Member News
Deceitful roofing contractor receives prison term for intimidating‘ Elderly widow’
36-YEAR-OLD, Ben Smith received a prison term of nearly 2 years, with the legal proceedings initiated by Blackpool Council.
Preston Crown Court revealed that Smith coerced their victim into having their roof attended to.
Smith pressured the victim into handing over £ 2,000 and said they will dismantle their home if payment isn’ t made.
The victim revealed that she felt“ Distressed, intimidated, and betrayed,” adding the following:“ I feel unsafe and anxious in my own home – my sense of security and peace of mind has been taken away.”
Smith accepted responsibility to deceiving their victim, with Blackpool Council stating the following:“ This is a really upsetting case – that somebody would deliberately target an older, vulnerable person is despicable.”
“ I’ m immensely grateful to our Trading Standards team who thoroughly investigated this incident, building a strong case for court that’ s reflected in the sentence handed down.”
“ Just as importantly, they offered the victim kindness, reassurance and professionalism.”
“ It was a textbook case of rogue trading, including cold calling, high-pressure sales practices, the exploitation of fear, demands for immediate payment, and the targeting of a vulnerable person.”
“ The victim’ s account and the evidence our team gathered show a clear disregard for legislation and the real harm that such practices can cause.”
“ We take all reports of this nature seriously and will use all the powers at our disposal to bring people to justice.”
Your roof is a huge part of your home and choosing a roofer can sometimes be a complicated business. Below are two of the more frequently asked questions received by the Confederation of Roofing Contractors( CORC):
Why should I choose a CORC member?
By choosing to use a member of the CORC you are ensuring that your contractor has been checked and vetted and has the correct insurances. The vetting checks carried out before membership include Identification, Proof of address, Qualifications check( check of regulated accreditations), Credit check, Company history, public liability insurance check( specifically to ensure they are insured for roofing purposes), Director search, Adverse media check and others. All members are put on a 6-month probation when started.
Does my roofer automatically give an insurance backed guarantee?
Insurance Backed Guarantees( IBG) are not mandatory by law and it is down to the roofers to decide whether they are happy to offer them. They are within their rights to refuse to offer an Insurance Backed Guarantees. Some of our roofers are unable to offer Insurance Backed Guarantees so it is always worth asking your roofer or calling and checking with us beforehand.
For more information, feel free to visit our company website on https:// www. corc. co. uk / www. corc. co. uk www. roofingtradesjournal. co. uk
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