Product category:
Builders Merchants
News Release from: Builders Merchants Federation [BMF] | Subject: Rogue Builders
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 June 2003
Rogue Builders In 'Trade Association'
Scams
Rogue builders are conning householders into hiring them by pretending to be members of reputable trade associations.
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) said cowboy builders and tradesmen were hijacking the reputations of some of Britain's leading trade associations BMF director Jeremy Hawksley said that not only were householders being duped into paying for bad workmanship but that trade associations were having their reputations damaged as a result
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 30 Jun 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"The most recent example was a block paving company which was using the BMF logo on its stationery," said Mr Hawksley, whose members operate 2,400 branches throughout the UK with combined sales of £6.2 billion.
"The work carried out was sub-standard and led to the public exposure of the firm.
Fortunately, we were able to make it clear that the paving firm concerned was not a member of our federation and had no right to use our logo.
BMF membership is for builders' merchants - not for builders or tradesman." Mr Hawksley believes there has been an upsurge in the number of firms seeking to cloak themselves in respectability by claiming membership of respected trade associations.
Official statistics show that £1.5 billion is wasted annually on botched home improvements and that last year, more than 100,000 complaints about cowboy builders were registered with Trading Standards officers.
And, the latest figures available from the Office of Fair Trading show that 19,000 complaints relating to work on property were received during a three-month period.
Mr Hawksley says the increase had been triggered by the popularity of home improvement programmes on television.
"People want to achieve the kind of transformations they see on their television screens, and many recognise that they can't do it themselves," he said.
"Instead, they turn to trades people to achieve their dream home - and unfortunately that means that they are vulnerable to cowboys.
"If a firm claims membership of a trade organisation it makes sense to check them out.
A simple phone call should be enough to avoid a lot of expense and disappointment." He said that if householders were suspicious they should telephone the relevant association and ascertain the criteria for membership, what the association does to ensure a high standard of workmanship from its members and what appeals procedure exists for recompense.
"Many of these 'associations' simply require payment for membership and exercise no quality control over their members," added Mr Hawksley.
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