As we approach the summer season and make way for the warmer weather, so too are the tradies getting ready for business to pick up. From roof maintenance and repairs to landscaping and gardening, this time of the year is when there is an influx of jobs and is often a magnet for dodgy tradies who travel from suburb to suburb to find their next unsuspecting victim.
Dodgy tradies often target the elderly promising home repairs at a fraction of the cost; they often push for cash payment and would disappear with your money without starting work or leaving projects unfinished and have the customer pick up the pieces.
Some of the ways these travelling con men find work can be fairly sophisticated including:
- Creating websites that look reputable
- Offer business brochures and pamphlets with industry recognized logs and ABN numbers listed that aren’t registered to them
- Going door to door and offering specials for booking in today
- Targeting homes with handrails or disability ramps
Margaret is one of these victims that were scammed by fake tradies when she required her gutter to be repaired before her insurance company can carry out repairs inside the house. She came across a pamphlet which looked professional and received a cheap quote from the tradie who stated it was a cash only job. Margaret paid over $10,000 for the gutter work and the tradies were done 3 days later, after collecting the money they disappeared only to leave behind substandard work and piles of rubbish.
How to protect yourself from dodgy tradies
Tradies offering deals too good to be true or door knockers pressuring you could be a sign of a suspicious tradie especially if they have approached you looking for work. However, what if you are looking to hire a tradie, how can you tell if they are legitimate?
- Get a few quotes and compare prices so you know the average prices for the work your requesting
- Ask for a written quote that contains the business’s contact information
- Request for contact details of previous customers so you can check references
- Obtain the tradies full name and registration and trade licence to perform checks
- Contact the main business office to clarify the tradie does work for the stated business
