Cowboy builders: Number of rogue tradespeople rises online

Checkatrade reported there's been a 13% rise year on year of unqualified operators attempting to join their site.

Transcript

00:00The number of rogue tradespeople, or cowboy builders, is on the rise. That's according

00:06to data from website Checkertrade, which connects homeowners with traders. They say there's

00:11been a 13% rise year-on-year of unqualified operators attempting to join their site. It

00:16comes as research from the service found 55% of people didn't think they'd be able to spot

00:21a dodgy dealer from a legitimate one, and so they warn homeowners to be aware of red

00:26flags when beginning their next projects. Their COO, Matthew Proust, said the fact

00:30that we've had to block more trades from joining Checkertrade than ever before points to a

00:35worrying trend in the broader industry that consumers must be savvy about when planning

00:39their home projects. High demand for tradespeople and longer-than-average wait times for jobs

00:44has placed huge pressure on the home services industry, creating the perfect environment

00:48for unscrupulous characters to step in and to take advantage. But what about you? Would

00:53you know what to look out for when choosing a trader? Are you confident in your ability

00:57to spot a cowboy builder? And how would you feel confronting someone you thought had carried

01:02out inadequate work?