People concerned about unlicensed door-to-door sales people
Local police agencies are getting several complaints about unlicensed and pushy door-to-door sales people. For the average person it can be intimidating to deal with. In a lot of towns and cities in Idaho, the first thing people should look for is the proper permit.
“People soliciting lawn care, a service, a product, anything of that nature, they are required by law to have a door-to-door sales permit.” said Joelyn Hansen of the Idaho Falls Police Department.
The Idaho Falls permits have pictures of the sales representative as well as the city’s logo. All sales people have to have the permit readily available and must show it upon request.
Sales representatives who don’t show the permit can face fines and possibly even arrest. “It is a misdemeanor in the city of Idaho Falls to be soliciting without a permit,” said Hansen.
Even if a person does have a permit, there are a few things a person can do to make sure them and their wallets are protected.
“In addition to asking to see their licensing, ask who they’re with,” said Samantha Gillihan from the Better Business Bureau. “Do they specifically work for that company or do they work on their own selling for that company.”
“If they are selling a product, you may want to ask them to leave a sample with you as opposed to having them come in and demonstrate,” said Gillihan. “If they don’t have a product with them, that’s a big red flag.”
Both Hansen and Gillihan said its important to protect yourself physically. “If you are sincerely interested in their product, but you’re by yourself, ask them to make an appointment and come by when you’re going to be home with somebody else,” said Hansen.
Idaho law also makes it easy for consumers who buy something, but decide later they don’t want or need the product. “When you do purchase through a door-to-door sales person, you have a three day cooling off period. That’s three calendar days. So during that time frame, no matter what you’ve purchased, no matter what contract you’ve signed, you can cancel. That’s a law in the state of Idaho,” said Gillihan.
