Dosh dilemma – scammed by a rogue trader – what now?

Sally contacted us this week with a shocking story of being scammed by a rogue trader.   

After posting an ad on a reputable directory site about a damp patch in her son's bedroom, Sally was quickly contacted by a smooth-talking tradesman. He offered to fix the issue that same morning for £220, without even seeing the job. A little odd, thought Sally, but as she was eager to get it sorted, she agreed and shared her address.

Less than an hour later, the tradesman arrived, seemed friendly enough and got straight to work. While Sally made him a cup of tea, he knocked on her door to show her “another problem”. The soffit board under the roof was misaligned and needed fixing - for another £220. He assured her this would ‘sort everything out.’ Keen to make sure the issue was rectified properly, Sally agreed.

When the job wrapped up 30 minutes later, Sally saw no difference, but was handed a £440 bill. He then demanded a £1 upfront payment "just to process the payment," before requesting the rest. Alarm bells started to go off and feeling intimidated and concerned, Sally transferred the £1, followed by the remaining £439.

When she asked for an invoice, he scribbled out a very basic one with just the charges listed – no company name, contact details or any formal documentation.

At this point, Sally realised she’d been scammed.

But what are her rights and what steps should she take next?

We’re sorry to hear about your experience, Sally, it must have been very frightening. Rogue traders are, sadly, often very convincing. In fact, online trade directories have seen a surge of rogue traders trying to join their communities in recent years.

Following last week’s Storm Darragh, Trading Standards is asking everyone to be aware that rogue traders and cold callers may try to take advantage of the damage caused by the storm to con people out of money.

But, like Sally, if you’ve already been conned, here’s what you should do:

• Contact Citizen’s Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
• Report to incident to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud.
• If a trader becomes abusive or you feel threatened, call the police on 999.
• If you found the tradesperson through a directory, report it to them. They should investigate the scam and take action.
• If you paid by credit/debit card, contact your bank to discuss potential actions.

Warning signs of a rogue trader

Unfortunately, Sally learned the hard way. But there are warning signs of a rogue trader:

• refuses to give you a written quote
• turns up at your doorstep uninvited and tries to sell you a service
• pressures you into making a quick decision
• lacks an online presence, reviews or previous examples of work
• asks you to withdraw cash from an ATM during the job
• makes an unusual payment request, such as asking for a £1 payment before the full amount, suggesting there’s an issue with their bank account.

Tips for avoiding cowboy traders

• Never agree to work from a door-to-door salesperson, always initiate the job.
• Be wary of high-pressure tactics or urgency.
• Research a tradesperson or company before agreeing to hire them.
• Ask for ID and credentials.
• Request a written quote with the company name and contact details.
• Take the time to get several quotes from different traders.
• Use approved trade directories and check reviews.
• Stay vigilant and report suspicious behaviour immediately.

We hope this helps, Sally.

Don’t feel embarrassed if you fall victim to a scam - it can happen to anyone and there’s support available.

Got your own dosh dilemma you need help with? Send it to: [email protected]