Hertfordshire Trading Standards is warning residents to be vigilant as a result of a novel approach being used currently by rogue traders.
Instead of asking for work in your garden, these rogues tell you that they are working next door/ at the bottom of the garden on a hedge or trees that are on the boundary and that the clippings may fall into your garden. To save you any bother, can they access your garden to collect the branches or clippings? Once they are in your garden, they offer to do work on your side and because you think that they are working at a neighbour’s house, you think that they must be ok and agree.
Of course, these traders aren’t working next door and in the latest incident in Hertfordshire, they took £100 cash and then disappeared, not even doing the work.
Trading Standards advise that you don’t deal with any cold callers and don’t believe any story of working next door – on trees, on an adjoining roof, anywhere. Reputable traders will not approach a resident in this way, without the neighbour being present. In this latest incident, the gentleman is 87 years old. Please look out for your elderly family members and neighbours and warn them about this latest scam.
Please call the police on 101 to report any trader using this approach or 999 if there is a crime in progress.
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