Consumer Alerts January 2026
7th of January, 2026
Please find the Consumer Alerts for January 2026 from Lancashire Trading Standards
Beware bogus roofers in Chorley
Beware roofers who claim beams or rafters need strengthening otherwise they will not be strong enough to hold up the new felt, battens and tiles to be fitted. In all cases the extra work is advised of after the old roof tiles have been removed, the price escalates by a few thousand pounds for this alleged necessary work and householders have no choice but to agree so the roof work can be completed. In all cases traders have nailed lengths of wood to the already existing, unreplaced beams, serving no purpose. This scam was recently reported in the Chorley area – but the Service recognises it as a scam that is currently often used.
Beware bogus tree surgeons in the Ribble Valley area
One vulnerable elderly householder who was cold called by tree surgeons agreed to some work and paid £500. After only a morning's work, the traders asked for a further payment of £500. Luckily the neighbours stepped to prevent the extra payment. Remember, for contracts made in your own home you should be provided with paperwork including details of the price to pay and your 14 day right to cancel.
Facebook Market Place scam
Use caution when buying items on Facebook Market Place. Scammers on the Market Place are offering items such as dressing tables or other furniture for sale, requesting either a £15 deposit, or sometimes the whole amount by bank transfer. A collection address is provided but when the purchaser arrives to collect the pre-paid for item, they find out the address provided is nothing to do with the alleged seller, but belongs to an innocent householder whose address has been given at random. It is a scam purely to get upfront monetary payments. Best advice is to pay on collection.
Scam TV Licence text
Be on the alert if you receive a text or email claiming your TV licence has expired, with a link to renew or set up a direct debit. These are phishing scams trying to get bank account details or other personal information. Many householders TV licences are set to automatically renew and such texts are just trying to catch you out.
Scam Amazon postcard
Beware receiving an Amazon postcard inviting you to try out a new product, providing a QR code which takes you to a suspected malicious website which provides further details. The postcard also provides an email address to allegedly receive a refund for trying out the new product but is a private Gmail or Outlook email address. Beware, this is a phishing scam after personal and financial details.
Trading Standards advice is to always say no to cold callers. The Safetrader scheme can help you find a trader in your area, contact 0303 333 1111 or go to www.safetrader.org.uk.
Contact the Trading Standards Service via the Citizens Advice consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.