Rogue Traders have been targeted nationally as part of a multi-agency campaign involving police officers, trading standards officers and government agencies.
Yesterday was a national day of action which saw police forces across the country along with trading standards offices doing random stop and checks on traders, which has been continued today in some areas.
The national Trading Standards Institute’s chief executive Ron Gainsford said; “Tackling rogue traders is a big priority for us and we have a very strong policy of No means No; residents’ wishes against cold calling should be respected whether they live in a No Cold Calling Zone, or whether they just have a sign on their home clearly stating they don’t want to be cold called.
“Beyond that, all consumers need to know of the risks; unscrupulous rogues and distraction burglars can have a devastating impact on peoples’ lives and their activities are often linked to networks of crime.”
Typically, rogue traders will turn up unexpectedly and offer to do work like gardening or fixing the roof for a minimal fee. Usually the work will not be needed and the end result is often substandard, and costs significantly more than the original quote.
Last year’s Rogue Trader operation saw nearly 200 people arrested, £200,000 worth of property recovered, 1800 companies checked and over 10,500 vehicles inspected.
People should report cases of rogue traders or uninvited doorstep callers to Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06
For more information on Cowboy Builders and how to avoid them, and help with how to find the good guys, take a look at our Avoiding Cowboy Builders project.
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