£529 Million repair bill for bodge jobs on Britons' homes
Direct Line encourages customers to use its Home Repairer Network when claiming and protect themselves from becoming a 'home bodge statistic'
Britons are paying out an extra £529 million (1) to fix bodged jobs by untrustworthy tradespeople, according to new research from Direct Line Home Insurance.
In the past year alone, more than half a million Britons – one in 50 of those who have had work carried out - were forced to employ a second tradesperson to repair recently completed but botched jobs. These unlucky Britons have each shelled out an extra £955, on average, in the process.
36 per cent of those surveyed needed the original tradesperson back to correct their own work, while 26 per cent have had to live with the damage for some time before they could afford to fix it.
Among the tradesmen who have carried out substandard work for these dissatisfied Britons are carpenters (11 per cent), builders (8 per cent), plasterers (8 per cent) and electricians (7 per cent).
From unsafe electrics to leaking roofs, this substandard work has added significantly to the £33 billion (2) already spent on home repairs in the UK in the past two years.
Four in 10 (37 per cent) dissatisfied customers suffered substandard work as the jobs were delegated by busy tradespeople to unqualified or inexperienced workers while one in 10 reported that tradespeople caused more damage than they had repaired.
More than one in four Britons (26 per cent) delayed repair work as they were unsure of whom to trust.
Andrew Lowe, Head of Home Insurance, Direct Line, comments:
"Our research confirms that poor workmanship and few guarantees are causing unnecessary expense and inconvenience for many homeowners, and even worse still, may result in making their homes unsafe.
"Tradespeople should be as accountable for the standard of their work as anyone else. Direct Line always strives to give our customers the best possible service, over the telephone and when providing tradespeople and managing home repair claims on their behalf."
In the event of a building claim, Direct Line will arrange for the property to be inspected and tradespeople to carry out the necessary work, which is guaranteed for 12 months. Most insurers require homeowners to obtain three quotes, manage the repairs and pay for the work themselves and then forward the bills to their insurer.
For further information please telephone 0845 246 0355 or buy online at www.directline.com
Direct Line recommends taking the following steps to safeguard against untrustworthy tradespeople:
· Contact your insurer for a tradesperson recommendation
· If possible, get recommendations of reliable tradespeople from friends or family
· Ensure any tradesperson you employ is a member of a reputable trade association
· Ask the tradesperson for client references before agreeing to any work
· Always get an estimate before work commences
· Only make a part payment in advance of work commencing, with final payment made on completion
· Before commencing work, get written guarantee from the tradesperson
If you are unhappy with a tradesperson's services, Direct Line recommends the following:
· Advise the tradesperson of your concerns immediately
· If this does not work, put your complaint in writing
· If there are still problems, consult the Citizens Advice Bureau, Trading Standards or the relevant Trade Association
-ends-
Simon Ziviani
Direct Line Press Office
Tel: 0845 878 2270
Email: simon.ziviani@directline.com
Notes to editor
About the Home Repairer Network
The Direct Line Home Repairer Network is standard to all Direct Line Home Insurance policyholders. Direct Line fully manages repairs, which are also guaranteed for 12 months. Included in the network are builders, plumbers, plasterers, painters and roofers.
Research –
The research was carried out online between 22nd –25th April 2005. YouGov interviewed a total of 2,052 UK adults aged 18 and above. Results were weighted to be representative of the UK population.
1. Number of Britons who had to call out a second tradesman to repair work = 553,939. Average spend on second repair jobs = £955. Total amount spent by Britons on substandard work carried out by workmen = £529,011,745
2. Number of Britons who have had repair work carried out by tradesmen in the past two years = 29,543,420. Average spend on original repair jobs = £1135. Total amount spent by Britons on repair work carried out by tradesmen = £33,531,781,700
Direct Line Insurance plc. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Calls may be recorded. Conditions apply.
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