Jet washers and their dirty work
How useful to have a definitive answer to the question of whether it’s ever a good idea to accept an offer to have the roof of your house washed with a power jet hose.
“Jet washing a roof is a complete scam,” says Carl Hitchings, of Devon and Somerset trading standards.
“It is a very aggressive treatment that damages the tiles and makes them more porous.”
The admirably plain-speaking Carl was instrumental in nailing two rogue traders who charged a man in his nineties £1,400 for the treatment.
“In this case, water from the jet washing entered the property and brought down the bedroom ceiling,” says Carl.
The charlatans responsible – Kevin Hogg, 41, and Bryan Ferren, 38 – also traded as Unique Drives And Coatings, conning victims with lies about 12-year warranties.
Trading Standards linked them to scams costing victims almost £73,000.
The pair, from Paignton, Devon, were each jailed for two years at Exeter crown court after admitting fraud offences.
Carl offers some useful insights into their tactics in the latest issue of the trading standards magazine TS Today.
In order to drum up new customers, Ferren would take potential new victims to see his last job, where the previous work was so recent that problems hadn’t yet come to light.
“They knew the product would fail quickly – and it did,” said Carl. Here’s conman Sean Ayres, who is 21. He preyed on a 93-year-old woman living alone.
The frightened victim, from Harrogate, North Yorks, was persuaded to hand over a cheque made out for £1,000 for cleaning her drive. A few days later, Ayres returned and claimed that the cheque had been spoiled – it hadn’t, he’d already cashed it – and got her to sign a second one.
Ayres, from Barnsley, was jailed last week for 12 months after pleading guilty to eight fraud and consumer protection offences.
Teesside crown court heard how he also ripped off an elderly couple in Scarborough, taking £400 upfront for roof repairs, then driving off.
After the prosecution by North Yorkshire Trading Standards, County Councillor David Chance said: “This conviction sends a message to rogue traders that they will not get away with these crimes.”