Know Your Rights!

Summer is a particularly busy time for rogue traders and Trading Standards, together with the Police have been cracking down on them with special intelligence- led operations.

Whether it's tarmacing your drive, gardening or building work, rogue traders use all types of tricks and intimidation to get householders to pay high prices for poor workmanship or in some cases no work at all. Here are some of their tricks that you should avoid:

Pretending to be from the local council, offering to tarmac your driveway using materials they falsely claim are "left over".

Claiming they are working on a neighbour's property in order to give you a false sense of "trustworthiness".

Making up problems which don't exist in hard to reach places e.g. the roof.

Using false names and addresses and untraceable mobile phone numbers.

Starting work straightaway to prevent you from changing your mind and not giving cancellation rights which they are obliged to by law.

To avoid becoming a rogue trader victim, never agree to working being done by the first person who comes to your home and don’t be rushed into making a decision on the doorstep. If you need working doing, seek recommendations from trustworthy local traders.

To report a suspected rogue trader, contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

This site is maintained by villagers of Oxhill for the benefit of the community and those interested in the history, news and activities that make the village such a pleasant place to live.

Send mail to the editor of the Oxhill News at news-editor @ oxhill.org.uk.

Last modified: August 16, 2010