if you are stupid enough to pass over large sums of money to someone you don’t know for works yet-to-be rendered you are a fool and not worthy of a free house makeover you effing idiot.

EDIT:you are a bigger idiot for not researching how much a particular job will cost!

(mini)rant over

I am in no way condoning what some of the cowboys get up to in that programme but sometimes you just think “Jesus, there’s one born every minute!” when you hear how much money people hand out with ****-all work done.

no matter how dumb they are never blame the victim as they never deserve it.

I know, I know, I KNOW! And I take my hammer out and bash my finger with it for thinking that each time JY. But I despair sometimes. I have to jump all kinds of hoops to get money once I’m bloody finished sometimes.

it’s always the same – someone hires a builder etc after seeing an ad in the newspaper/yellow pages, doesn’t get a few quotes from recommended builders for the work, ‘builder’ comes round and gets them to hand over funds for materials etc for which they will have credit for with their trade outlet, builder then starts work, doesn’t finish, stops answering their phone after extorting yet more money for work not done. hirer calls watchdog/domonic littlewood/rogue traders (delete appropriate) to complain about said builder and gets a free kitchen, conservatory, loft conversion (delete appropriate).

and gets a free kitchen, conservatory, loft conversion

Being an idiot sounds quite sensible 😉

not really as it’s not actually free as you have had all your money taken gave all your money to a stranger so in effect you have paid for it

As an ex plasterer, I think people find the whole process uncomfortable and perhaps behave in a way they would not normally. Number of times people would offer to pay for the entire house after you had skimmmed one room.

I’ve veg’d in front of this a few times and:
a) does anyone else realise its EXACTLY the same show every week (people hire a builder who does them over, Littlewood/Messenger are called in, Littlwood chases the dodgy builder who laughs in his face because he’s nothing but a bald midget off the telly with no power to do anything, Messenger puts on a low cut top and waves her titties at some building firm boss to blag a free kitchen etc)
b) it MUST be a setup. Surely there can’t be that many stupid people who own their own homes?

Messenger puts on a low cut top and waves her titties at some building firm boss to blag a free kitchen etc)

*wonders*
Hmmm, how hard is it to run a bulding firm?
*wonders*

While there is not doubting that some of the ‘builders’ featured are genuine crooks who deserve nothing but prison and and a hefty fine, I can’t get over the fact that someone (the aggrieved) would just pass thousands of pounds over to someone just like that.

[i]dons Daily Mail hat for a moment[/i]if it wasn’t for these people I don’t think there would be that many opportunistic cowboys around [i]takes of Daily Mail hat[/i]

I think a lot of builders are crooks and they charge as much as solicitors (another bunch of crooks). People are best off trying to learn how to do the work themselves.

i know what you mean, sometimes i think there programmes are actually made up.

how the hell would NOT check a builders previous work?

i ve seen both sides.. case 1 middle aged couple own / manage there own very sucessfull business buy new house in nice part of town want a total makeover recommended guy says 70k dont want any money up front. two weeks of ripping out later ( 3 men 3 skips he says can i now have 50k for wages and materials keep the other 20k till the job is finished..) wrote cheque never seen again..
case two been to a property lady says i’m very careful as ive been ripped off before wants daughter there to talk about money meantime shows me cuttings from paper when she was last ‘ripped’ off. we agree price no money till completion. throughout work customer continuely ( evry hour) says oh do this do that change that put this there (i’ll give you another 50 -70 for it etc etc (do you know an electrcian plasterer etc) day after day at the end of the week i gave her the bill for the original work plus a second for the additional.. never asked for that this or the other your all the same etc etc ripping us old folk off.. took her to court.. got paid.

For the record, if Messenger came waving her boobies at me I’d be putty in her hands so that part of the show I don’t object to.

Not seen the program but apparently one of our friends, an intelligent couple have been done over by there builder and are now having to pay a friend (another builder) to put it right.
I’d not say one is born every minute (though there are), more tha there are some right ****holes out there willing to rip you off.

I don’t understand the apparent suggestion that ‘stupid people’ are fair game, and have only themselves to blame.

Unless you’re a crook of course.

I don’t understand the apparent suggestion that ‘stupid people’ are fair game, and have only themselves to blame

I don’t believe this but I do think that if you don’t take precautions agaisnt cowboys you ARE going to get fleeced. it’s the same if you go walking down the street waving your Iphone and money about – you are going to get mugged and it’s up to you to make sure you’re not an easy target to the crims out there.

there are unscrupulous tradesmen out there but there are, in equal measure, people who are just too trusting.