TRADING standards officers are urging householders to beware of rogue gardeners and landscapers.

Darlington Borough Council have issued a warning to residents thinking of improving their gardens and outdoor spaces.

It comes after repeated cases of residents being conned in the region.

Councillor Jonathan Dulston, Darlington Borough Council’s deputy leader, said: “Rogue traders can be very persuasive. They will use high pressure selling at the doorstep and make bogus claims to get people to agree to the work.

"Their glossy flyers delivered to people’s homes and the impressive-looking websites may appear convincing but are often not all they seem. Some traders pretend they have many years of experience when that is not the case

“The outcome is that people are misled and left with a garden that bears no resemblance to what was promised, the project is half-finished, there is damage to property, or the work has not been done at all.

"People can also be left out of pocket if they have paid up front, often to the tune of hundreds or thousands of pounds.

“We want to weed out the rogue gardeners and landscapers and our trading standards officers have come up with some useful advice and tips for householders.”

If you are thinking of getting a garden or outdoor space make-over, watch out for the red flags:

  • Rogue traders may appear to be local and genuine, but they can often use false contact details
  • Bogus claims made by rogue traders that they are members of trade schemes
  • The price of the job might increase if so-called ‘urgent’ work is needed
  • Sometimes rogue traders will use promotional photographs and claim they are examples of their work when they are not
  • False claims that the rogue trader is doing work for a neighbour as a way of gaining your trust

Never agree to a job or sign up to anything on your doorstep or after quick search on the internet or social media

It is becoming popular to use social media to look for a good trader and seek recommendations.  This can be a good idea but always do your own independent checks

Ask for written quotes from traders with verifiable names and addresses

Try to visit the trader’s premises if you can and ask to see - and check out - examples of their work

Never pay up front

For information on your legal rights when you have garden or landscaping work done and the remedies you have when things go wrong, check out the consumer advice page on the council’s website – visit www.darlington.gov.uk/communitysafety then click on ‘Trading Standards’.

If you need further advice or want to report a rogue trader contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service helpline on 0808 223 1133 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer

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