Employing Tradespeople
Cash-in-hand Britain sleepwalking into homeowning hell
Expert advice from James Molloy
“Self-employed tradespeople might on the surface appear the cheapest option, but the time and effort it takes to resolve grievances comes at a cost. Homeowners should be aware of the legal sacrifices they are making by failing to employ someone from a reputable organisation who can be held accountable after a payment has been made.”
The AA Legal Lowdown
- Don’t Cut Corners – Hire someone from a reputable organisation for work on your home.
- Avoid Cheap Cash Deals – Traders who offer a cheaper deal for payment in cash rather than cheque or credit should be avoided – get a written quote before work starts and paying a bit extra to ensure a legitimate transaction against a proper invoice gives record of the work done and amount paid. This could be vital in the event of a dispute.
- Seek Legal Advice – Should you be unfortunate enough to become a victim of an unscrupulous tradesperson, seek legal advice or talk to the Citizens Advice Bureau.
- Ask for References – Ask the tradesperson if they are a member of a professional body or have references from previous customers.
Safe as Houses Facts
- Almost nine in ten homeowners readily hand over cash-in-hand to self-employed tradespeople rather than use a reputable company or agency.
- Around 78% of homeowners use a tradesperson every year and almost one in five of them have experienced grievances with cowboy tradesmen.
- Almost one in five homeowners say they are happy to pay cash to a plumber, however about a third of them experience subsequent problems over work done by them.
- Over one in ten homeowners experience trouble with cash-in-hand tradespeople.
- Only 8% of people who experience mal practice with rogue tradesmen bother to report them to trading standards.