Let’s Hammer The Scammers

Decent windows installers should put the mockers on rotten roofers by warning their customers about the awful scams that are wrecking homes and costing a packet.

Citizens Advice is warning that consumer scamming on dodgy home repairs and renovations is growing fast and costing thousands of pounds. The elderly are particularly vulnerable.

Gangs posing as honest roofers are rising quickest and conning the greatest. They invent non-existent problems, charging for phantom repairs and targeting people on their doorstep.

Roofing Scams Top the List

Suspected roofing scams were the top scam the Citizens Advice Consumer Service saw in the last year, making up a whopping 10% of goods or service complaints flagged as scams. 10% is a massive number for an organisation that counts iffy toys and snide perfume complaints.

One in four

A shocking one in four of all the roofing complaints it received in the same period were suspected scams.

Citizens Advice revealed its latest findings as part of its annual Scams Awareness Campaign, which kicked off on 12 October.

Installation Eye has joined the campaign to make the public aware of just how easy it is to take money from hard working, trusting people and the elderly. We are asking all our readers to pass on details of the Scams Awareness Campaign to all of their customers old and new.

If you work on roofs or extensions or install rooflights or roofline, you are well placed to advise…and protect your own reputation to boot.

Don’t buy from door knockers

Fraudsters used doorstep sales tactics in a staggering three quarters of suspected roofing scams, making it the most common method deployed to catch homeowners out. Warn your customers never to buy from off the doorstep.

Other aggressive or intimidating sales tactics…often leading to gross overcharging. Tell you customers to ask people engaging is these tactics to leave. Call the police if they won’t.

Don’t hand over the dosh

Roofing work covers everything from construction to repairs and weatherproofing. Consumers reported ‘traders’ disappearing with their money. The lesson – never pay with cash. Ask what credit arrangements the suspected rogue trader can offer.

Use Trusted Traders

Being tricked into paying for work not carried out and issues being invented is common these scams. It’s easier to invent a roofing problem as homeowners won’t get up on a ladder and check. If you are a trusted trader, you could have a look for them. Or you can simply advise them to use Trusted Traders or the Checkatrade service to get a trusted trader around to look at their ‘job’.

For any home repair or improvement, ensure the trader supplies terms & conditions, a contract, a cooling off period, a guarantee…asking for all of these should see them off.

Oh! And tell you customers to ask what accrediting organisations they are members off and ask to see their credential. Some scammers have fake credentials. Tell you customers to always check their registration with the respective body – and tell the ‘trader’ they intend to do it before any further conversation will take place.

Ask all traders where there registered premise are.

Money out of your pocket

There were 9,000 roofing scams in the last year. And these are only the ones reported to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. That works out at a roofing scam at one every 13 minutes. It’s your customers being fleeced. It is turning homeowners against honest tradespeople. And the money that went into a roofing scammers pocket could have gone into yours for a window or door upgrade that would have left the homeowner feeling chuffed.

Guttersnipes

Charlotte is 65. She was targeted by rogue roofers last winter after posting an advert online designed to connect consumers with quality traders. She had a dripping sound from her gutters when it rained. She was offered a sameday repair for £250.

Charlotte said: “They came at 4:00pm and went to the back of the house with ladders. They said water was splashing out of the gutters and damaging the wood underneath the roof - that I needed ‘eave protection’ or the rain would cause more damage.

“They said they could do the work now for £2,500, and that other companies would charge me almost double. I agreed. An hour later they said it was sorted but they’d found another problem. They showed me a little bucket full of cement, saying it was crumbling under the tiles and there would be leaks if I didn’t get it sorted now.

“I was afraid. They knew I was alone, I didn’t feel like I could deal with anything that might happen after, so I paid £3,500.

“The next day there was no trace that any work was done. I felt stupid, and tried to contact them, but couldn’t get through.”

Fortunately, Charlotte called Citizens Advice for help and dealt with Trading Standards and the Financial Ombudsman Service. Eventually she got a refund from her bank. She also received £800 in compensation from the online platform she used to post the advert. Remind your customers that they do have resorts if they have been scammed.

The traders were previously expelled from the site but had re-registered under a different name and address and had scammed other people in the area.

Poor quality v scamming

Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “Poor quality work is an issue in the roofing sector. But there’s a difference between a roofer who does a shoddy job, and a scammer who commits a calculated crime designed solely to extort money from homeowners. Scammers exploit the fact that roofs are out of sight and reach, knowing most people can’t easily inspect the work themselves.

“Our advisers help thousands of people caught out by roofing scams each year. With the impacts often devastating - leaving people thousands of pounds out of pocket. We’re urging consumers to make thorough checks before agreeing to building work. But we need honest traders to help get the message out about how scammers work.”

Picture with thanks to Anne P via Flickr: Rooves

Consumers can get advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on t. 0808 223 1133 or t. 0808 223 1144 for Welsh language speakers.