Warwickshire Trading Standards - Rogue Roofers on the Rise and other Scam Warnings

Hello Resident, 

Scam and Rogue Trader Warnings and Advice:

Roofing Rogues are on the Rise – Don’t be Left with a Dangerous Roof!

Rogue traders are always out and about, but increasingly they seem to be offering roofing work. It’s easy to see why, roofs are one place it’s hard for a resident to reach and to see if the roofers’ claims are true or not.

They usually door knock and may claim any of the following:

Once on your roof, the rogues will quickly find more ‘problems’ and then begin to charge you thousands for what will be poor quality and unnecessary work. They may carry with them photographs of rotten wood on their phones or even real pieces of rotten wood to give the false impression your roof timbers are rotten and your roof needs replacing.

These fraudsters are hoping to charge you at least double the cost of a genuine roof, or more! The work they do will not meet current building standards and you may end up with a roof that is both unsafe and dangerous.

Never allow unexpected doorstep traders access to your roof or any other part of your property.

Rugby Residents - Beware of Bogus Council Phone Callers

Rugby residents have reported receiving bogus phone calls from unscrupulous traders pretending to be calling on behalf of the ‘council’ and offering to insulate their lofts under a fake grant scheme. These traders can be quite aggressive and turn up on residents’ doorsteps, even if they are told not to. They usually want to use spray foam insulation, irrespective of its suitability, and charge thousands of pounds! The same traders then return months or years later (sometimes under the guise of a new business), claiming that the foam has been fitted incorrectly and charge even more money to remove it. It’s a win-win for the rogue traders. Never buy goods or services from cold callers, either on the phone or at the door. If you are thinking of having your loft insulated, read our guide before you start.

Do You Have Solar Panels?

Warwickshire residents have recently reported receiving unexpected phone calls from unscrupulous traders wanting to carry out a ‘survey’ of their solar panels or claiming they need to ‘update’ their records. The traders may falsely claim they originally installed the solar panels or are linked to the company that did. However, in reality these bogus callers are simply seeking to sign residents up to costly and often unnecessary ‘maintenance’ plans or may wish to supply them with replacement parts for their panels that are not needed.

Don’t be Left Out of Pocket Buying or Selling a Used Car!

Two types of car scam have recently been reported to Trading Standards, one targeted at buyers and the other at sellers.

Buyer Beware: Fraudsters are copying genuine car advertisements before posting them on social media. When car buyers show an interest, the fraudster asks the buyer to pay a ‘holding deposit’ before disappearing with the money.

Seller Beware: Private sellers of cars are being approached by fraudsters who agree to the purchase. The fraudster then offers to pay using an international bank transfer. The fraudster shows the seller a banking app which appears to show the payment is pending and then suggest it could take up to 30 mins. Sellers are allowing the fraudsters to leave with the vehicle, after which the buyer cancels the payment.

More advice from Citizens Advice

Rogue Tarmac Gangs Operating in Henley in Arden

An old scam is back again! Rogue traders are door knocking residents in the Henley in Arden area falsely claiming they are working for the council with left over tarmac to dispose of cheaply. The rogues often quote a low price, but this then escalates after they explain it’s per square foot and not the whole job! The tarmac is laid badly, and it’s not long before residents see cracks appear and weeds growing though. The rogues sometimes wear high viz jackets and may be driving vehicles with ‘Highway Maintenance’ written on them, to give residents the impression they are genuine contractors. You can’t tell a good trader from a bad one on the doorstep. Don’t buy at the door from unexpected callers. Keep your door closed.

Report rogue traders to Warwickshire Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133. For more advice visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/doorstepsellers

Message forwarded on behalf of Warwickshire Trading Standards

Kind regards

Colin