Most homeowners will need to hire a professional tradesperson at some stage, whether it’s for repairs or home improvements.
There are some important factors to be mindful of to help make your next tradie experience a positive one.
While most tradespeople in South Australia do the right thing, Consumer and Business Services (CBS) is aware that some businesses have been behaving unethically.
Recent complaints include charging excessive amounts, exaggerating the need for extra work, pressuring customers to sign a contract, providing poor workmanship and potentially breaching consumer protections under Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
Read on to learn more about your consumer rights when engaging a builder, plumber, gas fitter or electrician and how to avoid being conned.
1. Do your research
Before contacting a tradie, consider the following.
- Have you heard of the business before?
- What are their reviews like?
- Do you know anyone who has used their services and would recommend them?
If you don’t know much about the business or their reviews are poor, it might be best to look elsewhere.
You should seek advice from at least three different businesses on the work required. This will help determine whether anyone is suggesting unnecessary tasks.
For example, one tradie might insist on a full replacement for an appliance, while another might suggest repairs at a fraction of the cost.
2. Be quote savvy
When seeking advice about the scope of work, you may also like to invite each tradesperson you speak with to give you a quote.
It’s wise to get three written quotes so you can compare prices before you commit to hiring a tradie. Quotes can vary greatly, even for what you might think is a relatively straight-forward job.
Make sure the quote lists the tasks required and states a fixed price.
Keep in mind that some companies trade under multiple names. You might think you’re requesting quotes from three different businesses but they could all be owned by the same company.
The simplest way to check who you’re really dealing with is by noting their licence number and searching the CBS licensing register to see which business or trading names are connected with that licence.
Tradespeople go through numerous checks before being granted a licence, so checking they’re licensed also helps protect you from unsafe work and poor business practices.
If you need urgent plumbing or electrical work done at night or on the weekend, you might feel you can’t wait for three quotes. It’s still a good idea to call three businesses to discuss the problem and ask for an indicative price. This will help avoid bill shock later.
3. Look out for high-pressure tactics
Some tradies pressure customers into agreeing to extra or over-priced work on the spot when they:
- approach customers at home
- up-sell unnecessary work
- use threatening behaviour
- offer ‘limited time’ pricing
Some companies send a salesperson rather than a tradesperson to inspect an issue and provide a quote. If a company pressures you to agree to work on the spot, be firm and politely say ‘no’.
4. Avoid large advance payments
Be careful not to pay too much in advance. If the business closes, you might lose the money you’ve already paid them.
For smaller jobs, tradies usually only require payment at the end of the job. For biggerjobs, a maximum 10% deposit is recommended.
When the job is finished, make sure the amount the professional asks you to pay is the same as the quoted amount, considering any deposit you’ve already paid.
5. Know your rights and report any concerns
Visit the page Beware rogue tradespeople on the CBS website for more helpful tips and see the Hiring a tradesperson brochure which presents these tips in an easy read format.
If you’re concerned about a tradie, or you find one who doesn’t have a licence, please report them to CBS via the consumer complaints form or by calling 131 882.