Warning: Had a cold call or knock at the door? They're NOT from MoneySavingExpert.com
MoneySavingExpert is NOT cold calling you or knocking on your door! We've been getting complaints from people annoyed we're doing it, but it's not us – it's likely to be a similarly named firm called 'Money Expert' that has nothing to do with us. We NEVER cold call and we're generally against the practice – you won't hear from us over the phone or on your doorstep.
Martin Lewis: 'Anyone calling or knocking on your door claiming I or MSE have anything to do with them is lying'
These cold callers are nothing to do with MoneySavingExpert and nothing to do with me. I'm not a fan of cold calling in general – the right way to do it is to do a full market comparison, not have someone trying to flog products at your door or on the phone. So it is more than a little galling if people think I'm behind this.
If anyone contacts you out of the blue offering savings on energy, broadband or anything else, the best thing to do is just politely decline. And if they claim I or MSE have anything to do with them – they're lying. Don't touch them with a bargepole.
'I received a phone call this afternoon from someone claiming to be from MoneySavingExpert'
MoneySavers have been emailing us directly to complain about cold calls or people on their doorstep that they think came from us:
I received a phone call from someone claiming to be from MoneySavingExpert. They said they could help reduce my British Gas direct debit from £200 to around £104. They asked for my bank details during the call, which I unfortunately provided.
I'm now concerned this may have been a scam and would like to confirm whether this was in any way connected to your organisation.
A number has been repeatedly calling me every day, claiming to be from Money Saving Expert, offering me quotes for cheaper energy tariffs. They are very pushy and will not take no for an answer, and I cannot get them to stop calling me. Are these legitimate calls?
We had a woman knock on our door demanding to know who our internet provider was. I pointed to my "no cold caller" sign on my door and again, she demanded to know who our provider was!
She had a lanyard that said Money Saving Expert, she was very aggressive. Can you tell me if this person was working for Money Saving Expert?
We've also seen reports on social media, for example:
How to deal with cold callers
There's no magic solution to stop firms and sellers ringing people or visiting homes, yet you can minimise cold callers with a few steps.
What to do if you receive a phone call from a cold caller
If someone rings your phone and claims to be from MoneySavingExpert, ask for their firm's details and consider making a complaint to that firm.
If you don't want to receive phone calls, some let you block a certain number, or you can register with the Telephone Preference Service for free to stop marketing calls. For more tips, see our Stop Cold Callers guide.
What to do if someone knocks on your door
If someone at your door claims to be from MoneySavingExpert or to be associated with Martin in any way, turn them away and then report the incident to Action Fraud – the national fraud reporting service – even if you haven't lost any money. Action Fraud can't help with individual complaints, but reporting helps to build a picture that could lead to wider action.
To try to prevent people knocking on your door, download one of our free 'no cold callers' signs.
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