Itinerant traders |
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Be wary of itinerant tradespeople who travel from door to door seeking work. Itinerants have no fixed address or place of business and move frequently so they can target new suburbs. Some itinerants target older people who may be unable to maintain their homes themselves.
Itinerant traders:
- usually call uninvited
- prefer cash payments
- do not supply proper receipts or written contracts
- may have easily removable signs on their trucks (or none at all) or drive unmarked vans
- can't provide you with identification or a Queensland Building Services Authority licence
- may try to win your sympathy by telling you a hard luck story.
If you employ someone and the work or the goods are not satisfactory, it may be difficult to track them down to fix the job or provide a refund.
If you are approached by an itinerant trader:
- ask to see a Queensland Building Services Authority licence
- don't pay cash or pay for anything upfront, not even materials (don't let the tradesperson offer to take you to the bank)
- demand a receipt with the trader's name and street address on it.
Itinerant traders are bound by door-to-door sales laws, including the provision of a 10 day cooling-off period in which they can not take any money from you.
Real life story
Read a real life story about being wary of itinerant traders.
Last reviewed 17/08/2009 |
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