By CASEY NEILL
A KEYSBOROUGH man is warning residents about rogue roof renovators in the area.
“A neighbour of mine engaged one of these operators who, with his young off-sider, cleaned the roof – polluting the tank water – and part-sealed the ridge capping,” he said.
“His workmanship was of such poor standard that my neighbour sacked him the following day and luckily did not pay him for the botched work.
“However, my neighbour now has to engage a reputable roof repairer to re-do and finish the work at even greater expense.”
The man, who did not want to be named, said the rogue operator cold-called residents, inspected their roof and warned them it was in bad condition and needed immediate attention.
He offered a special deal if residents start work immediately and only accepted cash.
He said the roofer was about 60 years old with an English accent and drove a NSW-registered white Mazda one-ton covered tray truck, and his assistant was a Caucasian man in his mid-20s.
Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) director Dr Claire Noone urged property owners to be alert to the tricks of travelling con men.
“Jobs such as painting, roof repairs and sealing driveways are common tasks they offer at a cheap rate, often putting the resident under pressure to say yes,” she said.
“Travelling con men frequently disappear and leave the job unfinished or of a poor standard.”
CAV received 131 reports about travelling con men last year, down 3 per cent on 2012.
“Roof work was the most common trick last year, resulting in two out of every five reports,” Dr Noone said.
She urged anyone who suspected travelling con men in their area to call the national hotline on 1300 133 408.
“You can also report them to your local police,” she said.
