Charlotte lost £3,500 to a rogue roofer: How to ensure you don't fall prey to the crooks

Citizens Advice is warning homeowners to be on their guard against rogue roofers, as it has identified a rise in the number of scam firms. 

The charity said it spoke to nearly 9,000 people with roofing work-related complaints in the past year, and suspected a quarter of those had been the victim of a scam. 

The charity said rogue roofers often target people on their doorstep and invent non-existent problems with their roofs. Then, they charge them thousands to 'fix' them. 

In other circumstances, they might be called out for a legitimate small repair but lie about the extent of the work that needs to be done and how much it costs. 

Often, they target customers who post adverts looking for roofers online.  

That is what happened to Charlotte, who was conned out of £3,500. 

How Charlotte paid £3,500 for a £250 job 

Charlotte, who did not want to give her surname, is 65 and lives alone in north-east England. 

She was targeted by rogue roofers last winter after posting an advert on a popular online platform which connects households with traders. 

Charlotte had a minor problem at her home. She could hear a dripping sound from her gutters when it rained. 

Immediately after posting the advert on the online platform, Charlotte answered the phone to two men who said they could come that day to service and repair the gutters for £250.

Charlotte said: 'They came at 4pm and went to the back of the house with lamps and ladders. 

'They rang the door 20 minutes later, and said water was splashing out of the gutters and damaging the wood underneath the roof. They said I needed 'eave protection' or the rain would cause more damage.

'They said they could do the work now for £2,500, and that other companies would charge me almost double. 

'They said I should do it because it was very rainy and the rain would damage my house more, so I agreed. 

'An hour later they said it was sorted, but they'd found another problem. They showed me a little bucket full of cement, saying it was crumbling under the tiles and there would be leaks if I didn't get it sorted now.'

Charlotte added: 'I was afraid, two men in front of me in the dark, demanding money and making it clear they weren't moving. 

'They knew I was alone, I didn't feel like I could deal with anything that might happen after, so I paid £3,500.

'The next day there was no trace that any work was done. I felt stupid, and tried to contact them, but couldn't get through.'

Charlotte called Citizens Advice for help, and dealt with Trading Standards and the Financial Ombudsman Service in a bid to resolve the matter and secure a refund from her bank.

Charlotte also received £800 in compensation from the online platform she used to post the advert. 

She was told by the online platform that the traders were previously expelled from the website, but had re-registered under a different name and address, and had scammed other people in the area. 

Suspected roofing scams were the top scam Citizens Advice came across in the last year, comprising 10 per cent of goods or service complaints flagged as scams. 

One in four of all the roofing complaints it received in the same period were suspected scams.

Citizens Advice said people reported 'traders' disappearing with their money, being tricked into paying for work not carried out, damage or issues being invented, aggressive sales tactics, demands for payment which left them feeling intimidated and being grossly overcharged. 

The charity found that crooks used doorstep sales tactics in 77 per cent of suspected roofing scams, making it the most common method deployed to catch households out.  

Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: 'Poor quality work is an issue in the roofing sector. 

'But there's a difference between a roofer who does a shoddy job, and a scammer who commits a calculated crime - designed solely to extort money from homeowners.

'Scammers exploit the fact that roofs are out of sight and reach, knowing most people can't easily inspect the work themselves.

'Our advisers help thousands of people caught out by roofing scams each year. With the impacts often devastating - leaving people thousands of pounds out of pocket - we're urging consumers to make thorough checks before agreeing to building work.'

How to avoid scam roofers

It is increasingly difficult to decipher whether you are dealing with reputable or crooked roofers. 

There's no set regulatory framework for roofers, while there are for electricians and gas workers. 

Scammer roofers often target the vulnerable and elderly, so watch out for those around you.  

1. Look out for phoenix firms

Phoenixing is when a company, say a roofing firm, is put into administration or liquidation, and the business or its assets are transferred to a new company. 

The new company has a new name and a new address. This can be handy for crooked roofers or other trades who want to avoid paying debts off from their former business. 

It also makes it harder for customers to know who they are really dealing with and what their reputation is like. 

If you know the name of the person in charge of the roofer firm you are dealing with, search their name on the Companies House website and see how many firms are under their name and if they are all for different businesses providing roofing services. 

If there are many firms listed and most have been shut, it could be a red flag. 

2. Ignore the door-steppers 

If a roofer or any other tradesman knocks on your door or phones you and asks if you want work carried out or says they've spotted a problem with your roof, do not give them any work. Reputable roofers do not knock on your door out of the blue. 

Jane Parsons, consumer expert at Citizens Advice, said: 'Ask for references and make sure you get everything in writing, including details of any work you agree. 

'Be wary of traders who won't put anything in writing, only accept cash or want you to pay everything upfront.'

3. Get recommendations

Charlotte's story shows that even people using online websites connecting people with the trades aren't always a safe bet. 

These kind of portal sites are often getting a fee from the tradesman advertising their services on the site. 

Where possible, try and get recommendations from neighbours, friends or family to find a roofer. 

4. Remember you have time to back out 

If a trader is at your home when you agree to roofing work, you have 14 days to cancel. 

The trader has to give you the information about your right to cancel in writing.

If a trader hasn't done a good job with 'reasonable care and skill', the Consumer Rights Act 2015 entitles you to ask for the problem to be fixed or for a refund.

If there is a problem caused by a trader, you should be able to get it fixed or get some money back. 

Gather paperwork and receipts, take photos to use as evidence, and make notes about what's happened, including times and dates. 

5. Watch out for wild pricing

Unscrupulous roofers will inflate the severity of minor issues to justify charging extortionate prices. 

What could be a straightforward £150 tile replacement might suddenly become a £1,500 repair job due to supposed major underlying issue. 

Always get at least three quotes before you have any work done. If you search online, you will also be able to figure out roughly how much a job like the one you need doing should cost. 

And finally, never pay upfront in full for any works you have done. A huge upfront deposit should also be a red flag. 

A scammer roofer will, in all likelihood, take your money and run before the job is finished.