Crackdown on Rogue Traders

A charity in Northamptonshire has launched a crackdown on rogue traders in the county who are ‘increasingly targeting older people’.

Age UK Northamptonshire today launched a new business directory of trustworthy local traders and businesses, including builders, plumbers, roofers, gardeners, decorators, solicitors and more.

It is hoped it will protect older people from rogue traders by ‘connecting them with local reputable traders and businesses that have been checked by local Age UK staff’.

The launch comes after Northants Herald and Post reported an elderly couple from Corby had recently been conned out of £1,000 by two men pretending to be builders.

This is something Liam Condron, the Chief Executive of Age UK Northamptonshire, wants to stop.

At the launch event of the business directory this morning, Mr Condron said: “There is an obvious need for older people to be able to rely on a trusted source when it comes to finding tradespeople.

“Older people are seen as an easy target, and as we saw in the Northants Herald and Post yesterday, a Corby couple got swindled out of £1,000 by two men who pretended to be builders. It’s this kind of thing which we want to stop.

“This is our effort to make it a safer environment for older people to operate in.”

So far 40 traders/businesses have signed up to be in the directory, one of which is flooring contractor Tayflor Carpets, owned by Marcus Taylor.

Mr Taylor, 46, who has run the business since 1988, said: “I think the business directory is going to be a great place for older people to look towards confidently when they are looking for a tradesperson.

“You hear a lot more these days that the older generation hasn’t got confidence in tradespeople because they are afraid of being ripped off.

“I think this will give them the confidence to go forward with these properly dedicated tradespeople who are very passionate about their work and job.

“When I see stories like the couple, it makes me angry.

“We work very hard to promote ourselves to be good people, and when people hear these stories – they often hear the horror ones but not the nice ones – they become wary of us. Even though I know I am a trusted person, they don’t know me from Adam because in their mind I could be that rip off merchant. There is always that stigma attached.

“Hopefully this will stop that.”

The Age UK Business Directory first launched in 2008 in Nottinghamshire. It has since rolled out across many counties in the country, including Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire.

To visit Northamptonshire’s new directory, visit www.aubdnorthamptonshire.co.uk or call 0800 044 3646.