Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: M.Acorn on July 21, 2011, 07:12:32 pm

Title: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 21, 2011, 07:12:32 pm
Just opened it,and it's saying they have had an enquiry about an invoice I have provided.
Then it goes into detail about company name and address etc,but every invoice I do has my company name and address on it.
Then it mentions a 7 day cooling off period,how does that work when people want the work doing there and then ?
And when I am working for the agency.
Nightmare
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Neil Williams on July 21, 2011, 07:17:49 pm
Well it was only a matter of time before you were caught ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Fran84 on July 21, 2011, 07:21:44 pm
Hello Mark,

The 7 day cooling off period only applies when you contact a customer directly. If they contact you then you do not have to provide one. Also, this is only for consumer's not businesses so you do not need to worry about agents.

With regards to having your name and address on any invoices. I belive this only stands if you are a registered LTD company.

Hope this helps,

Fran

Oh and with regards to the cooling off period, you can ask a customer to waive there right if they want the work doing there and then!!
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Helen on July 21, 2011, 07:25:41 pm
May be worth talking to other CC's on your area, seeing if they have received this letter too! Strange if it is only you. :)
You say about name, address etc, wasn't there one a while ago who queried why your invoice said your business name, but you wanted the cheque made out to your personal name? Maybe this turned out to be a "jobsworth" and looked into things further ???
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Paul Heath on July 21, 2011, 07:31:38 pm
I would ring them up and ask them to explain what they are on about, after all you got nothing to hide.
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 21, 2011, 07:36:00 pm
Here it is,in the past,I think a couple of chancers have tried to pass off one of my quote / survey forms as an invoice,maybe they got one of those ?
As I only have company name and phone numbers.
Have just added this is a carpet survey,not an invoice to my survey sheet

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/delk/Tradstandletter.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Colin Day on July 21, 2011, 07:44:39 pm
You'd think they'd have at least used "Spell Check".... Muppets!
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Paul Heath on July 21, 2011, 07:45:10 pm
I would call in and ask to see the invoice and show them the your current invoice. could be you have been a victim. Would be intersted to get there definition of a 7 day cooling off period when punter calls you in and you agree a price and do the job while your there, for example removal of a spillage ?? is he saying that they can cancel the job after you have completed the job ?? bit late for a cooling off period
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 21, 2011, 07:48:38 pm
Thinking back a few weeks,had a strange response to an e mail I sent..This is what she said,thing is again,all my details are on my e mails reply,as it's saved as a signature,name address,phone numbers,e mail add web link,the lot...
Got his in response to me saying between £150 and £180,but I would need to view to give you a firm price.

Hi Mark and many thanks for your very quick reply. Well £150 wouldn't be bad.
 
Just one thing - I hope you don't mind - please can you confirm the exact name, registered address, and VAT reg no (if any), of your company (or the owner's name or partners' names if the firm is a sole tradership or partnership).
 
The reason I ask is that I once hired a house-cleaning company that did a terrible job, causing damage which I then had to pay another company to clean up, and which then "flew by night".
 
Thanks!
 
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Paul Heath on July 21, 2011, 07:51:29 pm
think this has SCAM all over it
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 21, 2011, 07:57:43 pm
Yeah,really not sure what the point of it is,didn't ever get any more contact from her,I replied with all my contact details etc,are on the e mail I sent you,did say to the wife that alarm bells were ringing,maybe it's a competitor getting nasty ?
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: clinton on July 21, 2011, 07:59:07 pm
Be carefull mark as paul said scam alert mate..just bin it mate
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 21, 2011, 08:05:12 pm
Another thing about it is the council send out headed paper that is in colour,their logo is brown and blue,not plain black.
If it is a scam though,what are they trying to achieve ? Maybe they are trying to hack my bank account ?
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus) on July 21, 2011, 08:25:38 pm
I wouldn't worry about it even if it was genuine Mark.

Trading Standards are a toothless organisation, as the Enterprise fiasco proved.
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Colin Day on July 21, 2011, 08:28:14 pm
I worked alongside them with the Foot and Mouth Crisis. Awful people ;D
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Steve Rothwell on July 21, 2011, 08:40:26 pm
who ?? enterprise ???
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: PaulKing on July 22, 2011, 08:03:47 pm
ring up the person who sent it via the advertised number for Trading standards and be nice and ask exactly what you done wrong and what had spiked his interest ,it may be a miss understanding

Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 22, 2011, 08:35:55 pm
Yeah will do that,need to call them on Monday,as was just too busy today.
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: wynne jones on July 22, 2011, 09:23:38 pm
think this has SCAM all over it

Why's that then?
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Paul Heath on July 22, 2011, 09:53:32 pm
spelling,grammar & surely they have better things to look into ??
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 22, 2011, 10:03:48 pm
What are they hoping to achieve though
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Neil Williams on July 22, 2011, 10:09:18 pm
What are they hoping to achieve though

Who are we talking about? Trading Standards or someone who has altered a document and sent it to you?
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 22, 2011, 11:27:40 pm
Someone altering the document
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: wynne jones on July 23, 2011, 07:04:53 am
Mark

Couldn't you have just rang TS yesterday and found out one way or another whether it was genuine?

Also, the email you got from that woman about giving your details is perfectly reasonable IF she was genuine. In fact some of the consumer programmes on the tele suggest you get all those details before you engage the service of any tradesman.

Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Steve Rothwell on July 23, 2011, 07:15:17 am
is there a touch of paranoia creeping about ??  ;D
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: PaulKing on July 23, 2011, 09:13:21 am
just because your paranoid, it doesn't mean "they" are not out to get you
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 23, 2011, 11:19:43 am
Well according to their website they were open this morning,so I popped in to see them,and lo and behold they are closed on Sat,think they need to get their on poo in order
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Steve Rothwell on July 23, 2011, 12:27:26 pm
just because your paranoid, it doesn't mean "they" are not out to get you

I fully agree    8)
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: wynne jones on July 23, 2011, 02:44:58 pm
Well according to their website they were open this morning,so I popped in to see them,and lo and behold they are closed on Sat,think they need to get their on poo in order

They were probably on a stake out watching some guy trying to make an honest living.  ;D
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: clinton on July 23, 2011, 03:43:39 pm
There watching you mark ;D look in the bushes or behind that tree ;D
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 26, 2011, 05:49:28 pm
Well I went and saw them today,girl who sent the letter not there,but had a chat with someone else.
Can't see an issue with my invoices,as long as I put my name,not just my business name,have to put M D'Alcorn trading as.
Also have to have a 7 day cancellation notice on the back of my survey forms
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: Neil Williams on July 26, 2011, 08:40:20 pm
Good it's sorted.
Didn't happen to mention did you about how do you stand if someone calls you and wants it doing in 4 days time. Because what's the point then of having a 'cooling off' period.
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: AshWhite on July 26, 2011, 08:50:19 pm
Isn't it the customers perogative to opt-out of the cooling off period?
Title: Re: Anyone else had a letter from trading standards ?
Post by: M.Acorn on July 26, 2011, 08:52:40 pm
Quote
Isn't it the customers prerogative to opt-out of the cooling off period?

Yeah,your supposed to get them to sign a waiver,more flipping filing cabinet space