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Letter: Rogue traders? What about the customers?
Monday 22nd November 2010, 6:00AM GMT.
Letter: Dom Littlewood, Matt Allwright and the irritating Clive Holland have a lot to answer for.
Whenever we turn on the TV these days we are being subjected to programmes warning us of falling foul of cowboy builders, decorators, plumbers and the like.
This is all very well and good, but it has put the general public into such a flux that they don’t trust anybody anymore.
I appreciate that there are a few dodgy tradesman out there but most who are just trying to make an honest living are now being subjected to unreasonable demands by their customers.
The best way is to threaten the tradesman with Trading Standards or legal action.
Shropshire Trading Standards have told me that they have had to rewrite the rules as to how they deal with customer complaints for this very reason.
I’ve worked in the building trade for some 30 years and have noticed this change of customer attitude only in the last five years – the same timeframe as the plethora of programmes started.
I have thought of a wonderful idea for a new programme: Rogue Customers where each week a presenter pursues someone who has failed to pay for services completed, double-booked in case one tradesman doesn’t turn up, or cancelled a job the night before the start for no genuine reason leaving the poor chap without work.
I offer my services as the presenter.
I’ve had enough of the building trade and am looking for a new career. Do you think it will catch on?
Steve Wilkinson
Shropshire
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Steve,
I couldn’t agree with you more, also being in the building trade for some years now. Even though I do alot more commercial work, I come across far more problems as a result of the customer rather than any of the trades.
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The customer is always wrong! We all know this and I don’t know why the opposite is bandied about.
The TV programme idea sounds like a winner.
How’s this for a programme ? People (by which I mean avid viewers of home improvement shows) compete to see how much they can lose by taking all the ‘attractive’ features out of their house and put in their place avocado bathroom suites, brightly patterned wallpaper and leave clutter strewn about etc. You know, all the stuff TV says devalues a house (the viewer is the expert on this, not me, they watch this codswallop). Of course to make it exciting, the ‘devaluing’ process has to be done in 7-days tops (because ? Just because). Of course, if house prices happen to go up or down naturally during this period the fact will be omitted. If Steve If Steve wishes to present he can, but I want a cut for the idea.
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Speaking as one of the self employed, the writer has some valid points . How ever being cancelled is the life of the self employed tough that is the customers prerogative as it is ours.We have had customers complaining for complaining sake and in this day and age they seem very quick to seek compo to get a bit of a refund. I would also add many complain after they have received the service and not during?? but 99% are fine .
Saying all the above how many of us have been ripped off by a garage?, Builder,? plumber? I bet we all have. I’ve been caught out over the last 20 odd years by an electrician once , and to my shame a garage twice.These shows on the TV are good to a point but many times the blame can fall at the feet of the customer by not getting the correct paper work, not getting time scales,handing too much money over at the start, not getting second opinions ,not getting enough quotes and not complaining during the job but waiting until they have finished .As for some customers complaining about the price this is where the TV falls down reason for this ,
Customer is charged £200 and expert says £125 but forgets to tell the middle bit to the viewers which is
£200 PRICE work done exactly as requested and as real faults dealt with and charged for .
Tv version £200 charged, work not carried out as requested or false faults .
The middle bit is the contractor makes up the fault on these shows 100% of the time and has charged £200 for nothing.
The first one is real faults and that is the contractors charge made clear from the start if you do not agree with it you do not engage the contractor you do not after the work is finished refuse to pay.I have had friends carry out major work present the bill and the customer say NA ain’t paying that it is only worth 1/2 which some one else quoted me and if you want the rest take me to court that is a rogue customer and we seem to be getting a lot of them popping up around the country .
Rant over
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I have to agree with Andrew Finch in respect that too many people get away with not paying workmen for the work that they do. It is no wonder some builders and workers no longer trust customers and want the money up front because they have probably had a bad experience in the past. However on the flip side I can see how there are rogue traders who take advantage of customers especially those who do not have knowledge of the work to be carried out. Perhaps the system for taking people to court for non payment or poor workmanship should be simplified and less expensive so that an average customer or workman can be compensated.
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Ha ha you have to be joking, your trying to sell the idea of a program that would be trying to tell the viewer, each and every one of them, are nasty, lying and cheating . It would not happen, the viewers would be insulted if they thought it maybe pointing at them in anyway, and complain, efficiently.
The premise of most cheap TV programs like this is shadenfruade (or however you spell it) allowing the viewer to feel all smug and laugh at the misfortunes or stupidity of those poor saps on the program.
TV finds especially stupid people to be taken for a ride by skilled people, then when their ideas fall to the ground somehow its the skilled persons fault (who was following instructions from them).
TV progs like these seem to be along the modern suspicion that anyone once deemed trustworthy is (for that reason) now not or if we’ve not found out what or why yet then thats supicious in iteself. Dumb and dumber want everyone to be the same as them.
Maybe it would work on a satellite channel for builders, watched by builders.
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‘Maybe it would work on a satellite channel for builders, watched by builders.’
Yes, but ‘Men & Motors’ went bust.
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I like this idea. We come in to contact with some very difficult customers, some who have no intention of paying. Leaving us with the bill for parts and time. It’s about time some of these rogue customers were brought to justice.
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The point of these prgrammes is to educate the ignorant i.e the little old lady who doesn’t she doesn’t need all this work done to the common tricks by the educated i.e the blagging subbie who knows she doesn’t need a whole new roof but is gonna charge for one anyway and only do half a job because he’s a robbing git
If you employ a contractor to do work for you and he tell’s you needs a grand’s worth doing you are going to believe them, they’re the ‘expert’. To then find out the repair should only cost £200.00 and that he’s even bodged that up is the equivalent of being robbed and all you genuine and honest contractors need to be helping expose these conmen so they can be put of business leaving more to go round for you guys!
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All well and good but the rogues just get a slap on the wrist if prosecuted , change the company name and off they go again.
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I can see both sides of this argument.
The reason the tv programmes were started up were due to the fact there were rogue traders out there ripping people off.
One way to prevent this is to contact the local authority and ask to see their list of recommended tradesmen.
The best advice is do not buy at the door.
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In my locale we have a service called “The Better Business Bureau” it operates from a data base supplied of course by the Consumer/Customer! … seems to work well but of course the problem is the diversity and flexibility of the system when you have Fairly Honest Joe as opposed to Reasonably Honest Bill.
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We recognise that only a minority of traders are rogue traders and that the majority work very hard to satisfy their customers.
We do recommend that consumers avoid buying services as a result of any “cold call” without undertaking further research into the traders involved and that traders ensure detailed quotes are given to consumers for all work to avoid disputes at a later date.
We also operate a Trader Register for local home improvement traders in conjunction with Telford & Wrekin Trading Standards. We encourage traders to become members of the register and strongly advise consumers to use the register to find a local trader that they can trust.
Consumers and traders who want further advice about buying and selling home improvement services should contact 0345 678 9000 and ask to speak to someone about the Trader Register or visit http://www.traderregister.org.uk.
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“One way to prevent this is to contact the local authority and ask to see their list of recommended tradesmen.”
Fiona,
how do tradesmen get on this list?
Do the council test and vet each one or is it a subscription to the council and “Bob’s your Builder?”
Knowing councils, it’s all about money and nothing to do with quality.
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Agreed road runner, i’m on the commercial side but trying to win contracts/get on approved lists for councils is an absolute nightmare, all they care about is money regardless of what they say. Stupid amounts of red tape. If the domestic side is even half the same, i feel for ant builders etc out there.
My advice to a consumer is just to use a little bit of common sense. Don’t be afraid to ask for references, ask your neighbour/friend/colleague who they might recommend. All these shows i cant help thinking they ask to be ripped off.
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Wrekin district has a list of approved traders.
Try http://www.traderregister.org.uk/website_selection.php.
Click on the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Trader Register. When you are asked for your info, just insert your postcode and then select the trade needed. You’ll get a list of traders vetted by the council. If you have complaints, go to the council. I’ve used the system for carpet cleaners, tree fellers, builders and flat roof installers. Wonderful service from all.
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Bring back the stocks for tradesman who misbehave. Charge the public a quid a time to thrown rotten fruit at them.
All money gained can be used for reducing Council tax
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