What is doorstep selling?
The doorstep selling is an offer to sell goods to a consumer by a door-to-door trader at the consumer’s home or place of work or at any other place but not from the business premises of the door-to-door trader. A door step contract also includes a sale concluded during an excursion organized by the trader away from his business premises.
It is important to remember that it is not doorstep selling if consumer had previously asked a trader to visit his/her house, with the intention to buy something. Consumer will however, be protected if he/she had agreed to a visit which had been proposed over the phone, or perhaps consumer had returned a coupon asking for information (and not a meeting) about a good or service.
Take notice when concluding doorstep contract
Door-to-door selling may constitute a risky purchasing method, since the consumer cannot compare prices of the goods or services, and it is not his/her usual purchasing method.
If consumer is deciding to conclude doorstep contract, consumer must always check whether the trader has the appropriate license and identity card. There is no obligation whatsoever to purchase the good or service on offer, and if consumer has no interest in what is on offer the trader, once asked, must leave.
For a doorstep contract to be valid, it must be a private writing and contain:
- date and place where the contract was signed;
- name and address of the consumer;
- name and license number of the door-to-door trader, registration number;
- permanent address of the place of trade of the door-to-door trader (legal address), or the person by whom he/she is employed;
- description of the goods or services sold;
- the price and the terms of payment;
- information on how to withdraw or terminate the contract.
The door-to-door trader must give to consumer a copy of the contract including a withdrawal form and must also keep a copy for himself.
Can the consumer cancel the doorstep contract?
The door-to-door trader must also inform the consumer that he/she has a right to withdrawal from the contract within 14 days from the day the contract was concluded. The contract is usually cancelled by delivering a written withdraw form (can be an application in free form) to the door-to-door trader within noted term.
The consumer shall send back the goods to the trader or hand them over to the trader without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which he has sent a withdrawal form or notification regarding use of the right of withdrawal to the trader.
The trader shall reimburse all payments received from the consumer, including the costs of delivery paid by the consumer without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which he is informed of the consumer's decision to withdraw from the contract.