Building contractors sector
Building contractors Safetraders
This is a register of businesses who are willing to provide services for people living in South Tyneside and who have a history of fair trading in providing services to residential properties. The terms and conditions of this scheme apply only to the residents of South Tyneside who use the scheme.
South Tyneside has had consistent problems with 'cowboy' rogue traders, bogus officials and distraction burglars. These persons pressure sell, do shoddy work and are often untraceable. This has a serious affect on residents and also represents totally unfair competition for legitimate businesses in South Tyneside.
The home improvement sector and repairs and servicing of domestic appliances are also a major source of complaints to trading standards throughout the country. Some result from a number of 'cowboy traders' but often also arise when honest businesses fail to check that their staff are doing jobs correctly or are unaware of their legal obligations.
Our Building Contractors Registration Scheme is an attempt to reduce these problems and generally raise standards throughout South Tyneside.
Main aims
- To ensure a level of satisfactory service which reflects good practice
- To improve the image of the building contractors in South Tyneside
- To increase compliance with consumer laws
- To improve consumer confidence by promoting registered traders
Membership of the scheme will mean that all traders have met the following general criteria:
- Satisfy a county court and trading standards records check
- Comply with the spirit and letter of the law, including any code of practice and to the principles and commitments of the scheme
- Deal with customers fairly, courteously, reliably and in accordance with good business practice
- Have an effective written complaints procedure including that in the event of a complaint not being resolved the matter will be subject to conciliation by trading standards
- Co-operate with officers of the Trading Standards Service
Building contractors scheme terms and conditions
Building contractors must also:
- Ensure all descriptions are accurate, honest and truthful
- Provide references from satisfied customers and demonstrate minimum standards annually
- Only undertake work they are competently able to complete
- All businesses dealing with gas will be Corgi registered if the business deals with gas and be NICEIC registered if the business deals with electricity
- Notify customers in advance of any call out charge
- Never charge more than the agreed hourly rate and quote prices inclusive of VAT
- Provide written estimates or quotations (an estimate is considered to be an approximation of the likely cost, a quotation being the firm price for the work to be undertaken)
- Provide itemised invoices or receipts
- Supply all contracted goods and services within a reasonable time
- Treat the customer's property with care and ensure working areas are left tidy
South Tyneside Trading Standards Service is committed to:
- Providing a fair and impartial service to both consumers and businesses
- Assisting in resolving disputes
- Undertaking at least annually satisfaction surveys of the member businesses and customers of those businesses
- Investigating any breach of the law by a scheme member which may result in a member being prosecuted, removed from the scheme, or both
Customer using the scheme must agree to
- Pay all accounts promptly
- Allow reasonable access for work to be carried out
- Use the concilliation procedure in the first instance in the event of a dispute
If you have a problem involving a scheme member
We advise you to:
- Notify the trader straight away, in writing if necessary, and give them a reasonable opportunity to correct the problem
- Contact us if you are not happy with the outcome
NB Nothing in the scheme prevents either party from seeking redress through legal action in the courts.
Limitations of the scheme
Membership commits the business to high standards of fair trading which are checked by trading standards staff. However we do not check all work carried out. South Tyneside Council, its members and staff therefore are not liable for any problems connected with the goods or services of businesses approved under the scheme.
