THURROCK Council has issued a warning for people to beware of cold callers offering to do work.
The council’s trading standards officers managed to prevent one gentleman from paying out £6,000 for unnecessary work on his roof. However another member of the public was not so lucky and withdrew £6,500 from her account and gave it to a “roofer”.
Very little work was done and the “worker” has not been seen since.
Cllr Angie Gaywood, the council’s portfolio holder for public protection, said: “The first gentleman was contacted by the council and he was clearly distressed.
“Council officers and the police went to the house as sub-contracting scaffolders were there. They were told they would not be paid as the owner has decided not to go ahead.
“The scaffold was taken down and one of the scaffolders was arrested for an outstanding bail issue. The man who had taken on the work failed to turn up.
“In this case the gentleman was very lucky.”
She added: “I would urge people to be very careful when answering the door to cold callers who are offering to do work. Think about whether you actually need the job doing at all.
“While it might be tempting to agree to low prices being offered on the doorstep, people should always think twice.”
The council’s advice is:
It’s your doorstep, your decision;
Be wary of special offers or warnings about your home;
Don’t hand over a cash deposit;
Don’t agree to a trader starting any work straight away;
Speak to friends, family or neighbours before making any decision;
If in doubt contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline (CACH) which provides information on issues concerning consumer civil law on 08454 040506.
Thurrock Council’s trading standards teams also runs a Buy with Confidence scheme where consumers can be assured that the businesses signed up to this are genuine and trust worthy.
Check the website www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk for further details of Thurrock’s trading standards on 01375 652329.
