Summer house owners given rogue trader warning

Summer house owners given rogue trader warning

» 22nd July 2010 «

Britons looking to build summer houses in the near future have been warned that rogue traders are in their element at this time of year.

Advice service Consumer Direct revealed recently that it received more than 5,300 complaints in relation to home maintenance work last year, a rise of 16 per cent from the 2008 figure.

As a result, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is launching a campaign to increase awareness of the techniques and rates often used by questionable doorstep traders.

"It is not illegal for handymen to canvas for work in this way, but it is important that people are cautious and don't make hasty decisions about agreeing to have work done by traders who come directly to their doorstep," said Michele Shambrook from the OFT.

"Rogue doorstep trading is an ongoing problem in the UK and work or service carried out can sometimes be unnecessary, of a poor standard, much more expensive than originally quoted or not done at all."

Garden office fans have also been told that a number of high-profile public figures are supporting the campaign, such as television personality-turned-politician Esther Rantzen.

Last week, an article on Online PR News suggested that log cabins can be used in a variety of ways, including being transformed into a summer workshop.

Posted by David Webb