Residents are warned to watch out for itinerant traders reportedly doing the rounds in the Dayboro region north of Brisbane offering to lay new driveways.

State Member for Pine Rivers Carolyn Male MP said an elderly couple were recently approached by two men with English or Irish accents claiming they had ‘bitumen leftover from another job’.

“The couple agreed to get the job done and paid $4,000 in cash,” Carolyn Male said.

“It is understood other locals might have also been approached.

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) advises residents to shut the door on these people, even if they seem nice and trustworthy.”

Carolyn Male said itinerant traders door-knocking neighbourhoods to lay bitumen driveways were notoriously dubious.

“They often target elderly people and then surprise them at the end with a hefty bill.

“Pushy and intimidating tactics are often used and the men often offer to drive the resident down to the ATM so they can get their money.

“Most of the time they have no ID, business registration or trade credentials, and they provide no quote, contract or receipt - it’s completely under the table.

“Moreover you might be left with a shonky job which you have to pay a proper tradesperson to fix.”

The OFT reminds people that door-to-door tradespeople offering any product or service must by law abide by the following rules:
 - produce an identity card with the trader’s full name and address
 - provide a written contract clearly stating the breakdown of costs, including GST and the total price when the goods or services are more than $75
 - provide a 10-day cooling-off period when the goods and services are worth more than $75. During this time no payment, including deposits, can be accepted and no work can be commenced.
 - provide a form outlining the consumer’s right to cancel a door-to-door contract
 - provide a form to actually make the cancellation within the cooling off period
 - only contact customers between 9am-6pm from Monday to Friday, and 9am-5pm on Saturdays. Calls on Sundays or public holidays are prohibited

Members of the public can report suspicious activity of a trader to the OFT by visiting www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au or calling 13 13 04.