Police have issued a warning against cold callers offering tree felling services following an incident in Stretton yesterday, Saturday.
While patrolling the area, a local PCSO was made aware of male cold calls offering tree felling services to local residents.
When the information about the cold call was passed around, he happened to find three men near London Road at a working address.
He quickly discovered that the men had called an address down the street, and after agreeing on a price for the job, which quickly increased for the removal of the lumber, he also found that the homeowner had not provided any paperwork detailed information on the price and the 14 pieces had been handed out one-day right of termination.
Another officer was on site to help deal with the men. The crimes committed by the men were dealt with through our community resolution powers, which included cold calling the homeowner back money. Police will also work with their partner agencies on other possible crimes committed by these men.
Before leaving, officers gave the homeowner a current “caller prohibited” sticker and a kit to identify his valuables.
A police spokesman said: “We urge residents to exercise caution when dealing with cold calling, including if you need to carry out work on your property such as hedge/tree work, felling or driveway cleaning. You won’t agree to the work until you’ve spoken to family members’ or even trusted neighbors because often you will find that you have been singled out and the work done will be of poor quality. A beautiful brochure thrown through your door is not a sign of a qualified dealer.
“A reputable tradesman should be happy to provide you with a written quote for work and not pressure you to have work done on site. Also, he will respect your consumer rights.
For more information on your consumer rights, visit the Warrington Borough Council Trading Standards website:
Alternatively, in an emergency, you can call us on 101 or 999 if you are being visited by a cold caller or someone acting suspiciously and you feel the police should be present.
www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk
https://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/2023/05/21/police-warning-over-cold-callers-offering-tree-cutting-services/
