THE Office of Fair Trading is reminding people to be wary of using builders who call at their homes without an appointment offering to do work.
The OFT says it is aware of builders who are operating on this basis in the island.
Past experience of such builders indicates that the quality of their work is poor.
Consumers approached by these builders are often persuaded to accept their offer because they are cheaper than local builders and they can begin straightaway.
An OFT spokesman said: ‘Good local building firms may be very busy and not be able to start straightaway but waiting for them is a much better option. Even if problems do occur with their work the firms are still here to sort things out.’
Chief inspector of trading standards John Peet offers these tips to avoid being the victim of a ‘cowboy builder’:
• Be wary of builders who call at your house without an appointment offering to do work
• Take time to make sure that the business name is properly registered. You can check registration at http://portal.gov.im/pvi/menu.aspx
• Do NOT be pressurised into having unnecessary work done
• If a builder is pestering you, call the police or trading standards for advice
• Ask for time to think about it before you decide to go ahead with any work – many householders change their minds when the builder has gone away
• 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 – be wary if the quote from the cold-caller is significantly cheaper than the others
• Do NOT part with a significant amount of cash up front
• Seek the advice of friends, neighbours and relatives before you agree to the work being done
• Ask for a written breakdown of the work to be carried out – don’t settle for vague written statements, e.g. ‘coat roof’.