Rogue builders on the rise

12 ROGUE BUILDER COMPLAINTS Rogue builder complaints

HOMEOWNERS are urged to be on their guard against rogue traders when having work done on their home, following a rise in complaints.

Complaints about cowboy builders soared by almost a third last year compared to the previous year, according to Citizens Advice Bureau.

According to the data, 43,359 people in England reported being scammed by cowboy builders in 2021, a huge 31 per cent rise from the 33,064 reports in 2020.

With more than 14,000 complaints lodged in the first four months of this year, there could be a similar number of complaints recorded in 2022. It also revealed that window fitters, kitchen fitters and general builders were the trades most likely to be targeted by rogue operators. What is a rogue trader? Generally, individuals or companies who carry out work to such a poor standard that it requires fixing or redoing to bring it up to the required level are considered rogue traders.

More than two in five Britons have either fallen victim to one or know someone who has, according to research by Nationwide.

Once work has begun it can quickly become a very disruptive and expensive mistake. For example, poor work on the kitchen is likely to cost more than £4,500 on average to put right.

When seeing poor-quality work, nearly a third of Britons claim to have confronted the tradesperson.

A further 28 per cent resorted to leaving bad reviews online, and more than a quarter posted about it on social media. However, 15 per cent admitted they did nothing.

Despite the poor-quality work, almost two in five said the money paid wasn 't returned. Of the 48 per cent of people who did get some back, only one in five were fully refunded.

More than half of Britons have had someone knock on their door uninvited saying they could help with work on their property, according to Nationwide.

At face value, it is not easy to distinguish between a rogue and a genuine professional. It is therefore essential for homeowners to do their own due diligence.

A great first step for homeowners is to always demand proof of a trade body membership from any tradesperson they are considering hiring.

However, it' s important not to just take the tradesperson ' s word for it. Most trade associations will have a directory of their members.

It may also be wise to check the firm out on Companies House, to see how long it has been trading.

It can also help getting multiple quotes for any major job, asking each tradesperson questions to assess their expertise and decide whether or not you trust them. For more help go to helpdesk@ kiistone.co.uk or see Page 13

Duringeachissuewewillbehighlightcasesofshoddyandoftendangerous worksothatyoutakethecorrectstepsbeforeemployinganybuildertodo workonyourhome.Tobesafeandtobesure,usetheKiistoneAppandthis willsaveyouuntoldheartacheandheartbreak...andmoney.

Kiistone, key to peace of mind

IF you lost money because you paid a rogue trader up-front and he disappeared without completing the work,you have an option - get a County Court judgement.

A judge will almost certainly rule in your favour and award you damages to cover your losses.Also the trader will have what is known as a CCJ against his or the company ’ s name which affects his reputation.

This CCJ will blight their credit record for six years,but it is not a criminal offence for them to ignore the ruling.

And that is the catch say Kiistone.

County Court cases can take up to nine months to get to court and enforcement is effective only if the defendant has sufficient assets.

Sole traders can have their private possessions seized,but directors of limited companies cannot be held personally liable.

The likelihood of the client getting any financial compensation is virtually nil.So having lost money to a rogue trader,you now have to face up to the fact that you are still no further forward.

For claims worth less than £300,the cost of pursuing the defendant can exceed the sum they owe.

Figures from the RegistryTrust show that only 16% of CCJs in England and Wales were recorded by the courts as satisfied between 2020 and 2021,which means the vast majority went unpaid. A legal epert told Kiistone,that the system is unfit for purpose for claims under £3,000.

They pointed out that the process,time, stress,and money involved are disproportionate, certainly against rogue traders who know the chase to recover money is often off-putting so people just let it go.

They said there needs to be a speedier system with an automated recovery process if the defendant fails to provide evidence to the court that they ’ ve paid. ”

This can all be avoided with if people sign up to the KiistoneApp.

The App has been produced byTim Mullock and it has been specifically designed to ensure that builders cannot rip you off like the criminals opposite.

Kiistone,which aims to protect consumers from rogue traders,provides peace of mind to honest tradespeople and restore faith and improve the image of the building industry.

Built to reflectTim ' s 23 years experience as a tradesperson,Kiistone safeguards all parties interests in a project by holding monies safely in escrow (a neutral bank account).

It offsets project stages against money milestones - where funds can only be drawn down after a stage has been completed to the customers satisfaction.

The trader also benefits because they know the money is ‘ ringfenced’ allowing them to purchase materials and invest time in a job - leading to immediate payment on completion.

All messages,extras and job changes are recorded on the spot to avoid misunderstandings and reflect both parties ' conduct should a dispute arise.

Kiistone is the key to peace of mind and is a small price to pay when you calculate the thousands you could lose or the condition your home coud be left in.

The KiistoneApp is a revolutionary way to approach major building work and hopefully will end the reign of hundred’ s of rogue tradesmen.

In extreme cases of negligence where a continuous pattern of fraud can be proven - criminal convictions can be brought as our rogues gallery proves. To book a call contact helpdesk@kiistone.co.uk

Rogue trader gallery

Mark Buck - one of the worst rogue builders

CONVICTED 1 Adam Priestley, who conned 58 victims acrossYorkshire and Lancashire out of almost £500,000, was jailed for five and a half years by Leeds Crown Court. CONVICTED 2 John Ward from Burnley has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of using false names to advertise and solicit building work in Bristol via the Rated People website. CONVICTED 3 Mark Buck, 49, from Somerset, was described by Trading Standards as " one of the worst rogue builders " it had ever had to deal with. He has now been given five years in prison by Bristol Crown Court after taking money from customers and leaving them with water pouring through their ceilings.

I’m so proud have represented Great Britain and to achieved what I have as a GB athlete. But, not all children have the start in life I had and I did this documentary to help highlight the problem SIR MO FARAH

Sir Mo stands up for slaves

ATRAFFICKING charity has said they have seen a 20% rise in calls and a 15% rise in overall contact since Mo Farah announced in a documentary that he was trafficked as a child.

Justine Carter,director of Unseen UK,said some callers had explicitly mentioned Sir Mo as a prompt for reaching out.

“It shows us that these types of high-profile stories really do have an impact with the public,and it’ s resonating with those who might have spotted something concerning or might have been in a situation that’ s similar to Sir Mo ’ s and the story that he told to the BBC, ” she said.

“People feel very alone and isolated when they ’ re in that situation themselves, so knowing that somebody else has been a victim of this type of crime – and is still suffering from all of the experiences that they ’ ve had as a child – I think is really crucial. ”

Police nationwide say residents everywhere should be aware of the slave trade at places like car washes.

Victims are forced to work against their will,often working very long hours for little or no pay in dire conditions under verbal or physical threats of violence to them or their families.It can happen in many sectors of the economy.

Some victims are pressurised to perform non-consensual or abusive sexual acts,such as prostitution, escort work and pornography.Women and children make up the majority of victims,but men can also be affected.

In the UK alone,there are thought to be around 136,000 people living and working in conditions of modern slavery,including in nail bars,construction sites,restaurants,cannabis farms,car washes and across county lines.

These figures are concerning enough on their own;more so when taking into account the fact that,according to a survey conducted byThemis last year,30% of financial services professionals - and 45% of senior managers - do not think modern slavery exists in the UK.

In truth,it' s on the increase,with the number of potential victims of modern slavery in the UK up by 20%. The term modern slavery is used to encompass any form of human trafficking, slavery,servitude or forced labour,and is a lucrative practice;it is the world’ s third most profitable crime,behind drugs and arms trafficking,generating an estimated $150 billion in profits every year. They might also have their benefits taken over by their exploiter and can even be used for organ harvesting,the illegal removal of a person ' s internal organs which can then be sold. In the documentary,Sir Mo said he was helped to obtain UK citizenship by his school PE teacherAlanWatkinson, while still using the name Mohamed Farah. He said:: “I’ m so proud have represented Great Britain and to achieved what I have as a GB athlete.But,my proudest achievement will always be being a husband and father to my amazing family.

“I did this documentary for them,so they could understand more about the experiences that led us to becoming the family we are today.Not every child will have the easiest start in life, but that doesn ’t mean they can ’t go on to achieve their dreams.

Sir Mo Farah was brought to the UK illegally as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant,something that is happening today.