Sadly rogue traders have always seen the home improvement industry
It’s the million dollar question for homeowners. If you want work done in your home, whether it’s something small like fixing a dripping tap, or a major project such as a loft conversion or a new roof, how do you find a reputable tradesperson who will do a good job at a fair price?
Most people rely heavily on word of mouth and intuition, according to research carried out by the National Consumer Council. This month it is calling on the Government to take the lead in setting up a nationwide one-stop-shop trader information service.
Sadly rogue traders have always seen the home improvement industry as a relatively east way to make money from vulnerable people. The roofing sector in particular attracts many unscrupulous doorstep callers and homeowners need to be on their guard when receiving unsolicited visits from odd job people offering to ‘fix roofs’.
Here at High-Tech Membrane Roofing, Basildon’s flat roof experts, we are saddened by the extent to which the roofing industry is targeted. Figures released by the Office of Fair Trading show that 1,725 complaints relating to rogue roofing tradesmen were received by the organisation last year – the highest number of complaints against rogue traders.
The organisation also reveals that there are 90million unsatisfactory consumer transactions each year, costing £9.6billion.
As with most scam artists, roofing scammers will do all they can to get what they want without doing much work. The trick for any homeowner is to learn how to spot roofing scammers and avoid them before they have conned you. Roofing scammers tend to target the elderly, single women at home and homes that they believe can afford to hand over cash to have a ‘problem’ fixed on their roof.
Steve Thornton, the director here at High Tech Membrane Roofing, said: “As roofing specialists, we have often been called out to repair or re-do a roof which has been fitted by what can only be described as a rogue trader. The homeowner may have paid greatly inflated prices for the roof in the first place only for it to be left either incomplete or unusable and will have to pay out even more money for it to be fixed or even worst, replaced.
“Here at High-Tech Membrane Roofing , for example, we are a member of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, the Government’s endorsed Standards Trust Mark, the Fair Trades Association and the Homepro Guarantee Insurance.”
If you are worried that you may have fallen victim to a rogue roofing trader and need professional advice on your repair, please call us here at High-Tech.
