PAYING LESS COSTS MORE
- Just under 10 million homeowners have suffered from cowboy tradesmen -
Wheeler-dealer homeowners who deal in cash and cut contractual corners for short term gain are fuelling a nationwide boom in rogue tradesmen, which ends up costing them over £865 million a year in repairs of botched jobs.
Rated Tradesmen, the UK’s number one online service that matches tradesmen to customer-submitted jobs, questioned over 1,000 homeowners to mark the launch of ‘The Little Book of GSI’ (Getting Someone In) – a free e-Book that gives expert advice on how to avoid cowboy tradesmen. Shockingly over half (52 per cent) of all homeowners pay tradesmen cash-in-hand – allowing rogue tradesmen to flourish as they can undercut reputable competitors by avoiding the 17.5 per cent VAT.
Despite the home being people’s most valuable asset, people spend an average of only twelve minutes checking the credentials and references of tradesmen before letting them into their house. Two thirds (65 per cent) of people admit that they have knowingly employed a tradesman with no recognised accreditations or recommendations of any sort simply because they provided a cheaper quote. A further three out of four people (73 per cent) have let tradesmen work on their homes without ever drawing up a contract – an act that leaves them without any consumer protection whatsoever.
Andrew Skipwith, founder of Rated Tradesmen, comments: “As with all things in this world, the best price is not always the best value and when it comes to your home you really do only get what you pay for. If you go for a cheaper option and don’t use reputable tradesmen the deal is likely to backfire and you’ll end up with shoddy craftsmanship and poor customer service that will undoubtedly cost you more in the long run through repairs.”
In the past year alone just under 10 million – 68 per cent of homeowners – have suffered from a cowboy tradesman’s botched job with seven out of ten saying they are ‘extremely unhappy’ or ‘unhappy’ with the levels of service they have received. A massive one in three homeowners (34 per cent) have employed another tradesman to correct a previous tradesman’s mistakes costing on average an extra £256 per botched job. 17 per cent try and improve on a bad job themselves with a spot of DIY. 14 per cent of homeowners who experienced unsatisfactory work preferred to do nothing and put it down to experience rather than face the hassle of a dispute.
London is the capital of rogue tradesmen with more than £95 million a year spent by homeowners on the repairs of botched jobs followed by tradesmen in the South East (£91 million) and the East (£85 million). Scottish homeowners are the most satisfied with their tradesmen spending the least (£64 million) on fixing botched jobs.
Skipwith adds: “Rogue homeowners are fuelling a boom in rogue tradesmen by not playing by the rules. Cutting contractual corners and paying cash-in-hand is not only denying reputable tradesmen work, it is also leaving record numbers of homeowners with huge repair bills. To avoid nasty surprises you should always employ tradesmen from credible sources with established reputations.”
Top five tips on how to avoid cowboy tradesmen:
1. Ask a few questions – Take time to get to know your tradesmen and the services they offer
2. Get multiple quotes – but don’t just choose on money, take into account their reputation and any ratings they have earned for quality and reliability
3. Sign an agreement – make signed records of the job description, start date, duration and agreed price before any work commences
4. Get your tradesmen from reputable sources – be wary of adverts that come through your door or directory listings with only a telephone number. Anyone can claim to be a tradesman
5. Pay in instalments – never pay the whole amount in advance, and avoid paying large deposits up front. On longer jobs, agree a schedule of payments and make sure that your payment at each stage reflects the progress made
The Rated Tradesmen advice e-Book ‘The Little Book of GSI’ is available for free to download from www.ratedtradesmen.com.
