Tradesman Tricks that Cost You Money

As sad as it may be, there are tradesmen out there who are more than happy to trick an unsuspecting customer into paying more money. Often, when people aren’t sure of the extent of the job or the costs involved, they will rely on their tradesman being honest and only charging what is fair. In many cases however, this simply doesn’t occur, so it’s important to learn the tradesman tricks that can end up costing you more money than expected.

Reliable Tradesmen And Job Costs

If you’ve researched your tradesman before you employ him, you will hopefully be confident that he has come from a reliable agency or company. The importance of fully investigating a number of different tradesmen can’t be ignored – you must do your homework.

If you employ a tradesman who has a respected name in your local area or who has been recommended to you by another individual, you have less chance of him being a scam artist. In many cases, it’s worthwhile mentioning to your tradesman that he was recommended to you. This shows that you’re aware of his credentials and that you’ve employed him for his professionalism. It’ll hopefully help the tradesman realise that you can’t be tricked out of money as you’re already aware of the type of trader he is.

Common Tricks Used By Tradesmen

There are a number of common tricks used by unreliable tradesmen to try and trick you out of your hard earned cash. In order to avoid them, you need to be prepared and you must be willing to put in the time to find out as much as you can about your local tradesman. The most common tricks used include:

• Contract Small Print – Most people don’t read the small print on contracts. They tend to simply skim over the most important parts and then sign on the dotted line. This is well known by tradesmen and this is where they can get extra money from you. You must ensure you read all the fine print, as often there will be extras in there you’re not aware of. Always make sure when you sign the contract that you’re getting everything you need at the price you sign at.
• Delays and Changes to Original Work – Many contracts will contain exclusions in there for weather delays, extra unforseen costs, changes to manufacturers costs and more. If you aren’t aware of these at the time you sign the contract, you can be held responsible for any costs incurred by the tradesman. Always ensure that you know what the contingency plan is for delays and whether you’ll be paid expenses from the tradesman if he’s unable to complete on time.
• Charges for Items Never Used – Many scam tradesmen will happily add on a few extra items to the final invoice just to bump up their costs. They’ll add on items you may never have heard of and that they’ll never have used on your job. They can then claim the money from you and also claim it back in tax. Always check you know what each item you’re invoiced for is used for and if you’re not sure, ask.
• Labour Costs – One of the most common ways to make extra money is to increase labour costs or extend the work time for your project. Good tradesmen will sign in and out and get the job done as quickly as possible. Scam tradesmen will take their time, fussing over what could be wrong or what could be done. If you’re concerned at their time-keeping, keep your own diary of hours and challenge them on it should you need to.

What To Do If You’ve Been Tricked

If you genuinely feel that you’ve been conned by a tradesman and the cost for the job is more than you were expecting, you should first speak to the tradesman directly. He may suddenly state that he’s made a mistake in the invoice, especially if you seem aware of individual item costs and labour costs.

If he doesn’t agree that he’s overcharged you tell him that you will need to speak to his governing body. Most will sort out the problem there and then as they won’t want to be viewed unfavourably by their association. If he doesn’t do that, take all the information to his governing association and ask for their help.