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Product category: Design Services and Hard Landscaping
News Release from: Brett Landscaping and Building Products | Subject: Response to FMB campaign
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial Team on 14 August 2007

Brett Landscaping response to FMB
campaign

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Shirley Mansfield, Marketing Director Brett Landscaping and Building Products, comments on Federation of Master Builders campaign against bogus builders and rogue traders.

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has launched a campaign supporting Trading Standards asking consumers to 'wise-up' to bogus builders and rogue traders Apparently UK homeowners are losing more than a billion pounds a year to cowboys

It's a lot of money, but in fact most of those in the construction industry are thoroughly professional; in the business to make a product, provide a good, reliable service and grow, for the good of themselves and their customers.

I agree that people should only choose builders who are members of a 'bona fide' trade organisation such as the FMB, but many companies in the construction industry also have registered installer schemes - or similar networks - allowing homeowners to choose an established builder that they can trust.

Brett Landscaping and Building Products has an Approved Installer network which we police on everything from quality of fitting to customer service.

We select only established installers (in business for at least two years), conduct spot checks and measure homeowner satisfaction with feedback forms.

We also offer guarantees on the product and the installation.

Companies like Freefoam Building Plastics, Network Veka, Masterframe Windows' Bygone Preferred Installer Network, also offer similar schemes.

These networks help generate enquiries but also promote professional conduct and high quality work.

No-one should be harassed or tricked by bogus builders into having unnecessary work done.

But homeowners need to accept some responsibility too, choosing professionals rather than family or friends to step in.

Only last week, Donna McCarthy wrote in the Independent that he asked an 'actor friend' to fit double-glazed units into the original timber sash window frames in his house.

No mention of whether this friend was FENSA registered, as required by law.

I suggest that the Federation of Master Builders should concentrate on promoting these and similar schemes rather than knocking the public's already poor perception of our industry.

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