will think about it" is a complete answer.

Your right to cancel

Contracts made away from the trader's business premises are called "off-premises contracts". That includes your doorstep, your living room, and a sale agreed after a salesperson visited you at home. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, which apply across the UK:

the right covers contracts worth more than £42
you have 14 days to cancel. For a service, the 14 days run from the day after you agreed the contract; for goods, from the day after you receive them
the trader must give you written details of the contract and of your right to cancel, including a cancellation form
if they do not tell you about the right to cancel, the cancellation period can be extended by up to 12 months
your money should be refunded within 14 days of cancelling

To cancel, tell the trader in writing within the 14 days. Use the form provided, or send a letter or email saying clearly that you are cancelling, and keep a copy with proof of the date.

When work starts straight away

A trader should not begin a service during the 14 days unless you have asked them to in writing. If you did ask and then cancel, you can be charged for the work done up to that point. This is why rogue traders are keen to "start this afternoon". There is rarely any genuine reason to hurry.

The exceptions

The right to cancel does not apply to everything. Among the exceptions are goods made to your personal specification, perishable goods, and urgent repairs or maintenance where you asked the trader to call. Your separate rights to goods of satisfactory quality and services carried out with reasonable care still apply; see your consumer rights.

The official summary is on the gov.uk page on door-to-door sales.

Warning signs of a rogue trader

"We were working nearby and noticed your roof, chimney or driveway needs attention."
"We have materials left over from another job, so it is cheap if we do it today."
A price that is only good if you agree now, or that rises once work has started.
Cash only, or an offer to drive you to the bank or cash machine.
No written quotation, no business address, only a mobile number.
Reluctance to leave when asked.

Watch out: Never go to the bank with a trader, and never pay in full before work is finished. If someone will not leave or you feel threatened, close the door and dial 999.

Finding a trader the safe way

If the roof really does need looking at, choose the trader yourself. Ask neighbours and family for recommendations, get two or three written quotations, and check whether your council or local Trading Standards runs an approved-trader scheme. Your local Age UK may also know of a handyperson service. For equipment sold through home visits, such as stairlifts and adjustable beds, ask for the price in writing, invite a friend or relative to sit in, and compare at least two firms before signing anything.

No-cold-calling zones and door stickers

In many areas, Trading Standards and the police have set up no-cold-calling zones at residents' request: streets or estates with signs telling traders not to call uninvited. The zones do not make cold calling illegal in themselves, but they deter callers and make residents quicker to report them.

You can also put a "no cold callers" sticker on your own door. Councils, Trading Standards and neighbourhood police teams often give them out free. A trader who ignores a clear notice or refuses to leave when asked may be breaking consumer protection law, which is worth reporting.

Tip: Energy, water and phone companies offer a password scheme for visits. Once it is set up, any genuine caller from the company will quote your chosen password. Ask when you join the Priority Services Register.

Who to report it to

England and Wales: the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133 (Welsh language 0808 223 1144). It gives advice and passes reports to Trading Standards for you.
Scotland: Advice Direct Scotland, 0808 164 6000.
Northern Ireland: Consumerline, 0300 123 6262.
The police: 101 for suspicious callers in your area; 999 if a crime is in progress or you feel in danger.

The numbers above are as listed on gov.uk at the time of writing (November 2026). If you have paid by card, also speak to your card provider; see paying safely. More on telephone and bogus-official tricks is in spotting scams.

Common questions

I signed a contract at home yesterday and regret it. Can I cancel?

If it is for more than £42 and not one of the exceptions, yes. Write to the trader now saying you are cancelling, keep a copy, and ring the consumer helpline for your nation if they object.

Does the cooling-off period apply if I invited the salesperson to my home?

Yes. The right covers contracts made in your home whether or not you asked for the visit. The main exception is urgent repairs or maintenance that you called the trader out to do.

Is cold calling at the door illegal?

No, not in itself. But traders must leave when asked, must not mislead or pressure you, and must give you your cancellation rights in writing.

What if the trader has already started work?

You can still cancel within the 14 days, but if you asked in writing for work to begin early you may have to pay for what has been done. Get advice from the helpline before paying anything more.