Rogue Traders: Don't Be Left Disappointed By a Poor Product and Service

How is everyone doing? Hopefully you have all recovered from your respective Christmas food comas! With 2017 now upon us, we know it is a time when many people will seek to carry out a thorough spring clean of their home and undertake those home improvement jobs that got put off over the festive period.

One of those tasks could be to replace your old garage door and with that in mind, we wanted to take a look at the subject of rogue traders – specifically those involved in the installation and repair of garage doors. We know that, like any high-value item, many people will be keen to seek out the best possible deal. However, getting your garage door installed or repair on the cheap can potentially lead to further expense and inconvenience at a later date – as highlighted by BBC’s ‘Watchdog’

In November of last year, the show shone the spotlight on garage door installers – focussing specifically on a group of companies based in Essex. It showed how homeowners had been attracted to the companies with promises of competitive prices, expert installation and high quality roller garage doors. Unfortunately, many of those who went ahead with their installation were left disappointed when the doors subsequently failed and their warranties became void. Examples of the failures included:

• The door failing, resulting the homeowner being trapped inside their garage.
  
• A door falling onto someone as they walked beneath it.
  
• The structural integrity of a door failing, potentially resulting in further damaged should it be exposed to strong wind.
  

The Watchdog investigation was carried out with the support of the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF). Their Training Officer, Nick Perkins, highlighted some of the safety concerns which can come about as a result of a poorly fitted garage door. Following the show, Nick explained:

“A garage door is the largest and heaviest moving part in the home. If it’s unsafe its quite capable of causing serious injury if someone is stuck or trapped by an unsafe garage door. The DHF has been campaigning for a long time to raise standards of compliance and safety in the garage door industry. To that end we work closely with trading standards officials to alert them to companies which fit non-compliant doors.

As Watchdog demonstrated there are unfortunately still companies out there which cut corners, mislead customers and fit doors that are potentially dangerous. Watchdog is seen by millions of viewers so this programme will significantly raise awareness amongst householders of the need for compliant and safe garage doors. The DHF will continue to advise householders to have their garage doors installed and maintained by reputable companies that employ qualified and trained installers.”

So, our advice to anyone considering a replacement garage door would be to do your homework. Do not settle for a single quote and be sure to thoroughly research all of the companies you approach to carry out the work. Ensure that your chosen contractor is reputable and holds accreditations with industry bodies.

You can see the Watchdog expose in full by clicking here.