Saturday 2 October 2010
Monday 14 June 2010
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Saturday 18 April 2009
UK construction jobs lost at record rate
Jobs were lost at a record pace in the UK's construction sector in March although activity shrank at a slower rate than in the previous month, a survey showed today.
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply/Markit construction PMI index nudged up to 30.9 in March, compared to February's series low of 27.8 in February.
CIPS Director Roy Ayliffe said "unremitting global forces continued to batter the UK construction sector".
"Inevitably, extremely weak demand led to a significant loss of construction jobs," he said in a statement. "Firms not only reduced contractors' days but also cut headcount at an unprecedented pace."
The housing sector suffered the most marked contraction in output, the survey said. Civil engineering outperformed other areas of construction.
British builders reported a substantial decrease in new placed in February and noted a sharp cut in client budgets, strong competition and fewer customer inquiries.
The pain of the decline was partly alleviated by a "dramatic reduction" in input prices," Ayliffe added.
Gemma Wallace, economist at Markit Economics, said constructors were confident that operating conditions would improve in the next year.
Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics showed new orders in the construction industry fell by 9 per cent in the three months to February compared to the previous three months.
Orders in the 12 months to February fell 24 per cent compared with the previous year. Orders in the three months to February dropped by 34 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.
Courtesy Reuters
Friday 17 April 2009
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http://consumerchampion.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!DAD574CEBE107D1A!6750.trakHi everyone you can now advertise for free at youtrustedtradesmen we are aiming to be one of the largest trades services directories in the Uk Welcome to Yourtrustedtradesmen.com Local Trades Services Directory for the UK and USA here you will be able to access your counties local tradesmen and service providers, new businesses will be added daily. If you wish to add yours please go to our contact page.
Also you can browse our site hut for the latest consumer advice stories, visit our forum and tell us and others your stories. If you are an Tradesperson or service you can register with www.yourtrustedtradesmen.com for FREE** Please click here for further details.
We are continually updating this site and if you feel we should add anything please feel free to contact us.
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Wednesday 15 April 2009
Don't let telephone cold callers leave you hot under the collar
Don't let telephone cold callers leave you hot under the collar
The tactics used by some telephone cold callers can sometimes leave you bewildered or pressured into buying things you neither want or need, but there are ways to get the upper hand, advises consumer direct
Last year, the government advice service received nearly 1,500 complaints in the East of England about unsolicited telephone sales calls, with a total of 15,000 nationally. The highest number concerned mobile phone contract sales, but the service also received complaints about timeshare, insurance, double glazing and home improvement sellers.
Melanie Thornton of Consumer Direct East of England said: “Cold calling isn't against the law, but callers can sometimes ring at the most inconvenient times and if you're caught out you can agree to things you later regret. The good news is that you often have cancellation rights so it's worth checking where you stand.”
Consumer Direct East of England has put together the following list of tips for dealing with telephone sales calls:
• If you want to reduce the number of cold calls that you receive, consider registering with the Telephone preference service by calling 0845 070 0707 or visiting the website at
• Be wary of agreeing to contracts over the phone. If you are interested in the offer, ask for details to be sent to you so you can consider them in your own time.
• If you don't know who you're dealing with, never divulge any financial or personal details.
• If you do agree to a contract, make sure you keep a record of who you are dealing with and how to get hold of them. Ask for a name, phone number, address and written confirmation.
• If you agree to a contract you later regret, you will generally have seven days after you receive written confirmation to cancel. If you don't receive this confirmation in writing, you may have up to three months.
For further information on your rights call East of England on 08454 04 05 06.
Thanks Michael site/hut news
Site Hut / News From htttp://www.yourtrustedtradesmen.com
Avoiding Cowboy Builders
He knocks at your door and has a polite, friendly but insistent manner. He just happened to be "working in your area and noticed that your roof etc needs urgent attention". He tells you that he's got some tiles, or other materials, left over from another job. He says that the work is very urgent and he'll do it straight away. The price seems very high, but you are shocked to hear about the state of your roof – so you agree – after all he did say, “You can trust me”. You pay up, no receipt is given, and he says he’ll be back tomorrow, leaving you with nothing but a mobile number. Hopefully the above scenario has never happened to you…. But the number of consumer complaints about cowboy builders is large and rising. Sometimes they'll only do some of the job, ask for more money and if refused they'll be gone before you can say the house that Jack built. Sometimes they never turn up at all...This type of behavior is having a detrimental effect on the image of the building industry, and damaging the reputation of the reputable builders who form the majority. Every year the Office of Fair Trading receives many complaints related to building, maintenance, repairs and double-glazing. These are mainly concerned with shoddy workmanship, the use of inappropriate materials, over-charging and illegal trading methods. So how can you avoid being taken on?
Top Tips to help you to steer clear of bogus builders...
1) Do your research
Select a number of builders and establish their track record. Ask what previous jobs they have done and request examples of their work. It is also a good idea to ask can you speak to former customers - ask them if the builder is tidy, punctual, meets deadlines and if they would use him again. This might appear extreme, but building can be expensive – so you want to make sure it is worth every penny!
2) Get estimates
Get at least three estimates from different builders, which should be in writing and comprehensive, after discussing your needs. Building work can be expensive, but again a good builder will draw-up a tailored schedule of work to suit your budget.
3) Arrange Payment
The main attraction of cowboy builders is low cost. Demands for cash, and full or considerable payment in advance should be considered carefully. A small deposit, say 5-10% as a gesture of good faith might be OK with a reputable builder, but avoid paying large sums up front.
4) Get A Written Contract
Once you have agreed on a price and start date, get a written contract from your builder, such as the FMB's Small Works Contract, and make sure that it is to your satisfaction and that you understand and agree to all of it. Make sure your contract has a final completion date, and try and include a penalty clause on failure to complete on time
5) Look for a Trade Association Member
A reputable trade association is one, which has clear criteria for builders to join. Associations such as the Federation of Master Builders, provide a warranty scheme to protect customers against building defects or, the bankruptcy of their builder before he completes the job
Thanks Michael Trusted tradesmen
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