People are urged not to employ traders who illegally cold call them and tout for work after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reported an influx of cowboy builder reports.
The OFT is urging property owners to be on their guard and look out for vulnerable friends, relatives and neighbours who could fall foul of such unscrupulous traders.
Cold calling is a favoured technique of cowboy builders, but this is illegal on the Island, so anyone doing so should be reported to the OFT immediately.
People using this approach can be persuasive and offer appealing work that is cheap, quick and often not needed. However, this is often achieved using poor quality materials and leads to sub-standard work which is not guaranteed.
Anyone who was already agreed to work as a result of a cold call is encouraged to contact the OFT as the law may allow this type of contract to be cancelled.
Anyone who agrees to any building work should have a contract so there are no nasty surprises, and importantly, inflating prices may now be an offence under the Consumer Protection Regulations.
People considering work are urged to use one of the many legitimate, professional and reliable traders on the Island and Trading Standards Officer, Callum Hussey offers these tips to avoid falling victim to a cowboy builder:
- Be wary of builders who call at your house without an appointment to offer work
- Take a moment to check any business name is properly registered
- Do NOT be pressurised into unnecessary work you didn’t plan for
- If a builder is pestering you, call the Police or OFT immediately
- Ask for time to think about it before you decide to go ahead with any work
- Do NOT fall for patter such as ‘we’ve got some tarmac left over from a big job’
- Take the time to obtain at least two further quotes
- Ask for a written breakdown of the work and don’t settle for vague statements e.g. ‘Replace tiles if necessary
- Seek advice and look at reviews of previous jobs
- Ask for examples of previous work and/or happy customers
- Consider using an accredited trader, such as those accredited with Construction Isle of Man.
- Do NOT part with a significant amount of cash up front
Anyone who is concerned they have already fallen foul should contact the OFT on +44 1624 686520 or email iomfairtrading@gov.im
