Braeside and Mannofield Community Council wish everyone, seasons greetings and a healthy, safe and prosperous 2018.
Friday, 22 December 2017
Thursday, 14 December 2017
Minutes of Meeting - 28 November 2017
The next meeting of the Community Council will be held in the Gordon Room at Mannofield Church at 7pm on Tuesday 16 January 2018.
All Welcome
All Welcome
We can still be contacted with queries or comment by sending an email to the Secretary - bandmcommcouncil@gmail.com
Unsolicited Callers
Legitimate doorstep selling involves someone selling you goods or services in your home or on your doorstep. Many honest businesses use this technique - but so do fraudsters.
Buying on your doorstep can be convenient. But a salesman using clever tactics can pressurise you into buying something you don’t want or something that is poor value for money.
Door-to-door frauds can take many forms, such as:
Pressure selling
Unfair contracts
Overpriced or substandard home maintenance or improvements
Phoney consumer surveys
Bogus charity collections.
How do these types of fraud affect me?
Having purchased, or agreed to purchase, goods or services from a legitimate salesperson, your chances of receiving a refund may be limited if you fail to cancel the contract inside any cooling off period. Once the cooling off period has expired, you will have to pay for the goods or services you bought - whether you want them or not.
Having purchased goods or services, you may find the same salesperson or other salespeople call or visit you again and again. That’s because you will be marked as an easy target for future sales if your name ends up on a list of willing buyers.
Bogus salespeople will provide false identity or contact information, making it impossible for you to identify or contact them. If you have paid them in advance, you will not get any money back.
When filling in forms or speaking to the salesperson, you risk revealing confidential details that a fraudster could use to assume your identity or take control of your finances. This may allow a fraudster to steal money from your account or order goods and services in your name.
Even if your bank or insurance policy covers any loss, you will still have to contend with a damaged credit rating, continued correspondence over a prolonged period to repair the damage, and the emotional distress and anxiety identity theft can cause.
Apart from suffering direct financial losses, you might have opened your door to a housebreaker or someone who wants to get inside your property to enable other people to break in. Once they get through your door, fraudulent salespeople will take note of your valuables and any security measures you have in place.
What should I do?
When dealing with any door-to-door salesperson, always remember to:
Check the seller’s identity
Take control by asking the questions
Don’t sign on the spot, shop around
If in any doubt, ask the person to leave or call your local Trading Standards Authority.
If you’re suspicious, why not ask the salesman if you can take their photograph - on your mobile phone, for example? If the person is legitimate, they probably won’t mind.
If you decide to buy:
Don’t be rushed into a sale
Always get any agreement you make in writing
Usually, you have a seven-day cooling off period. So if you decide to cancel the contract, act fast
Think very carefully about having any work done or goods delivered during the cooling off period. You may have to pay even if you change your mind.
You can report the salesperson to your local Trading Standards Authority if you believe they have sold you faulty, inferior or overpriced products or services.
Similarly, you can seek advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau on terms and conditions of any agreement or contract you may have signed.
If you have made the payment by credit/debit card or by cheque, contact your credit card company and/or bank and advise them that you are a victim of improper door-to-door sales techniques and your identity or financial details may have been compromised. They will advise you on cancelling payments and ensuring your finances remain secure.
(advice courtesy of Cheshire Constabulary)
Door-to-door frauds can take many forms, such as:
Pressure selling
Unfair contracts
Overpriced or substandard home maintenance or improvements
Phoney consumer surveys
Bogus charity collections.
How do these types of fraud affect me?Having purchased, or agreed to purchase, goods or services from a legitimate salesperson, your chances of receiving a refund may be limited if you fail to cancel the contract inside any cooling off period. Once the cooling off period has expired, you will have to pay for the goods or services you bought - whether you want them or not.
Having purchased goods or services, you may find the same salesperson or other salespeople call or visit you again and again. That’s because you will be marked as an easy target for future sales if your name ends up on a list of willing buyers.
Bogus salespeople will provide false identity or contact information, making it impossible for you to identify or contact them. If you have paid them in advance, you will not get any money back.
When filling in forms or speaking to the salesperson, you risk revealing confidential details that a fraudster could use to assume your identity or take control of your finances. This may allow a fraudster to steal money from your account or order goods and services in your name.
Even if your bank or insurance policy covers any loss, you will still have to contend with a damaged credit rating, continued correspondence over a prolonged period to repair the damage, and the emotional distress and anxiety identity theft can cause.
Apart from suffering direct financial losses, you might have opened your door to a housebreaker or someone who wants to get inside your property to enable other people to break in. Once they get through your door, fraudulent salespeople will take note of your valuables and any security measures you have in place.
What should I do?
When dealing with any door-to-door salesperson, always remember to:
Check the seller’s identity
Take control by asking the questions
Don’t sign on the spot, shop around
If in any doubt, ask the person to leave or call your local Trading Standards Authority.
If you’re suspicious, why not ask the salesman if you can take their photograph - on your mobile phone, for example? If the person is legitimate, they probably won’t mind.
If you decide to buy:
Don’t be rushed into a saleAlways get any agreement you make in writing
Usually, you have a seven-day cooling off period. So if you decide to cancel the contract, act fast
Think very carefully about having any work done or goods delivered during the cooling off period. You may have to pay even if you change your mind.
You can report the salesperson to your local Trading Standards Authority if you believe they have sold you faulty, inferior or overpriced products or services.
Similarly, you can seek advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau on terms and conditions of any agreement or contract you may have signed.
If you have made the payment by credit/debit card or by cheque, contact your credit card company and/or bank and advise them that you are a victim of improper door-to-door sales techniques and your identity or financial details may have been compromised. They will advise you on cancelling payments and ensuring your finances remain secure.
(advice courtesy of Cheshire Constabulary)
Festive Advice
As we move into the festive season, when there is traditionally a higher level of socialising and office parties, North East Division of Police Scotland have already noted a rise in the number of reports of lost and stolen property in public places. They have circulated the following safety advice if you are out celebrating over the festive period
· Plan your Christmas night out and stick with your friends. Look after each other. Make sure your mobile is fully charged when you go out and remember to take it with you
· Think about how you'll get home. Pre-book a taxi from a licensed company or arrange for a friend or family member to pick you up. Don't take a lift from strangers
· Drink responsibly and don't leave drinks unattended. If you do, leave them altogether. Don't do drugs as there's no safe way to do drugs, even 'legal highs' - legal doesn't mean safe
· Avoid confrontations; just walk away.Be aware that 'one punch can ruin two lives'. We want you to get home safely
· Stick to busy well-lit streets. If using the bus, use busy bus stops and sit near to the driver if you feel concerned. Keep your wlaking distnce as short as possible
· Shop safe - be alert at ATMs and only withdraw the amount of money you need. Hide your PIN number when you enter it into the ATM and put your money straight into your pocket or bag. Check it later when you're indoors
· When in pubs, restaurants and bars, look after your bags, mobile phones, wallets, purses and jackets and don't leave them unattended, even for a few moments. Keep pockets and bags fastened.
Police Report - November 2017
Sergeant David Cowie says, "The drugs offence in the area was related to a potential driving offence. The incidences of Anti-social behaviour involved youths causing annoyance at 4 different locations on 4 separate nights and the vandalism reported having been damage to a car."
The local policing team are based at Whinhill and request that if any suspicious activity is seen they are contacted, either as an emergency on 999 or on the Police Scotland Service Centre at 101.
Follow the Local Policing Team on Twitter @NorthEPolice #HazleheadCPT