For Tameside residents in danger of being exploited by unauthorised traders, the council has provided guidance on where to find trusted tradespeople in the borough.

For roofing, plumbing, installing windows or something else – the advice is to consult Tameside Council’s Buy with Confidence (BWC) register.

BWC is a list of trusted businesses who are nominated by satisfied customers and are only accepted after a thorough vetting process by Trading Standards which includes criminal records checks.

You can contact any of the 200-plus firms, which cover a wide range of services, safe in the knowledge that you’ll receive reliable, customer-friendly service.

Cllr Allison Gwynne, Tameside Council’s executive member for environmental services, said: “Sadly, we all know people who took on a business that was recommended locally and were then ripped off by having to pay a huge bill for a bodged job.

“It’s a tale that’s all too familiar, and what makes it worse is that disreputable traders prey on the elderly and vulnerable. 

“I would strongly discourage householders from employing anyone who knocks on the door unannounced and claims a job such as roof repairs needs doing.

“When you do business with a Buy with Confidence member you do so knowing they’ve been subjected to a long list of strict checks. That’s the reason the scheme has been so successful. 

“In the unlikely event of a dispute arising, there’s a mediation service in place to deal with it.”

Full details of all the firms signed up to the Tameside Buy with Confidence scheme can be found at www.tameside.gov.uk/bwc

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