Thousands seek advice on botched home improvements

Thousands seek advice on botched home improvements

Nearly 4,000 people contacted Citizens Advice with window or door fitting problems in 2016, and the national charity has advice on how to avoid a similar fate.

Last year nearly 4,000 people contacted the Citizens Advice consumer service with problems related to having new windows or doors fitted in their homes, the national charity revealed this week.

In total the Citizens Advice consumer service assisted people with 40,000 problems related to home improvement or maintenance work in 2016. Two-thirds of those enquiries were about poor service, such as late completion of jobs or poor workmanship.

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said that thousands of people are seeking advice after home improvement jobs go bad.

“People trying to improve their homes are finding them in a worse state than before they started,” she said. “Dealing with botched jobs and unfinished work means many are left out of pocket and face huge disruptions to their lives.”

Citizens Advice recommends that people seek references before hiring a trader, and finding out if the trader/company is part of a trade body, as trade bodies have codes of practices and can help to resolve disputes if things go wrong. It also advises asking for a written contract and keeping copies of receipts.

Our advice – look for the GGF logo

MyGlazing.com urges all homeowners to use a GGF installer for their window or door home improvement work, as well as for other glass and glazing related work such as having a conservatory or new roofline installed.

This will ensure you not only get the job done right but you’ll also receive comprehensive consumer protection including free and automatic deposit protection and access to the GGF Conciliation Service in the unlikely event that a dispute arises.

The Glass and Glazing Federation is the leading trade body representing companies that make, supply or fit, glass and glazing related products in the UK. All GGF Member companies that sell directly to consumers must comply with the GGF Consumer Code of Practice

Read more:

• Why use a GGF Member company?
• About the GGF Consumer Code of Practice
• Your guarantees when hiring a GGF Member company
• 6 things to look for in a glazing company
• Top 10 tips before buying glazing products