UK Housing Market
4 WAYS TO SPOT A ‘COWBOY BUILDER’, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS
The UK's leading platform for home improvement, Checkatrade, has today shared top tips to help consumers spot a ‘cowboy builder’. The advice follows the company reporting a surge in rogue trades trying and failing to join its community, as unqualified operators and ‘cowboys’ attempt to cash in on soaring customer demand for home fixes and upgrades.
Adobe
Official figures estimate that unscrupulous traders cost homeowners about £1.4bn a year. In the past six months alone, Checkatrade, which connects homeowners with vetted tradespeople, turned away a record 668 tradespeople that failed its sign-up checks. This represents a 13 percent rise year-on-year.
Checkatrade’s market leading 12-point vetting process rejected applicants for failure to evidence documentation such as proof of ID and address (31 percent), poor trading history (five percent) and having negative reviews online (eight percent).
Roofing is the most challenging home improvement service, with roofers making up 19 percent of those turned away, followed by driveway companies (11 percent) and landscapers (seven percent).
Mathieu Proust, COO of Checkatrade, commented: “The fact that we have had to block more trades from joining Checkatrade than ever before points to a worrying trend in the wider industry that consumers must be savvy about when planning their home projects. High demand for tradespeople and longer-than-average wait times for jobs has placed a huge amount of pressure on the home services industry, creating the perfect environment for unscrupulous characters to step in and take advantage.
“More than half (55 percent) of people say they are not confident that they can spot a ‘cowboy’ from a verified tradesperson3, so here are my top four red flags to be aware of:,
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“Be wary in moments of high need: Some unverified trades will take advantage of busy periods or moments of crisis such as extreme weather. Read reviews, and ensure trades are vetted and qualified to undertake the requested work.
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“Be careful with cheap quotes: If the cost seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Consider using Checkatrade’s cost guides to check the price you’ve been quoted. Remember, cheap work can’t always be rectified.
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“Beware of demands for full payment upfront: Don’t agree to making full payment in advance of work being undertaken. Get a detailed written quote that includes T&Cs and states what will be covered by the quote – and what won’t.
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“Never accept work from trades who ‘doorstep’: 44 percent of people have been doorstepped - but reputable trades will NEVER carry out this practice. Checkatrade has zero tolerance of any member found to be canvassing door-to-door. Never be pressured into having work done by someone who knocks on your door.”
Proust added: “For 25 years, we’ve made it our mission to champion trade excellence and we welcome efforts to ensure high standards across the wider sector. Alongside our Checkatrade Guarantee for the rare occasions when things don't go to plan, our vetting procedure is a clear distinction setting us apart from other platforms, many of whom do not vet the trades they list at all.”
The extent and complexity of the challenges undermining trust in the home improvement industry was highlighted last week after the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) published a consultation on draft consumer law compliance advice for trader recommendation platforms. The consultation is looking at how to strengthen consumer protection by setting good proactive expectations on how platforms vet tradespeople, tackle fake reviews and treat complaints if things do go wrong.
Before they can join Checkatrade as a member, tradespeople must pass up to 12 checks and agree to uphold the Checkatrade Standard - six commitments outlining the site’s high expectations for conduct and behaviour.
Members are also subject to ongoing vetting, while their customer reviews are verified and spot-checked too. In the rare event that something does go wrong with a job, Checkatrade will help make things right, with jobs booked through the platform guaranteed for 12 months, up to £1,000.
Mathieu Proust, COO
