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Avoid the rogue doorstep traders this summer warns Consumer Direct

CONSUMER DIRECT News Release (090520doorstep) issued by COI News Distribution Service on 20 May 2009

As the sun comes out, so do the rogue traders, warns Consumer Direct today.

The warning comes on National Rogue Trader Day, a multi-agency campaign designed to warn people of the dangers of rogue trading and doorstep crime.

Between April and September last year, Consumer Direct, the OFT's advice service, received 2,384 complaints about cold callers offering home maintenance services, 15 per cent higher than during the autumn and winter months. The top complaints were about contractors offering tarmacing and paving services (25 per cent), roofing repairs (20 per cent) and insulation work (11 per cent).

Typically, rogue traders may knock on the door offering to tarmac the drive or repair loose roof tiles in return for a small fee. In some cases, the work is unnecessary and victims may find that any work done is substandard and the price far higher than anticipated. Others who pay cash up front can find themselves out of pocket when work is left unfinished.
Putting right sub-standard work can also be costly. Research by Lloyds TSB Insurance published earlier this month found that the cost for correcting botched home improvement work averaged £460.

Michele Shambrook, Operations Manager for Consumer Direct said: 'As the weather improves, we usually see an increase in complaints about uninvited doorstep traders. Although door-to-door canvassing is not illegal, we would always encourage people to think very carefully before agreeing to have any work done straightaway and avoid handing over cash up front.'

New consumer protection regulations which came into force in October 2008 require all doorstep traders to provide consumers with a seven day cooling-off period in writing, provided the price is more than £35.
Consumers who request work to start before the cooling off period ends still have the right to cancel, but may be liable to pay reasonable costs for any work done.

Consumer Direct has the following tips for people considering home maintenance or improvement projects:
* Ask friends and neighbours for recommendations or look for traders who belong to trade associations approved by the government-endorsed Trustmark scheme (http://www.trustmark.org.uk).
* Alternatively, ask your local authority about assured trader schemes managed by Trading Standards Services. Details of those authorities who are members of the Local Authority Assured Trader Scheme Network are available on the OFT website at: http://www.oft.gov.uk/oft_at_work/consumer_initiatives/trader/members
* Shop around and ask for at least three written quotes (rather than estimates) before choosing a trader.
* Agree a written contract covering the work, the price, the payment arrangements and the start and finish dates.
* Never pay the total amount in cash up front, try to avoid paying large deposits and in all cases, you should try and keep back enough money to keep pressure on the trader to get on with the job and to finish it properly. Before you make any final payment make sure you are satisfied the work has been carried out properly and meets the terms of the contract.
* Ask for VAT invoices, get a signed receipt for every payment you make and keep all the paperwork for your records.
* If you pay by credit card or the work is being financed by a credit agreement arranged by the trader, you may have extra protection as the lender is jointly liable with the trader for any breach of contract (if the work costs between £100 and £30,000).
* Be fair about completion: pay promptly if everything contracted for has been completed satisfactorily.

Ron Gainsford, chief executive of the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), said: 'National Rogue Trader Day is a brilliant example of Trading Standards, the Police, Consumer Direct and a wide range of other agencies working together to tackle rogue traders who are preying on local communities all over the country.

'This concerted, high-profile national action is a great way to raise awareness of how people can protect themselves from doorstep conmen and what they need to do if they think rogue traders are operating in their area.'

Information on consumer rights and advice on dealing with traders is available by calling Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or by visiting the website at http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.

Editor's Notes:

* Operation Liberal which organises National Rogue Trader Day is a national initiative formed in October 1998 by Derbyshire Police. Starting with six member forces, it had the support of the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad (now SOCA). Every force in the country is now a member and the operation holds one central database which contains intelligence on all distraction burglary intelligence and crimes in England and Wales. The number of distraction burglaries committed across the country has fallen from 10,621 in 2007/8 to 9,090 in 2008/9.

* Agencies that took part in the National Rogue Trader Day include:
-Consumer Direct
- Department of Work and Pensions
- Environment Agency
- HM Revenues and Customs
- DVLA
- VOSA
- Gangmasters Licensing Authority
- UK Borders Agency
- Scambusters
- Trading Standards Institute

* The Lloyds TSB Insurance research can be found here: http://www.insurance.lloydstsb.com/personal/general/mediacentre/rogue-traders-on-the-rise.asp

* Consumer Direct is a telephone and online consumer advice service funded by government and managed by the Office of Fair Trading. It operates in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards Services to offer consumers clear, practical and impartial advice and information.

* Consumer Direct has around 400 trained advisors in 12 contact centres across England, Wales and Scotland.

* The information and advice helpline is available on a single national telephone number - 08454 04 05 06 from 0800 - 1830 Monday to Friday, and 0900 - 1300 Saturday, excluding bank holidays and public holidays.

* A Welsh-speaking Consumer Direct service is available on 08454 04 05 05. Minicom users should call 08451 28 13 84.

* Calls to the Consumer Direct 0845 numbers are charged at no more than four pence per minute from a BT landline and may be free depending on your call plan. Call charges from other landline providers or mobile phones may vary. Please check the rate with your phone service provider.

* Northern Ireland has its own service called ConsumerLine (available on 08456 00 62 62) which is similar to Consumer Direct.

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk