Every year in the UK an estimated 89,000 householders are fleeced by rogue door-to-door home maintenance traders masquerading as professionals, selling anything from roofing repairs, guttering and gardening services to path and driveway work. These rogue traders frighten their potential targets by suggesting that their homes have loose tiles, problems with pointing, damp or guttering, or that their driveway is in need of repair.
They lie and cheat to extort money in return for little or no work at all and in 2008 it is estimated that they stole £170million from unsuspecting homeowners across the UK. The evidence shows that incidents of this nature are far more prevalent during the summer months.
How to spot and avoid rogue traders
How to spot a rogue trader
Cold callers may use lines like these to frighten homeowners into doing business with them:
- You have loose tiles on your roof
- Your roof has been leaking
- I see cracked brickwork on your house
- You need to have some pointing on your chimney
- You need some work doing on your driveway
- I’m doing some work in your area and have materials left over which we need to use it up
- I’m doing free property surveys to check if you have rising damp
- Your brickwork is acting like a sponge soaking up the rainwater
How do I get rid of these rogues?
- Do not engage in conversation with them
- Saying you do not buy good and services at the door
- Saying you need to compare prices
- Saying you need to discuss it with your, son, daughter or friend.
