Rogue Traders

Have you experienced any of these before, or know someone who has:-

"Excuse me, but did you know that you've got a loose tile on your roof?"
"We've just completed a job down the road and we have some gravel left over which we can    put on your drive for a very special price"
"We are in the area today doing some gardening work and we've noticed that you have some    trees that need cutting"

The message is simple; most professional tradesmen will NOT cold call at your door to sell their services; so please be vigilant.

With effect from the 1st October 2008, the Government introduced new regulations to protect consumers from cold calling. To learn more, avoid pitfalls and be aware of your rights, please Click Here for advice and guidance.

The elderly and vulnerable are typical targets for Bogus Callers. Click Here to read Age UK's helpful tips on how to stay safe.

Choosing a Tradesman

• Standard practice is that you get 3 separate quotations.
• It is advisable to provide a detailed written description of the work to be carried out so that expectations from both parties are understood and it will also allow the tradesman to give you an accurate quotation.
• Get a full written quotation prior to any work commencing; this should include VAT where applicable and also the start date and time and the completion date. Both the consumer and tradesman should sign the quotation so that the cost and terms have been agreed by both parties. Do not sign anything you are unsure of.
• Avoid cash deposits - in most cases it shouldn't be needed. If you do pay money up front or after each stage of a job, agree in advance how and when payment will be paid and keep to the agreement. Make sure you get a receipt for each payment.

If things go wrong

Although safelocaltrades.com has taken great care to ensure that all our members are recommended, vetted and approved, at no point is a contract made between the customer and safelocaltrades.com and therefore full liability lies with the customer and the tradesman / company.

All our members have agreed that they want to carry out a quality job so in the rare event that you have a problem, it is imperative that you communicate this to them directly and quickly. If you are still not satisfied with their response, please put your complaint in writing to both the tradesman / company and we would be grateful if you could send a copy of it to:

Complaints Department safelocaltrades.com 5 Flag Business Exchange Vicarage Farm Road Peterborough Cambs PE1 5TX

Please note: we can only accept complaints relating to safelocaltrades.com members.

If you require further advice in resolving the issue, please visit Consumer Direct.