Beware Rogue Traders in the North East
The North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) are advising businesses to beware rogue traders across the region.
There is one targeting the North-East at the moment with the following method;
Trader will approach business premises with car parking areas (warehouses, farms, pubs, sports clubs, country parks etc) under the guise of the fact they are working in the area and have material left over from a job. The trader will follow one of three angles to get the customer to agree:
- Offer to provide the chippings free and request a contribution to the work being done, then charge a large sum for this
- Offer a reduced price of around £2m, then do the work and charge per foot which equates to a tenfold price increase
- Agree to do a small patch for an agreed price per foot, then do significantly more than agreed and charge the agreed unit price for the entire area.
The trader will approach the customer demanding the money and provide paperwork showing the full price, then approach the owner of the land stating they owe the money, and he wants it paying there and then otherwise will pursue legal action.
