Advice for homeowners

Rogue traders and cowboys are a big concern within many industries, not just the double glazing industry. We at FENSA are keen to catch rogue traders but in order to do so we are aware that we need to educate people on how to spot potential cowboys. We work together with installers to reduce the number of companies that practice foul play.

Talk to us, let us know

Lets face it, we could always do with help in catching rogue traders, so if you are an installer or a consumer and you believe that an installer is not quite what they claim to be, then please let us know. A good example of this in action is a company based in East London who were not registered as a FENSA installer, but were caught advertising the FENSA logo on their website. This was brought to FENSAs attention by a homeowner and FENSA reported it to the Trading Standards agency.

Identifying and reporting rogue traders

To make this a quicker process, FENSA provides a quick service via its website that allows anyone, installer or consumer, to check that a company is actually registered with FENSA or find registered installers in your area. You can do this by entering the exact company name.

FENSA role

FENSAs role is enabling companies to self certify compliance with building regulations and disciplining those who are not complying with the regulations. FENSA uses independent inspectors to check on installation work. FENSA also reports companies that practise foul play and posts information on companies that have been prosecuted.

Local Authority Building Control departments regularly contact FENSA to consult on installations, or to deal with queries relating to Registered Businesses. With the current economic climate, there is a real worry that consumers will be more tempted to opt for installations that offer VAT free work, cash in hand deals and installations that arent backed by guarantees or insurance, all typical traits of cowboys. Whats worse, installations by cowboys may not comply with building regulations, putting consumers at risk and making life tough for them when it comes to selling their home. With this in mind, the role of installers, consumers and the website has never been more important in identifying, stopping and prosecuting rogue traders.