Whether you are looking for repair services on your commercial building or preservation services for your home, it is easy to forget to check a trader’s background when you want the services carried out as soon as possible.
There are many people who get caught out by ‘rogue traders’. They can appear to have a great deal and price so people will book them without a second thought. However, not everything may be as it seems.
In a recent news item from ITV, Blaydon Trinity Methodist Church had this problem. The church was suffering from dry rot which required treatment and needed to have the infected timbers to be removed to stop the spread of the mould.
The church paid a trader almost £5,000 to treat and remove the dry rot but rather than resolving the problem resolve, it actually got worse. Read the full story here.
So how do you find a trustworthy trader?
- Check the company’s reviews
- Ask about experience and qualifications, and how long they have been in business
- If they offer a 20 year Guarantee, have then been in business for so long now
- Check a company’s terms and conditions – Do they offer a guarantee?
- Ask for a detailed quote (always keep your paperwork!)
- Recommendations from people you know
- Check the company’s accreditations
- Get two or more references
- Use established firms – make sure they have valid addresses and phone numbers
- Recommendations from industry contacts (if you have had good experience with one trader, it’s more than likely they will know of another trader who offers other services too).
Here at Peter Cox, we are extremely proud to be a member of the Property Care Association. We also pride ourselves in being associated with other industry organisations. Here is the full list of our industry memberships and accreditations, where you can also book a survey if you have problems with your property.
