March 1, 2024
Here is some advice from Trading
Standards concerning Rogue trading.
Rogue
trading ranges from inadequate quality work and high-pressure sales to
targeting the elderly and vulnerable on a daily basis, often demanding large
amounts of money by threats and intimidation sometimes without even doing any
work.
How rogue traders operate.
- Cold call at the doorstep
offering services such as gutter cleaning, gardening, house maintenance,
jet washing, driveway, paving etc.
- Befriend the homeowner by various means
(e.g. claim to have been before or claim they are working up the street).
- Start with small jobs such as cleaning
the gutters for £15 and then claim further work is needed (which they will
not quote for), then demand thousands, often for no or very little work.
- Make fraudulent claims e.g. claim moss
on a roof causes damage and needs to be washed off, painting a roof is
necessary to protect it etc.
- Return again and again to
vulnerable victims demanding further payment for bogus reasons.
- Use intimidation to extort money
and often take the homeowner to a bank or cashpoint to withdraw cash.
Citizens
advice urge you to contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133 in relation
to any suspected rogue trader incidents or suspicious activities.
If rogue
traders are still at your property, please call the police on 999.
Avoiding rogue traders
- Get a security chain
fixed to your door and use it when answering.
- Check the identity of
the caller by asking to see an ID card and checking the telephone number
in your own directory.
- Consider if you really
need the work done – shop around for the best deal, or use a trader
recommended to you (get three quotes to make sure you are being quoted a
fair price). Call Trading Standards Approved Trader scheme on 080822311
or Safe local trades 08000141832.
- Insist that you are
given the quote in writing.
- Ask the caller to leave
you with information to study at your leisure.
- Don’t let them into
your home (no matter how friendly they seem) and don’t be tempted by
‘today only’ offers (this is pressure selling).
- The best protection is
NEVER deal with uninvited doorstep traders.