5 Minutes With

community 5 Minutes With…

Graeme Preston

Graeme is manager of Trading Standards for Public Protection at Bromley Council. We chatted with him to gain a better understanding of rogue trading and how to avoid being the victim of it… What are the key red flags regarding rogue traders that people should look out for?

1. Cold Calling - never deal with ‘cold callers,’ who are people who show up to your homes spontaneously. Also, often leaflets that are put through your door need to be researched before you invest in what is being advertised. 2. Offering cheap prices at first which then escalate - often rogue traders will start off with low prices to convince you to use their services and these prices will rapidly increase. 3. Someone who is available straight away - obviously, this is not always the case, but rogue traders are often available much more often than legitimate businesses that operate in said industry.

When does someone meet the criteria to be classed as a rogue trading person?

A rogue trading person is someone who does home maintenance jobs badly with a negative intention, such as trying to rip someone off and make a lot of money without the assurance of high-quality service.

Which demographics tend to be the most vulnerable targets?

Elderly people are the typical targets of rogue trading, but this is a generalised statement. Homes that appear to be neglected are also often vulnerable to fraudulent services. However, we also hear of those who have been victimised online, so caution is key.

If someone feels that they are being defrauded, what advice would you give them?

If you feel a service may be suspicious and it’s urgent, call Trading Standards’ Rapid Response and do not take cold callers (making unsolicited visits or phone calls to people to sell a good or service). Do not rely on a leaflet through the door, and always get at least three quotes from various traders before doing any work/paying for anything.

As an organisation, how would you prevent a rogue trader from striking again after being caught?

We investigate everything that we can, which results in prosecution in some cases. Rogue traders do not tend to stick to one area, so we have a secure intelligence network that allows the appropriate sanctions to be issued.

trading you have dealt with?

In a rare and particularly serious case, the rogue traders repeatedly returned and then bought the victim’s home. In most cases, if rogue traders believe that there is more money to be had, they return. In another example of a prosecution last year, someone paid £18,000 for only £1,500 of gardening. This resulted in prosecution and a suspended prison sentence. The person described the experience as ‘feeling like they had been burgled’.

What are the current emerging trends in fraudulent trading we should be aware of?

At the moment cleaning services (specifically pressurewashing driveways) are being frequently offered by rogue tradesmen. This is a service that does not seem to be targeted towards the vulnerable demographic; rogue tradespeople are doing test patches on people’s driveways (without their permission) to create an unsightly appearance, which consequently causes homeowners to feel pressured to pay up to a few hundred pounds to have the job completed.

Is there anything else that we should be aware of?

The public can sign up to receive trading alerts directly to their inbox and these highlight things to be mindful about as well as trends in fraudulent trading. See bromley.gov.uk/ scams. Reputable businesses can sign up to be approved by Bromley Council's Trading Standards at bromley.gov. uk/tradingstandardschecked, which allows them to receive verification as a Trading Standards’ checked business and receive a checked logo.

What happens once someone dials the rapid response number?

We react as quickly as possible. The police are called in a lot of cases where there may be a risk. If someone believes that there is a risk that they are being provided with a service under false pretences, this can sometimes develop into an investigation. The rapid response number is available every weekday from 9am-5pm.

What is the best part about your job?

I find it to be an incredibly positive and rewarding career as I get to send out messages that help people in our community, as safeguarding is such an important thing. Being a part of the community in this aspect is vital, and if you can be that neighbour or friend that helps someone avoid being targeted by fraudulent trading please do so.

Trading Standards Rapid Response team is available on 07903 852090.