Parents being scammed - advice urgently needed!

[Neighneigh]

Sorry to put this in aibu, am a long time member of Mumsnet, very much need some advice.

I've just discovered that earlier this week a roofer knocked on my parents door and my mum has signed two pieces of paper - one she doesn't have any more and one is a quote for roofing works to £2400. She went to the bank to transfer from savings to current account to pay, they told her not to do it. Happened to be a police officer there and they said the same. Scaffolding has appeared on the house and the roofers are coming back on Monday. Money is still in parents account.

I cannot think that a legit company would be available so quickly (they are in south England) and am v v concerned that this is going to go horribly wrong. Their roof is a bit knackered and my mum is desperate to get it fixed which is why she's agreed to it. She is mid 70s, dad late 70s, I suspect theres some early signs of memory loss at best in both of them (saw them two weeks ago and was starting to worry before this happened!).

Parents have not handed over any money yet. I am three hours away. If I can get there on Sunday can I tell these people to fuck off? Can I lie and say I have power of attorney, and they don't even have that much money? If my mum has signed a contract how the hell can I get them out of it? If the scaffolding is up is that them technically starting work?

Any advice v much appreciated.

Do you really think a good roofer will be knocking doors looking for work?

I'm not a FB fan but community groups are often great in such situations. I'd ask on the local group.

Reputable tradespeople do not go around knocking on the doors of elderly people persuading them to have their roof done.

This is as dodgy as fuck.

Sorry but I think you and your DH should be there when they come and tell them to take scaffolding down and that the police are aware. Then check what needs done and get a few reliable quotes from firms with positive reviews.

Our elderly neighbour was scammed out of thousands - the police took it very seriously, went round and gave everyone in the street a crime reference number and told us to ring 999 if we ever saw them going near his house again. At one point the guys had physically taken him to the bank and made him draw out 7 grand in cash for them. No idea why the bank let him do that, but that was what the police and his son told us. Hope you manage to put a stop to it.

Just wanted to thank everyone for your replies and update people - DH has spoken to the guy, said they've got no money and therefore the whole thing is a waste of time. We've agreed to pay for the scaffolding (as mum has signed a contract so technically they've started work - part of the scam I guess) but that they're to take it down and get lost. Parent wise, dad is being exceptionally unhelpful and says "your mother has to learn" but that's probably a whole other thread....parents have been told to absolutely not engage or talk to scaffolders or anyone else who knocks offering services.

Thank you for all the replies, it was really helpful. We are a free hundred quid down but fortunately not thousands. Useful reminder to tell your relatives not to agree to anything sold in that way!

Glad you got sorted @Neighneigh ! So glad the bank workers were also there to advise them not to do it. Goes to show how important the physical locations still are, they try to push everything online but people still need support.

Make sure you put a "No Cold Callers" sign on the front door!!!

What were they doing for £2400? That's quite cheap if they were replacing an entire roof!

If the roof needed doing I would have done some research into the credibility and made it clear that payment would only be made upon completion where YOU or a professional would inspect their work. Did they give you a copy of the other paperwork?

Also £300 for scaffolding seems cheap. That's often one of the most expensive parts of roofing jobs although depends if they own the scaffolding themselves. It's quite common to leave it up at one job until it can be taken down and moved straight to the next job.

My late FIL lived in my partners house and signed a contract for new windows, didnt tell my OH. Luckily my OH was there when they came to make arrangements. Told them my FIL had no right to sign anything and they should have checked house ownership first! They weren't happy

What were they doing for £2400?
The chances are nothing. They would have gone up on the roof, caused damage and billed the op's parents for another few grand. Fucking bastards.
The scaffolding will have cost them nothing if they own it. So even paying for that was a rip off but just as well to have them gone.

Yes that's what they do.

Make the problem worse

@TwinklyAmberOrca no it was basically a quote to replace some slipped slates, not a full refurb but I don't doubt that once anyone gets up there they'd very easily say "well that roof is shot and needs entirely replacing".....my mum wasn't left with any paperwork except the quote. She signed another doc that was taken away. Dh agreed to pay £700. I've said I will halve it with mum as she is feeling shit about everything (hence me saying a few hundred before). Yes we've been ripped off but it's not as bad as it could have been, especially as I am so far away.

The fact the roof needs doing isn't the issue (my dad is the problem there) - it's the very real prospect of them saying they needed more money, and more and more, as others have experienced, and the way the service was sold. Any money my parents do have is needed on a heating system, hot water and completing a dad-bodged building project. Yes the whole sodding thing is a mess.

Hats off to Halifax though because it was their bank staff who went to quite a length to explain to mum that this wasn't right.

I know of a case where the victim was scammed out of over £100k through this kind of roofing con. They found more and more “problems” and needed more and more money. You have got away lightly.