Beware: scammers at the door! Be careful of fake public utility employees!

Beware: scammers at the door! Be careful of fake public utility employees!

In recent days there have been increasing reports of door-to-door sales in Cologne in which alleged municipal utility employees pose as legitimate representatives. The city of Zweibrücken has pointed out this in a current warning on zweibruecken.de. These so-called “rip-off artists” try to offer people investment products or contract changes, often using aggressive sales tactics.

What is particularly worrying is that many people fall into the trap because the scams appear very professional. The city strongly advises you to reject such offers and, if in doubt, to contact the authorities or the police. “Safety first,” the warning says. Such door-to-door sales often result in an unwanted contract, which is often difficult for those affected to get out of.

Consumer rights

What can affected consumers do if they have already concluded a contract on such occasions? As explained by the consumer advice center, a cancellation period of usually 14 days after conclusion of the contract applies to door-to-door sales. However, this period only begins with the delivery of the goods. If there was no information about the right of withdrawal, the period is even extended to 12 months and 14 days. This can help many of those affected to find a way out of the unfortunate situation (verbraucherzentrale.de).

To revoke your consent, you must formally declare this to the provider, which can be done, for example, by registered mail. The revocation does not have to be justified. At least that makes it easier to get out of an unpleasant contract.

Be careful when concluding contracts

The consumer advice center advises you to always be careful when making door-to-door sales. Often people do not fully understand the contractual implications and quickly press the “yes” button or sign without thinking carefully. This can lead to long-term commitments that are difficult to handle.

The city of Zweibrücken therefore calls on people to become aware of their own rights and to obtain information if they are uncertain. If you think you need to study sites like guce.yahoo.com better on the subject of general terms and conditions and contracts, you should never be afraid to ask for advice or reject the offer when concluding a contract.

In summary, it is particularly important not to take any risks and to set clear boundaries when dealing with unexpected door-to-door transactions. Protect yourself and use your right of withdrawal if an undesirable contract has actually occurred. The current warnings should serve as a serious reminder to be more careful with door-to-door offers.