Information for traders about our no cold calling sticker scheme

Surrey County Council Trading Standards Service works closely with Surrey Police and partners to help reduce incidents of rogue trading which are sometimes linked to distraction burglary. One of these strategies involves educating residents on how to deal assertively and confidently with cold calling doorstep traders.

We are committed to protecting Surrey residents from being exploited by rogue traders and feeling pressurised on their doorstep to make decisions that they may not otherwise make.

Surrey's no cold calling sticker pack.

House with a do not disturb sign

We are giving residents the ability to choose whether or not they wish to receive uninvited sales calls from traders. Residents who do not want to receive such visits are invited to get a sticker to display on their front door to indicate that they do not welcome cold callers. We expect traders to respect the wishes of householders. If they do not, it is possible that the trader commits a criminal offence under the provisions of The Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. This is a Surrey-wide initiative, building on our existing network of 'No Cold Calling Zones' which will remain in place for the time being.

We recognise some of the legitimate concerns raised by traders that zones are not always clearly signed and that it can be difficult to identify where zones are located in advance of sales activity. Also, although all the evidence suggests that the vast majority of residents in a zone do not want to be cold called, we accept that there is the possibility that some may want to deal with cold callers.