Residents warned of rogue paving traders

Added: 14/07/2008
Category: Norfolk County Council

Residents in the county are being warned about suspected rogue traders who are calling unannounced at addresses across Norfolk, offering paving services and other home improvements.

Norfolk County Council Trading Standards and Norfolk Constabulary have received a number of enquiries from members of the public about the traders - who are believed to be offering no cancellation rights and using high-pressure tactics to push shoddy work.

Investigations between the two organisations have shown that the traders are using a number of company names - Home & County Paving, Norwich Drives and Landscapes, and Norwich Plastics on literature left at properties - claiming they are based at as Unit 2 or Unit 3 of Barrow Close on the Sweetbriar Industrial Estate.

Enquiries have however revealed that two unrelated, legitimate, companies operate from these addresses and are NOT associated with these traders. In fact, neither company, Manic Mechanics, or SCA International Race and Rally Centre, operates in the home improvement sector.

Residents are being asked to ignore any such correspondence.

Shaun Norris, Assistant Head of Norfolk County Council Trading Standards, said:

"Not only are these traders not offering cancellation rights and undertaking the kind of high pressure tactics that they are, but they are also purporting that their various business names are based at the offices of two unrelated businesses - that don't even operate in the home improvement sector."

Trading Standards Officers are asking residents, who are considering home improvement work, to never agree to having work done by anyone who come calling unannounced at their door, and run through the following checklist when looking for someone suitable:

- Does the trader/business belong to a respective trade body?

- Are references available?

- Do they offer an insurance backed guarantee?

- Do you have details of their name, their business name, their address and phone number?

- Will they give you a fixed price quote in writing?

- And are they willing to agree at what stage payment is due?

Norfolk County Council Trading Standards will also support any communities wishing to set up a No Cold Calling Zone.

Anyone wanting further advice or further information about No Cold Calling Zones, can get in contact with Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

Its advisors can give clear, practical advice to consumers who also have problems with goods or services they've purchased, and can feed back vital information to Trading Standards departments across the country to help them to work towards creating a safer consumer protection system.