Trading Standards Warn Don't Fall Foul Of Rogue Roofers
Trading standards are warning Derbyshire residents to be on their guard against rogue roofers after nearly half of the doorstep crime incidents reported to them last year involved roofing work.
Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards team have noticed that over the past two years there has been a sharp rise in the number of reports involving roofing issues with residents claiming they have been ripped off by traders on their doorstep offering to carry out work that was not necessarily needed.
In 2022-2023 there were 76 reports to Derbyshire’s trading standards involving roofing work. This rose in 2023-2024 to 135 and remained high last year at 121 reports, which was 47% of all doorstep crime incidents reported in that financial year.
Reports have included rogue roofers using high-pressure sales tactics and claiming that urgent repairs are needed, and exploiting homeowners, especially the elderly and vulnerable.
Low prices for jobs are offered at first, with costs then rising, along with demands for upfront payments.
The county council’s trading standards team have issued some top tips on avoiding rogue roofers and are urging residents to check out their Trusted Trader scheme at Trusted Trader - Derbyshire County Council if they need work carrying out.
Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Dawn Abbott said: “The rise in this type of incident is worrying and I’m hoping residents will take the trading standards tips on board to protect themselves, vulnerable people they know and also their wallets.
“Rogue traders will often just knock on people’s doors and offer suspiciously low prices for work they say needs carrying out, usually demanding upfront payment, and pressure people to agree immediately. To avoid falling victim, we’d strongly advise getting multiple quotes if work genuinely needs carrying out, as well as checking traders’ credentials, and never agree to work without a contract and proper documentation. The best advice we’d give is to check out our Trusted Trader scheme.”
Trading standards have issued a handy list of tips to identify and avoid rogue roofers:
• Cold Calling: Be wary of roofers who come to your door uninvited.
• Pressure Sales: Rogue traders often create a sense of urgency, pushing for immediate decisions, for example by suggesting that a tile is missing or loose and could be dangerous or cause damage.
• Low Prices: Quotes that seem too good to be true, especially if they are significantly lower than others.
• Upfront Payment: Reputable roofers will not demand full payment upfront.
• Lack of Documentation: Lack of written contracts, including details of the work, schedule, and payment plan. Consumers should always ask for a contract and be given a 14-day cooling-off period within which they can cancel that contract.
• No References: A reputable roofer will be happy to provide references from previous customers.
• Fear Tactics: Residents should avoid roofers who try to scare them about the condition of their roof.
Residents who suspect they are being targeted by a rogue trader should follow these tips:
• Don't agree to any work: Politely decline their offer and ask them to leave.
• Get advice: Contact Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service for guidance. The Citizens Advice Consumer Service can be contacted on 0808 223 1133.
• Report the incident: If people feel threatened they should call the police immediately.
• Document everything: Keep records of all communication, quotes and any payments made.
• Notify the bank: If a resident has paid a trader they suspect is a rogue trader by card, they should inform their bank about the potential fraud.
There are currently 70 traders on the Derbyshire Trusted Trader scheme that advertise under roofers and roofing, with a good coverage of legitimate roofing traders and companies across the county.
The best way for consumers to search on the Derbyshire Trusted Trader scheme is to select ‘roofers and roofing’ and enter their postcode which will bring up the closest roofers to them.
They can also carry out a separate search for ‘roof repair’ which has a total of 48 traders.
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