Trading Standards Officers from Cheshire East Council are warning people to be vigilant against cold callers claiming to be from Sky Television (BSkyB). It comes after several residents were telephoned by salespeople, who gave the impression they were connected to BSkyB.
The salespeople are offering insurance for Sky set-top boxes. In one case, a resident was told their current Sky insurance had expired when it still had several months to run. Trading Standards Officers do not believe these calls have originated from Sky and are asking residents to taken the following steps to avoid being caught out by cold callers:
• Never give out bank or credit card details following a cold call.
• Check a caller's identity using an independently obtained phone number.
• Hang up the phone if you have doubts about the caller's identity.
Cheshire East Councillor, Rachel Bailey, Cabinet member for safer and stronger communuties, said: "I am pleased that Cheshire East Council's Trading Standards team have taken steps to warn local residents about these companies, who are acting in a misleading manner. "These firms will try to sell services to consumers whether they need them or not. Our Trading Standards team is committed to protecting local consumers and providing advice on how to avoid being the victim of a scam.".
Any Cheshire East resident who would like further information on consumer legislation or anyone with concerns about local traders should contact Consumer Direct North West on 08454 040 506. To prevent unsolicited sales and marketing calls, residents can contact the Telephone Preference Service on 0845 070 0707.
