Cowboy Builder Adverts Targeted in Rogue Trader Awareness Week
In Rogue Trader Awareness Week 2018, Warwickshire County Council's Trading Standards Service has been disrupting rogue traders by cracking down on illegal and misleading roadside advertising sometimes used by unscrupulous traders to promote their businesses.
In Rogue Trader Awareness Week 2018, Warwickshire County Council's Trading Standards Service has been disrupting rogue traders by cracking down on illegal and misleading roadside advertising sometimes used by unscrupulous traders to promote their businesses.
Rogue traders sometimes promote their businesses using large pallet advertisement boards illegally placed on the roadside, pavement or attached to trees/lampposts. These advertisements can contain false claims that the business is based locally when it's not or that it is a member of a trade association or trusted trader scheme when it isn't.
In Rogue Trader Awareness Week Trading Standards Officers have been removing these illegal advertisements and have already destroyed over 100 since this initiative was launched. Rogue traders also advertise online and Trading Standards is actively closing down any websites that contain false claims.
Warwickshire County Councillor Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety said:
"Rogue traders can be very convincing, but their work will be overpriced and shoddy and their actions can have a devastating impact upon the lives of their victims, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable. Preventing rogue traders advertising is just one of the ways Warwickshire Trading Standards is cracking down on their activities, which also include the investigation and prosecution of cowboy builders and carrying out rapid responses to protect consumers on the doorstep."
"Rogue traders can be very convincing, but their work will be overpriced and shoddy and their actions can have a devastating impact upon the lives of their victims, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable. Preventing rogue traders advertising is just one of the ways Warwickshire Trading Standards is cracking down on their activities, which also include the investigation and prosecution of cowboy builders and carrying out rapid responses to protect consumers on the doorstep."
A rogue trader conned a Warwickshire resident out of £25,000 after knocking at his door to claim a tile on the victim's roof was loose. A common ploy of rogue traders is to repeatedly return to the properties of doorstep crime victims falsely claiming that other work needs to be done and then charge increasingly inflated prices. In a similar case another homeowner was also told about a loose tile and agreed to pay £40 to have it repaired. However, once on the roof the rogue trader 'discovered' other issues and charged her £1100 for what turned out to be little if any work.
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