Quoted £250 - charged £2,000 - county warns of rogue traders - The Redditch Standard

Quoted £250 - charged £2,000 - county warns of rogue traders

Redditch Editorial 15th Sep, 2015 Updated: 18th Oct, 2016   0

THE county’s Regulatory Services trading standards team is warning residents to be wary of doorstep callers offering to fit Dry Verge kits to their roofs.

Dry Verging has become one of the main areas of work for rogue traders, who offer temptingly cheap prices for the job. This has resulted in a lot of Dry Verge systems being inadequately fitted, and subject to unnecessary movement, often resulting in them blowing off in high winds.

Not only is the work done to a poor standard, unscrupulous traders often use cheap Dry Verge offers as a means of finding potential victims who they can fleece for additional work that they claim needs doing to the roof.

In one incident a trader quoted £250 to fit a Dry Verge kit. However after inspecting the roof the trader found allegedly rotten rafters and tiles that ‘needed’ replacing. The consumer was eventually charged in excess of £2,000, a sum that was considerably more than the job was worth, for work that was carried out to a poor standard.




WRS trading standards business manager Simon Wilkes said: “Residents should be wary of anyone turning up on their doorstep offering to fit Dry Verge kits, and should consider whether the work is really necessary.

“People should ask themselves if they would trust potentially expensive work to someone they have only just met, and may never see again.”


WRS joint vommittee chairman Councillor Bronwen Behan said: “There is one simple rule: don’t agree to any work offered by doorstep cold callers. If you need work doing take your time, get several quotes and use the Worcestershire Regulatory Services Trader Register.”

To report an incident or for advice on your rights please contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06ENDS .

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