That’s the message from Wigan Council’s team of consumer champs to all those rogue cowboys at work in our borough.
Unfortunately the cowboys we are talking about don’t wear spurs or a wide-brimmed Stetson hat. They’ll most probably wear everyday clothes or overalls and they’ll have a smile as wide as a wiley coyote’s. But beware! They will rip you off and won’t think twice about it.
We are of course talking about those cowboy builders and rogue traders who may seem like they are skilled professionals but are in fact cold-hearted con-merchants who will do poor quality, sometimes unnecessary work for over-the-top prices.
And when you try to complain about the work they’ve done, they’ll be gone faster than the midday stagecoach to Dodge City.
Now the council’s trading standards team has created its very own guide to getting decent work done on your home and property. The Good Trader Scheme is a list of honest and reliable traders that you can use to make sure that you get the right person for the job.
Whether it be a new conservatory, essential plumbing work or someone to look at the electrics, there are hundreds of honest traders who have already signed up to the scheme and there’s sure to be someone to suit your needs on the list.
Wigan Council’s chief trading standards officer Julie Middlehurst says: “What you really need is a trader who will do a decent job at a reasonable price.
“We have access to information on local traders and any complaints against them. We can use this to filter out any rogues or cowboys and ensure we only accept traders that are committed to fair and honest trading.
“Each trader who is a member of the scheme has pledged to deal with complaints fairly. If a problem cannot be resolved then we will try and help.”
Often the best way to get a decent trader is by word of mouth and that’s exactly how the Good Trader Scheme works.
The traders are not approved by the council but, more importantly, are rated by their customers who have given them a number of stars – with five stars being top marks.
Wigan Council’s cabinet champion for neighbourhoods, Cllr Kevin Anderson, says: “Your home is your most valued asset and you need to approach having any work done from it from that point of view.
“By working with local reputable traders we have created a really useful directory of people who will treat you fairly, do a decent job and charge you an honest price for the work they do.”
You can find out more about Wigan Council’s Good Trader scheme by visiting the council’s website – Good Trader (external link) Or you can call 08454 04 05 06 and ask for the Wigan Good Trader Scheme (calls charged at local rate)
