Council warns of growing menace of rogue traders and cowboy builders as 140 reports made this year
A council has revealed it has dealt with 140 reports of rogue traders and cowboy builders since the start of the year.
It has prompted Staffordshire County Council’s trading standards bosses to issue a warning about the growing trend in cases.
The warning follows recent reports of traders operating in the Cannock, Newcastle and Stafford areas over the summer months, offering building and gardening work.
These rogue traders have knocked on people’s doors and offered to do work on the spot, but the work is either poor quality or overpriced and sometimes never done, despite people paying more than the cost of a reputable trader.
Rogue traders are individuals or companies that engage in deceptive practices, provide substandard services, and often fail to deliver on promises made to customers.
They tend to target vulnerable individuals, the elderly, and those who may be less familiar with the home improvement process, leaving them financially exploited and often with unsafe and unsatisfactory work completed.
Victoria Wilson, who is responsible for trading standards at the council, said: "We are seeing a rise in complaints related to unscrupulous traders preying on innocent homeowners and are working closely with the police to stop it.
“These rogue operators often call uninvited and pressure residents into agreeing to go ahead with work at short notice.
"The work they provide is often grossly overpriced and very poor quality. They often use pressure tactics to extract additional payments from their victims and often target older people.
“It’s really important to remain vigilant and take precautions when hiring tradespeople for home projects.
"By following some simple steps, such as not signing up with a stranger who knocks on your door, getting three quotes, checking reviews, and avoiding payments up front for a job in cash, will help keep you safe.”
The council has urged people to do their research about traders, get multiple quotes, ask for references and avoid cash payments upfront.
People can report rogue traders to the council's trading standards department on 01785 330356.
Leave details of the incident and contact details, and an officer will be in touch.
