Stockport Council is urging residents to be on their guard against cold callers and rogue traders operating across the borough.
There has been a marked growth in rogue tradespersons undertaking landscaping work and fly-tipping the waste material recently.
Incidents of fly-tipping are investigated and in the last three months alone three separate cases have been brought against people whose waste was found fly-tipped. All three offenders claimed to have passed their waste to a third party, who they claim must have fly tipped the waste.
However, none of the offenders could provide enforcement officers with the details of whom they had passed it on to and therefore they were found guilty and fined for failing to dispose of their waste correctly.
The Council’s Stockport Trading Standards team advises residents who believe they need work doing on their property to get written quotes from several businesses. This will allow them to make an informed choice about what work needs doing and how much it will cost.
Residents are also advised to look for businesses who are members of a trade association and to ensure that the business has a genuine, preferably local, address and a landline number. Reputable companies do not operate solely with a mobile phone number.
Councillor Martin Candler, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Sustainability, said:
“These cold calling salespeople can be very persuasive and even intimidating at times. They often target older or vulnerable people. It can be difficult for residents to turn them away. We would urge residents to only do business with reputable traders.
“Residents should always get several quotations before agreeing to have any work done and get them in writing – ensuring that cancellation rights are provided. We should all be very careful about cold callers and if something seems to be too good to be true it is probably not true!
“The Council’s Trading Standards team work in Partnership with Greater Manchester Police and will take robust action against rogue traders found attempting to de-fraud local residents”.
Residents with concerns or information about suspected rogue traders are urged to contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.