Trading Standards officers from the shared Trading Standards service were out and about across Bracknell Forest and Wokingham Borough last week as part of an ongoing operation to identify and deal with any businesses that deliberately overcharge for unsatisfactory goods and services.
The ongoing campaign is designed to protect our residents from becoming victims of so-called doorstep crime, which gives rise to unfair trading and property maintenance and repair fraud.
The operations are designed to gather further intelligence and use it to focus on enforcement activity.
On Wednesday, July 17, officers carried out a day of action in Bracknell Forest and Wokingham Borough.
Officers spoke with a number of traders to ensure their customers were in receipt of the correct paperwork, and company checks were carried out to ensure those carrying waste were licensed.
As a result of action, one location was found to be taking in waste at an unlicensed waste site. Whilst at site, officers intervened when a vehicle arrived to dispose of their waste and found the company had travelled a distance to dispose of the waste. .
Two precautionary checks were carried out with traders working at consumer’s properties. Both complied with providing the correct paperwork to the consumers, and they were in possession of a waste licence.
Officers also identified two vehicles which were being driven around housing estates in the area looking for customers, and further enquiries will be undertaken in respect of these operators.
Officers identified an 88-year-old victim who had lost £10,000 as a result of property maintenance and repair fraud by an unscrupulous trader.
Officers are supporting the victim and the trader is the subject of an ongoing investigation.
As a result of this operation, officers were contacted by a member of the public to a live incident taking place on the morning of July 19 in Wokingham Borough.
Two officers attended and were able to intervene when the trader increased their asking price for the roofing works undertaken from the £1,000 quoted to £4,000.
Officers took over the negotiations and the trader has been informed that they are not able to return to the premises.
In two other locations in the same neighbourhood, officers were alerted to the same trader trying to pick up additional work.
Officers were able to speak with the homeowners who took the decision to stop the works from happening, saving each consumer the initial £1,000 quoted.
The trader was asked to leave the neighbourhood.
Unscrupulous traders will often fix one problem but then target the victim by creating further issues.
Councillor Iskandar Jefferies, chairman of the joint public protection committee, said: “We advise residents to be cautious when they are cold-called or receive unsolicited literature. “Once they agree to have work done, they may find out that it was unnecessary or done to a poor standard.
“Many people are vastly overcharged for the work undertaken or do not receive any paperwork or contracts.
“All quotes should include a 14-day cooling-off period.
“I hope the ongoing operations send a clear message to these traders that we will intervene when needed and will take enforcement activity where these traders have acted in a fraudulent way.
“We would like to thank the member of the public that alerted officers to the live incident. “These types of crimes not only impact on the victim’s finances, but also affects their physical and mental health.
“We won’t tolerate this type of behaviour and will continue to take a robust approach to those caught perpetrating such actions.”
This operation is part of a series of activities across Bracknell Forest, Wokingham Borough and West Berkshire area that is designed to protect residents, and prevent them from becoming the victims of people who trick them into spending vast sums of money, often their life savings, for unnecessary and overpriced work.
If you, or someone you know, has fallen victim to unfair trading or fraud like this you should report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 0808 223 1133.
