Consumer Alerts – May 2026
5th of May, 2026
Beware cold callers offering roofing repairs.
Beware cold callers in the Chorley and Adlington areas handing out flyers offering roofing services. A man in his 20's and another in his teens obtained a contract to replace a slate for £60. No paperwork providing an address for the traders or details of the householders 14 day right to cancel were provided. The men then escalated the job saying the chimney needed some work and took £800 in total from the householder. They promised a ten-year guarantee which was not provided, then left, leaving a leaking roof behind them.
Trading Standards advice is to always say no to cold callers. The Safetrader scheme can help you find a trader in your area, contact 0303 333 1111 or go to www.safetrader.org.uk.
Beware telephone calls offering loft insulation
Residents in Preston and Burnley have been targeted by telephone calls offering a free quote for loft insulation. In one case a householder agreed to a home visit and signed up for further insulation measures requiring a substantial upfront deposit. Concerned after the visit they made independent enquiries and realised the measures would not add any significant further efficiencies to their home and were not necessary.
Always do your own research to find out what insulation measures are best for you. Contact CHIL (Cosy Homes in Lancashire), a council-run initiative, at www.chil.uk.com, or on 03306 061488 for advice and to learn if you may be eligible for funding for such measures.
Beware TV licence email scam
Beware receiving an email about TV licence renewal alleging to be from the BBC Licence Management Team. The email claims they were unable to automatically renew your TV licence and provides a link to click on to review your payment plan. The email has not come from the BBC and would be phishing for personal information. Always look at the email address bar or hover over it to see where the email has come from.
Scam emails can be reported by forwarding to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk.