New scheme to stop cowboy traders in their tracks
Under a new government-approved guarantee scheme, tradespeople won’t be able to get their hands on consumers’ cash until the customer is completely happy with their home improvements.
The scheme is called the Home Improvements Guarantee and was created by Harvey Ellingham, an electronics engineer, builder and businessman, after his elderly parents were subjected to a £23,000 bill for bad workmanship.
The Home Improvements Guarantee works by asking customers to place enough money to cover the job in a secure holding account, and once the work is complete, the customer then signs off the payment to be passed along to the trade company.
If a dispute arises, the trading company must continue with the work until it is of a satisfactory standard or an independent surveyor is called in.
So far, more than 250 builders have signed up to be vetted and listed by the service, for which they’ll pay a 3% commission charge when provided with referrals for work on kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, plumbing, electrics and landscaping.
The scheme has been approved by Trading Standards and can take the stress out of bookings for consumers and businesses, as a customer will know that they don’t have to pay until they’re happy with the work and a trade company can see that the customer has enough funds to pay for the labour once it’s complete.
Of course, the optimal method of hiring a builder, plumber or electrician is to book directly with a company you trust, as a scheme like this could see trades companies increasing their fees to cover the commission charges they face for referrals.
However, for consumers who do not have a go-to company, the Home Improvements Guarantee could provide real peace of mind.