Roof repair conmen scamming West Aussies out of thousands

Perth Now

13 hours ago

Door-knocking conmen are swindling WA households out of tens of thousands of dollars for minor roof repairs that they don't complete.
Consumer protection issued a warning on Wednesday after an elderly Hillman couple were approached at their home by two men who said their roof required cleaning, tile tuckpointing and minor fascia board repairs.
Without providing a quote the men began the job and instructed the couple to acquire a cheque for $18,645 and deposit it directly into their bank account.
This allowed them to bypass bank surveillance security cameras and cover the money trail.
A Parmelia couple suffered a similar ordeal when they were approached at their door by a man driving a white Ute who used sales tactics to convince them to let him clean their roof.
Initially quoted $1,950, the couple were coerced into paying $2,145 – allegedly to cover GST.
Shortly after the man left the couple noticed he did not complete any of the tasks promised and new water leaks emerged from the roof.
The homeowners later discovered their security camera had been deliberately repositioned away from the front of the property, preventing any footage of the man being captured. Consumer Protections commissioner Trish Blake urged WA households to turn away door-knocking tradesmen if approached. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian
Consumer Protections commissioner Trish Blake urged WA households to turn away door-knocking tradesmen if approached.
'These conmen move from town to town using high-pressure tactics to push overpriced roof restoration jobs – often delivering little to no actual work,' Ms Blake said.
'They are in clear breach of the Australian Consumer Law by disregarding the mandatory 10-day cooling-off period for unsolicited approaches. During this time, no payment should be made and no work is legally permitted.
'What's particularly concerning in these latest reports is the group's failure to provide formal quotes or contact details, leaving consumers with no way to follow up.
'Without a written quote – which sets expectations and offers legal protection – victims are further being denied their right to seek a remedy.
'Consumers looking to get this work done should always seek multiple written quotes to compare price and value, and research traders in advance by requesting references and viewing examples of previous work.'
Anyone who receives a knock at the door from traders offering roof restoration services should say 'no' and call Consumer Protection on 1300 30 40 54.