OFT slams doorstep sales of 'dubious legal products'

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) this week expressed concern about the high-pressure sales techniques used by claims managers who sell legal advice on the doorstep.

The announcement comes on the heels of a 'super-complaint' made to the OFT by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NACAB) this autumn about the 'growing problem' of 'dubious legal products' being sold on the doorstep.

The OFT last month announced the launch of an investigation into doorstep selling, and a spokesman this week said: 'The possibly misleading and highly pressurised sales techniques used by claims managers is the focus of our concern.'

The NACAB report - 'Door to Door' - dealt with a wide range of products sold on the doorstep, but drew particular attention to 'no win, no fee' personal injury agreements and insurance.

It said the problems with doorstep selling of such policies were that they were sold too aggressively, their documentation was too complex, and they were not explained properly by the seller.

'The details and terms of these products are not simple, and NACAB's evidence is that many consumers are confused about what they have bought and their financial liability,' the report stated.

NACAB reported one client in Lancashire who signed a credit agreement with a personal injury company, and was assured she would not have to pay because she was under 21.

She then found that her bank account had been debited by 1,600.

A spokeswoman for the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers said it was important people understand that those who approach them in this way are not solicitors.

Victoria MacCallum