Rogue traders

A rogue trader is someone who comes to your house without invitation (cold calling), offers services or goods and overcharges you for them.

This includes overcharging for unnecessary work, damaging property deliberately to get money, leaving work unfinished and intimidating someone to get money.

Protect yourself

To try and minimise your risk of employing a rogue trader:

• do not deal with doorstep callers offering work on your home or garden
• use traders who are members of officially recognised organisations
• check that the tradesperson is from the company they say they are from
• ask for quotes in writing
• ring more than three traders to get a feel for an average price for the job
• remember traders must give you written notice of your right to seven days cancellation when agreeing to do work at your home, including work gained from a cold call
• please contact your local police station, if you have any doubts about whether a tradesperson is legitimate

Find a reputable trader

You can find details of approved traders on the Buy With Confidence website or by calling Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.

Medway Council also runs a Fair Trader scheme, look out for the Fair Trader logo or contact Medway Trading Standards for an up-to-date list of approved traders.

Contacts

• to report a crime, call Kent Police on 101
• to report problems involving suspected rogue traders, call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506
• you can find details of approved traders on the Buy With Confidence website or by calling Consumer Direct.
• Trading Standards is also involved with the setting up of Cold Calling Control Zones in areas the county, aimed at stopping people being targeted in the first place. You can report issues by filling in the form on the Kent or Medway Trading Standards sites.