Carmarthenshire residents are being urged not to allow themselves to be conned by rogue traders this autumn.
Householders in Llanelli have been targeted by rogue traders and some have parted with significant sums of money.
Carmarthenshire County Council Trading Standards Service is warning householders not to make any payments whatsoever to itinerant traders who cold call.
House owners in Llanelli have been targeted by traders offering to do house painting, property maintenance such as gutter cleaning, tree felling and pruning.
Trading Standards officers have arranged for leaflets to be distributed to houses in the town following a spate of serious incidents.
The leaflet gives advice such as always asking for paperwork including the full name and address of the business, seeking alternative quotes, asking to see public liability insurance and if appropriate a waste carrier licence, and clearly sends a message that money must never be handed over before the work is complete. Customers must be given written notice of a seven day cooling off period.
Executive board member for public protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “I would urge householders to take care when traders call at the door uninvited. The message is – do not pay when asked for money even for the smallest job.
“We want people to have the courage to refuse making on the spot decisions about buying costly home repairs that they may not need. They should always contact a reputable trader and obtain quotes.”
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