Unsolicited work, door knockers and trade scams

Roofing, driveway sealing, tree work and pest treatment are the four areas where door-to-door selling is most common in Australia, and they share a pattern: the work is on a part of the property you cannot easily inspect, and the seller is standing in front of you creating urgency.

The law is on your side here

When someone approaches you uninvited at your home or by phone and sells you goods or services, that is an unsolicited consumer agreement under Australian Consumer Law. Specific obligations attach to it, and they are not optional:

• A cooling-off period applies, during which you can cancel without penalty.
• The seller must clearly tell you the purpose of the visit and that they must leave if you ask.
• You must be given the agreement in writing, including your cancellation rights.
• There are restrictions on when they may call and on taking payment during the cooling-off period.

The patterns worth recognising

• "We were doing a job down the road and have material left over." This is the oldest opener in the trade and it is almost never true.
• Being shown a photograph of damage you cannot verify is on your roof.
• A price that drops sharply the moment you hesitate. Real pricing does not behave that way.
• Cash only, or a large deposit demanded on the spot.
• No ABN, no licence number, no written scope, and a mobile number as the only contact.
• Pressure framed as safety: your roof is dangerous, your tree is about to fall, your wiring will start a fire.

If someone is already on your roof

A known variant is that a person goes up to inspect and comes down reporting serious damage, sometimes damage they created. If you are unsure, stop the job, pay nothing further, and get an independent inspection from someone you contacted first. Photographs from an unsolicited caller are not evidence.

What to do if you have already signed

1. 1Check the date. If you are inside the cooling-off period, cancel in writing immediately and keep a copy.
2. 2Do not let further work proceed while you sort it out.
3. 3Contact your state consumer affairs or fair trading body. Unsolicited selling breaches are exactly what they act on.
4. 4If you paid by card, ask your bank about a chargeback.
5. 5Report it, even if you recover nothing. These operators move between suburbs and reports are how they get stopped.