The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 treat a commercial practice as aggressive where it uses harassment, coercion or undue influence to significantly impair a consumer’s freedom of choice, and give a consumer harmed by such a practice the right to unwind the contract within 90 days, a price discount, or damages.

What counts as an aggressive practice

A commercial practice is aggressive under the Regulations where, taking account of all the circumstances, it significantly impairs, or is likely to significantly impair, the average consumer’s freedom of choice or conduct through harassment, coercion or undue influence, and as a result causes or is likely to cause the consumer to make a purchasing decision they would not otherwise have made. Undue influence specifically covers exploiting a position of power over a consumer to apply pressure, even without physical force, in a way that significantly limits their ability to make an informed decision.

Doorstep-specific examples

The Regulations specifically address doorstep tactics: conducting a personal visit to a consumer’s home and ignoring a request to leave or not to return is treated as an example of a banned, aggressive practice, as is creating the impression that the consumer cannot leave, or in this context is not free to end the interaction, until a contract is agreed. A salesperson who overstays a welcome after being asked to go, or who structures a visit to make refusal feel impossible, is engaging in exactly the kind of conduct the Regulations are designed to catch.

The right to unwind the contract

Where a consumer entered into a contract, such as agreeing to buy a conservatory, because of a misleading or aggressive commercial practice, the Regulations give a specific right to unwind that contract and get a refund, on top of any other cancellation right that might separately apply. This right can be exercised within 90 days, with that period starting from whichever is latest of the contract being entered into, the goods being received, the service being completed, or the point the right to unwind first becomes exercisable.

Other remedies available

Beyond unwinding the contract entirely, the Regulations also allow a consumer to seek a discount on the price, scaled to the seriousness of the practice involved, or to claim damages for financial loss and, in some circumstances, distress caused by the trader’s conduct. These remedies can be relevant where a consumer wants to keep the conservatory but still wants redress for the way the sale itself was conducted, rather than wanting to unwind the whole transaction.

How this differs from the 14-day cancellation right

A doorstep-agreed conservatory contract already carries a standard 14-day cooling-off period under separate consumer contracts rules, which applies regardless of how the sale was conducted, simply because it was agreed away from the trader’s business premises. The 90-day right to unwind under the Unfair Trading Regulations is a different, additional remedy that specifically depends on the sale having actually involved a misleading or aggressive practice, rather than being available automatically for every doorstep agreement; it exists precisely to cover situations where the standard 14-day window has already passed but the sale itself was improperly conducted.

What to do if this happened to you

Someone who believes a conservatory contract was agreed because of pressure, harassment or a refusal to leave should set out clearly, in writing, what happened, including dates, what was said, and why it felt coercive, before raising it with the trader and, if unresolved, with trading standards, since establishing that a practice was genuinely aggressive under the Regulations depends on the specific facts of what actually occurred.

FAQs

Is it illegal for a salesperson to keep talking after I’ve asked them to leave?

Continuing a personal visit and ignoring a request to leave or not return is specifically identified as an aggressive practice under the Regulations.

How long do I have to unwind a contract entered into because of an aggressive sales practice?

90 days, starting from the latest of several trigger points including when the contract was entered into or the right first became exercisable.

Is the 90-day right the same as the standard 14-day cooling-off period?

No. They are separate and additional to each other; the 90-day right specifically depends on a misleading or aggressive practice having occurred.

Can I keep the conservatory and still get some redress?

Yes, a discount or damages claim is available as an alternative to fully unwinding the contract.

Bottom line

Where a conservatory contract was entered into because of harassment, coercion or undue influence, such as a salesperson ignoring a request to leave, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 give a right to unwind the contract within 90 days, separately from the standard 14-day cooling-off period, along with the option of a discount or damages instead. This is general information, not legal advice on a specific sale; trading standards can advise on a particular set of circumstances.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 22 September 2026:

• Which?, “Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008”

Related guides

Compare Conservatories is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not legal or planning advice on any specific property — always confirm requirements directly with your local planning authority.