RESIDENTS are being warned to say no to tradies offering to repair driveways and lay bitumen on the cheap.
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It comes after a spate of reports made to the Office of Fair Trading about people being targeted in Woodhill.
An OFT spokesperson said traders had been approaching residents offering the repairs.
However, the service was a scam designed to swindle money from the consumer, the spokesperson said.
“Often they claim they have bitumen left over from another job and so they can offer it at a ‘cheap price today only’,” the spokesperson said.
“Sometimes watered down bitumen is laid on ungraded or poorly graded ground.”
The spokesperson said the scammers often left driveways damaged, meaning repairs were later required.
The mess also meant people could not get their cars from garages, meaning they felt obligated to pay the scammer extra money for the damage to be fixed.
“The traders initially quote a low cost then a much higher payment is demanded during the work for it to be completed,” the spokesperson said.
“Consumers sometimes comply because if the work isn’t finished they can’t get their car out of the garage.”
The spokesperson said scam tradies might also take large deposits without performing any work.
“Consumers have no way to get a refund as these types of traders usually vanish.,” the spokesperson said.
People who think they have seen the scam traders should contact the Office of Fair Trading on 13 74 68.
