Consumer Protection and the Building Commission have warned Perth homeowners not to deal with unregistered house painters operating in the metropolitan area.

Consumers in the Ballajura area have reported being approached by door-to-door workmen offering to paint their roof or driveway for quotes in excess of $1,000.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection Anne Driscoll says homeowners should refuse to do business with these dodgy traders and report the incident.

“Like the Bitumen Bandits, these travelling conmen are not registered and are breaking door to door trading laws by not respecting the 10 day cooling off period for unsolicited sales,” Ms Driscoll said.

“Not being registered could mean they are not qualified and are often operating under unregistered business names and using false names as well. These itinerant traders often over-charge for jobs and their work is usually sub-standard.

“They are in one area one minute and gone the next, so it is very difficult to track them down if consumers are not happy with their work.”
Building Commissioner Peter Gow advised home owners to only deal with registered people for painting work over $1,000 or building work over $20,000 in value.

“Asking to see details of a contractor’s licence and independently verifying it before agreeing to any major building or painting work on your property is the vital first step towards protecting yourself from dodgy dealers,” Mr Gow said.

“This should ensure your contractor measures up in terms of having the necessary qualifications, knowledge, experience and insurance to carry out work that meets the minimum building standards and complies with building regulations.”

To report an incident call the national travelling conmen hotline on 1300 133 408. Information such as vehicle registration numbers, descriptions of the itinerant traders and names or business details given would be very useful. Also, consumer can check if a builder or painter is registered on the ‘Find a Registered Building Service Provider’ section of the Building Commission website www.buildingcommission.wa.gov.au.

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(Consumer Protection and the Building Commission are divisions of the Department of Commerce)

Media Contacts:
Alan Hynd, Consumer Protection       Amanda Iannuzzi, Building Commission
9282 0961 or 0429 078791                 9476 1335 or 0407 448 239
alan.hynd@commerce.wa.gov.au     amanda.iannuzzi@commerce.wa.gov.au