Are your neighbours been scammed with substandard work?
Recently a concerned neighbour contacted Trading Standards regarding some roofing work which was happening on the house adjacent to his. His neighbour was over 70 years old and lived alone.
The neighbour who contacted us noticed the work was substandard, the wrong tiles had been used, the flashing was loose and water was pooling in areas. Damage had also been caused. An officer intervened and prevented the trader continuing with any further work and also secured a refund of £1100 the resident had paid.
Please be cautious when employing a trader and carry out checks to ensure that they are reputable. Ask for references and take a look at work they've completed. A good starting point is 'Buy with Confidence. Buy With Confidence (BWC) is a national scheme run by individual local councils. It aims to provide a list of approved traders for individuals to feel confident in using as all the businesses on the scheme have been vetted and approved by Trading Standards to ensure that they operate in a legal, honest and fair way. Click here to access.
Also look out for your neighbours, especially those more vulnerable who may be having work done on their house.
If you have any concerns with regards to work undertaken then please contact our Trading Standards team on the details below:
- 01635 519930 or email tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk
- Or complete an online form here.
