Don't let rogue traders turn your home into a house of horrors
LINCOLNSHIRE Trading Standards has issued advice to help residents avoid rogue traders hoping to exploit the springtime push for home improvements.
Officials are urging people to choose carefully when taking on workmen and to only select those who are well known to do a good job.
The advice comes ahead of one of the year’s most popular times for home revamps. It’s hoped that the tips will help Lincolnshire residents avoid getting conned this spring.
Common tactics used by rogue traders have included professional-looking advertising, cold-calling and high-pressure selling. They’re all easy to avoid, if you stick to three golden rules:
2 4 1 on all items on the steak and grill menu served monday to saturday
Terms:
Monday - Saturday 12noon - 8pm
cheapest item credited for free
Management reserve the right to withdraw the offer at anytime.
not to be used in conjunction with anyother offer.
Contact: 01472 808799
Valid until: Saturday, June 15 2013
• Get at least three quotes to compare.
• Use reputable companies that have been recommended by friends or family, are part of an approved trader scheme, or where you’ve seen examples of their work first-hand.
• Keep in control and don’t feel pressured. If in doubt, just say “no”.
Lisa Foster, principal trading standards officer, says:
“Everyone likes to think they’re safe in their home and fortunately, in the main they are. But each year thousands of unsuspecting people find themselves targeted by criminals at their own front door. It’s usually the vulnerable and elderly who fall victim to these confidence tricksters, who then persuade them to hand over money, carry out shoddy work, or steal from them. Please follow our advice to avoid it happening to you.”
If you have been approached by anyone offering to carry out work that you think is suspicious, or if you have an elderly or vulnerable neighbour who you feel may have been tricked, contact Lincolnshire Trading Standards on 01522 782341 or at tradingstandards@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Comments
by The_Wrangler
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 3:56PM
“Never ever, ever pay up front!
If they want money for materials up front, walk away, obviously their cashflow and hence business is that poor its not worth dealing with them (or they are planning to rip you off)
Agree staged payments, if it is a big job, but ensure that you never pay out more than you have recieved in materials and labour until each stage is complete - then if either party walk away, you will not be significantly out of pocket.
Cheapest is not always best!
Try one of these holding companies, you agree the work through them, they hold the money for the job, if you are not satisfied, they send round an assessor and will only pay the tradesman what they deem is appropriate (OK unless you have too higher expectations - they could say, not thats actually quite a good job !)”