This recently happened to some elderly friends of mine.
“On Thursday the ‘EDF’ phoned to say they were sending two guys to look at our house near Canet with a view to helping us economise on energy.
My husband was half asleep when he answered them and said “OK, 2 pm tomorrow” .
He believes that all men are good!
When 2 young guys called the next day, I met them at the locked gate and politely asked for their ‘carte professionelle’ or something similar. After all, I didn’t know them from Adam so wouldn’t have let in. They had no references, no paperwork or anything, told me “Vous ne comprenez pas”, that the EDF had phoned us, etc. and the rest of the spiel.
These folk target elderly people, come in, have a look round to see if there’s anything worth pocketing, one does the talking while the other wanders round the house and helps himself (nothing, chez nous) or at best are cowboys and do half a job which you can’t check.”
ALL EMPLOYEES OF THE SERVICE PROVIDERS SHOULD HAVE SOME KIND OF IDENTIFICATION. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK, AND REFUSE ENTRY IF YOU ARE THE SLIGHTEST BIT SUSPICIOUS.
Pouvez-vous me donner une preuve que vous travaillez pour…..?
Je suis désolé mais je ne vous laisse pas entrer sans preuve d’identité.
IF IN DOUBT, DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL THE GENDARMES ON 17 or 112