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Volume V o olume 56 | Issu Issue ue 3 | M March arch 2018
Trustworthy trader Trustworthy traderr sites sites eeasily asily a accessed ccessed d by by frauds frauds ds
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The B The BBC’s BC’s IInside nside O Out ut T TV Vp programme rogramme h has as ttested ested w websites ebsittes cclaiming laiming tto oo offer ffer v vetted etted t a and nd ttrustworthy rustworthy w workmen, orkmen, and and found found that that some some do do not not carry carry out out due due diligence diligence in in ensuring ensuring their their listings listings include include only only honest honest traders. traders. An on BBC programme A n investigation invest igat ion o n tthe he B BC pr og ramme Inside Out has unqualified In side O ut h as rrevealed evealed tthat hat u nqualified workers w orkers can can easily easily y list list themselves themselves on on ssome ome websites designed connect w ebsites d esig ned tto oc onnect consumers consumers with w it h reliable reliable tradespeople. t rade d speople. MyBuilder MyBuilder and and Rated People both posed no challenge R ated P eople b ot h p o sed n oc hallenge tto o Phillip Norton, who up bogus rreporter eporter P hillip No rton, w ho sset et u p tthe he b ogus company and Out Property Services c ompany IInside nside a nd O ut P ropert y S er vices Grimsby iin nG rimsby and and successfully successfully joined joined tthe he ttwo wo websites’ w ebsites’ databases databases of of traders traders as as a handyman. handyman. To business T o make make tthe he b usiness appear appear legitimate, leg it imate, tthe he programme prog ramme rented rented business business premises premises and website, a nd established established a w ebsite, email email address, address, phone number, and media p hone n umber, a nd ssocial ocial m edia ffootprint. ootprint. “We make “We went went to to ssome ome llengths engths tto om ake IInside nside and and Out Out Property Propert y Services Ser vices appear appear like like a legitimate very leg itimate company. company. But But it it turned turned out out v er y little off tthat was needed,” Phillip Norton. little o hat w as n eeded,” ssays ays P hillip N orton. “I “I was was incredibly incredibly l surprised sur pr ised by by just just how how easy easy it it was was to to get get signed signed up up and and how how simple simple it was it w as to to award award myself myself a reliable-looking reliable-looking five and positive five sstar tar rrating ating a nd p ositive ffeedback. eedback. With and With tthe he help help of of friends fr iends a nd ffalse alse email email addresses, could up work, apply addresses, I c ould sset et u p ffake ake w ork, a pply
and build ffor or iit, t, a nd b uild myself myself a trustworthy trustworthy profile.” profile.” The qualifications The show show also also invented invented q ualifications and and public p ublic lliability iability insurance, insurance, all all of of which which was was bogus, b ogus, but but was was listed listed on on Phillip’s Phillip’s profile profile without p without being checked. prime concern b eing c hecked. This This is is a pr ime c oncern ffor or many bone fide as Paul m any b one fi de tradespeople, tradespeople, ssuch uch a sP aul Holmes, and H olmes, a plumber plumber a nd heating heating engineer engineer in in Hull H ull who who featured featured on on the the programme. programme. Paul Paul websites ssaid aid tthe he w ebsites are are cashing cashing in in on on trust: trust: “Trust build “Trust is is something something you you b uild up up with with your your customers, not with £400 c ustomers, n ot w ith a £ 400 jjoining oining ffee ee ffor or when, you a website. website. People People ttrust r ust iitt w hen, rreally, eally, y ou would be better off your w ould b eb etter o ff ttalking alking tto oy our ffriends r iends
and going off past not a nd g oing o ff p ast experiences, experiences, n ot a rreview evie ew you could easily write yourself.” tthat hat y ou c ould e asily w r ite y ourself.” Kevin Wellman, CEO off tthe CIPHE, K evin W ellman, C EO o he C IPHE, ssays ays tthat hat these these online online portals portals are are damaging damag ing to to properly vet llegitimate eg itimate sservices er vices tthat hat pr operly v et tthose hose comments: llisted isted as as ‘‘trustworthy trustworthy ttraders’. raders’. He c omments: which allow unscrupulous and ““Loopholes Loopholes w hich a llow u nscrupulous a nd advertise on ffraudulent rau udulent ‘‘tradespeople’ tradespeople’ tto oa dvertise o n ssuch u h uc websites need w ebsites n eed to to be be closed, closed, not not just just for for the the but honest ssake ake of of the the consumer, consumer, b ut for for tthe he h onest This why only CIPHE ttradesperson radesperson ttoo. oo. T his iis sw hy o nly C IPHE members who hit criteria can m embers w ho h it sspecific pecific c r iter ia c an jjoin oin our o ur directory director y database database and and be be found found on on our our online o nline ‘‘Find Find a Plumber’ Plumber’ tool.” tool.” Mike Chief Executive off M ike Andrews, Andrews, Group Group C hief E xecutive o NAPIT, hear how easy N APIT, says: says: ““It It is is sshocking hocking to to h ear h ow e asy with websites Rated iitt iiss tto o rregister eg i s t er w it h w ebsites llike i ke R ated People orr M MyBuilder without providing any P eople o yBuilder w ithout pr oviding a ny evidence are capable off c carrying out e vidence tthat hat at tthey hey a re c apab ble o arrying o ut work Att N NAPIT, we not w ork competently. competently. A APIT, w e rrequire equire n ot only each Registered has o nly tthat hat e ach R eg istered IInstaller nstaller h as tthe he appropriate qualifications, but a ppropriate q ualifications, b ut that that they they can can continue prove during c ontinue tto o pr ove ttheir heir competence competence d ur ing on-site assessments.” rregular eg u l a r o n-site a ssessments.”
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Group G roup mobilises mobilises against against pension pension debts debts A group group of of concerned concerned sstakeholders takeholders h has as sset et u up p tthe he Plumbing Plumbing E Employers mployers A Action ction G Group roup ((PEAG), PEAG), fformed ormed iin n rresponse esponse tto oc hanges to to the the Pensions Pensions changes Act A ct that that places places a debt debt burden burden on on employers employers ceasing c easing participation participation in in an an industry-wide industry-wide pension p ension sscheme. cheme. T The he g group’s roup’s m mission ission iis s tto o affect a ffect p political olitical c change hange a and nd sshare hare tthe he c cost ost o off gaining g aining llegal egal a advice dvice ffor or e employers. mployers. U Under nder section section 75 75 of of the the Pensions Pensions Act, Act, employers participating e mployers p articipating in in a pension pension sscheme, cheme, ssuch uch as as tthe he Plumbing Plumbing and and Mechanical Mechanicall Services Services ((UK) UK) Pension Pension Scheme Scheme administered administered by by Plumbing Pensions must pay an exit P lumbing P ensions ((UK), UK), m ust p ay a ne xit ffee ee tthat hat covers covers the the employer’s employer’s sshare hare of of the the Section 75 debt sscheme’s cheme’s lliabilities. iabilities. S ection 7 5d ebt ((S75) S75) iis s when certain conditions are ttriggered riggered w hen c ertain c onditions a re met, met, active ssuch uch as as when when a company company has has no no more more a ctive
employees orr w when owner e mployees iin n tthe he sscheme, cheme, o hen tthe he o wner wants w ants to retire. retire. Plumbing P lumbing Pensions Pensions (UK) (UK) sent sent out out a series series off e emails employers early 2016 o mails tto oe mployers iin ne arly l 2 016 sstating tating tthat hat homes, homes, assets assets and and savings savings could could be be at at with rrisk isk due due to to S75 S75 legislation, legislation, w ith ssome ome ttold old ttheir heir estimated estimated debt debt could could run run into into several several million m illion p pounds. ounds. P PEAG EAG c claims laims tthat hat pr prior ior tto o 2016, 2 016, Plumbing Plumbing Pensions Pensions (UK) (UK) did did not not inform inform off tthe possible consequences off iits ts members members o he p ossible c onsequences o tthe he new new legislation legislattion after after its its implementation implementation 2005, companies iin n2 005, during during which which time time ssome ome c ompanies unwittingly obligations. u nwittingly ttriggered riggered ttheir heir debt debt o bligations. Kirstene K irstene Hair, Hair, Conservative Conservattive MP MP for for Angus, Angus, Commons about rrecently ecently addressed addressed tthe he C ommons ab out tthe he plight off sm small p light o all plumbing plumbing companies. companies. She She said: said: have been checkmated by ““Plumbers Plumbers h ave b een c heckmated b y tthe he
They have no manoeuvre, llegislation. egislattion. T hey h ave n o rroom oom tto om anoeuvre, no n o way way out. out. Every Every possible possible move, move, it it seems, seems, will debt and bring w ill trigger trigger the the employer employer d ebt a nd b ring it it crashing down on and c rashing d own o n tthem hem a nd ttheir heir llivelihoods.” ivelihoods.” According PEAG, A ccording to to P EAG, the the Government Government acknowledges a cknowledges there there are are issues issues with with S75 S75 but but has given no h as g iven n o ssign ign tthat hat rreform eform iis s iimminent. mminent. The Group T he G roup ssays: ays: ““Without Without urgent urgent political political change, will be c hange, many many businesses businesses w ill b e fforced orced tto o close c lose and and many many good good employers employers will will be be faced faced with bankruptcy.” w ith b ankruptcy.” Plumbing currently orr p previously P lumbing employers employers c urrently o reviously contributing Plumbing Pensions are c ontributing tto oP lumbing P ensions ((UK) UK) a re iinvited nvited to to join join PEAG PEAG (email (email info@s75group. info@s75group. co.uk). There also Facebook page c o.uk). T here iis s a lso a F acebook p age dedicated d edicatted tto o tthis his iissue ssue ((www.facebook.com/ www.facebook.com/ PlumbersEmployersActionGroup). P lumbersEmployersActionGroup).
Four X Four XXL XL ttrucks rucks ffrom rom G Grohe ro ohe a are re e taking taking tto o th the he ro road oad a again, gain, p providing ro oviding v visitors isito ors w with itth a n opportunity opportunitty to o catch catch up up on on the the latest late est an iinnovations nnovations ffrom rom tthe he s sanitary anittary fittings fittings manufacturer. m anufacture err. Last Last y year, ear, iitt is se estimated stiim mated tthat hat tthe he trucks trucks covered cove erred a distance dis stance equivalent equivale ent to to more than m ore th han tthree hre ee ccircumnavigations ircumnavig gations of of the the world! w orld! T The he 2 2018 018 ttour our w will ill ttake ake iin n ttrips rips to o multiple m ultiple d destinations estinations iin nb both oth hE Europe urope a and nd tthe he Middle Middle E East, ast,, w with ith an an attendance atten ndance at at more more tthan han 800 800 events. events. In In the the UK, UK, the the first first stop stop will w ill be be the the Homebuilding Homebuilding & Renovating Renovating Show S how a att Birmingham’s Birmingham’s NEC, NEC, w which hich rruns uns ffrom rom 2 22nd 2nd tto o2 25th 5th hM March. arch. More More UK UK dates dates a nd venues venues will will be be announced announced s oon. and soon.
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