New View Property Care? Stop and think 'twice'!

condoghost

It all started with a knock at the door "Just cleaning the roof for your next door neighbor - would you like me to do yours?"

Same time he tells us "He's having a Dry Verge System fitted, are you interested in that?"

Age is obviously catching up with me because 10-minutes later there's a knock again "You have this crack running along your flat-roof..." shows me a video clip on his phone.

Well, I'm not able to get up there to check myself and the weather doesn't look great so 'best to get it done right away', right?

Wish I had called on my neighbor there and then because it turns out he's shown him a video clip too - that's £200 he's made from each of us ... ... ... and we still don't know how he's left it all up there

The Dry Verge System he installed? Turns out it's fitted with just 4-screws, one each end screwed into the guttering and two screwed in at the top

We've since seen his work elsewhere - the Dry Verge System is hanging off the side of one house with the two screws at the top having come away from whatever they were screwed into

Turns out the Dry Verge System has been loose fitted over the mortar and roof tiles - most definitely not the way to be fitting a verge

Last - but not least - he shows me footage of the garage roof peeling, that panics me given I'd just had that re-done six months back. He tries to talk me into removing the peeling and re-coating the roof for £1,000. I'm not having that, but still, he convinces me that re-coating over the peeling roof will make it watertight ... ... ... and silly me - panicking because the weather hasn't been great by a mile - tell him to do that.

All-in-all £800 'down the drain'
The garage roof bubbled-up less than 24-hours after he re-coated it causing the roof to start leaking like a sieve with the weather turning the next day!

Cutting this 'long moan' a bit short, I managed to locate a local company to pop-around at short notice. Jason Hiscox Marvel Roofing & Building saved the day. In less than 7-days he's fitted-in removing that bubbled-gooey mess, fitting / screwing down new 18mm OSB timber deck, and covering / fixing down a new EPDM membrane over the garage roof £1,572.
It wasn't long after that big storm so to get this sorted out so quickly was definitely 'Above & Beyond'

Harsh Lesson Learnt: next time anyone knocks my door "Your next door neighbor blah, blah, blah" I'm off to check with him what-is-what before I go making a fool of myself. I had presumed without thinking that he had checked things out beforehand but it turns out all this came about because of a "leaflet through the door".

So, my advice is: 'Think Twice' should a leaflet drop through your letter-box titled "New View Property Care Dry Verge System"

Pollycat

I don't have anything to do with cold callers, regardless of what they're selling.

lincroft1710

If I'd had a garage roof redone 6 months ago and a 3rd party was telling me the roof was peeling, the first thing I'd be doing would be contacting the contractor who did the roof!

Valli

What’s that old saying about a fool and his money?

condoghost

lincroft1710 said:

If I'd had a garage roof redone 6 months ago and a 3rd party was telling me the roof was peeling, the first thing I'd be doing would be contacting the contractor who did the roof!

Yes - did that - they're in the States now - just goes to show even family can't be trusted at times
And what would you do next? still, it's a tale of the experience, a warning to others to 'think twice' should they come across New View Property Care - it isn't an opportunity for comment 'the first thing I'd be doing' but rather 'good to be warned' given there are quite a few properties nearby who have so obviously had a similar Dry Verge System fitted and they are still out there having not been confronted by Trading Standards or anyone else. The days of 'Rogue Trader' confronting them are long past - we are left on our own to get the message out there

condoghost

Valli said:

What’s that old saying about a fool and his money?

"What’s that old saying about a fool and his money?" Really? Fingers crossed as you get older that you too don't become a "fool".
The point of writing about this 'experience' is to highlight just how easy it is to presume one's neighbour is on their toes checking-out who they have invited to their door - always go and have a chat first.
Comments like yours are not helpful

condoghost

Pollycat said:

I don't have anything to do with cold callers, regardless of what they're selling.

Yes - good advice - except in this instance the 'lesson learnt' is to always check with your neighbour first what-is-what and not presume anything. I wouldn't invite anyone to call to do work based on a leaflet through the door without first thoroughly checking them out - my 'mistake' was presuming my neighbour had done that; that's the point of writing about this 'lesson learnt'.

breaking_free

Thank you Condoghost for this heads up. A good reminder to us all to be a bit more wary of cold callers

Pollycat

condoghost said:

Pollycat said:

I don't have anything to do with cold callers, regardless of what they're selling.

Yes - good advice - except in this instance the 'lesson learnt' is to always check with your neighbour first what-is-what and not presume anything. I wouldn't invite anyone to call to do work based on a leaflet through the door without first thoroughly checking them out - my 'mistake' was presuming my neighbour had done that; that's the point of writing about this 'lesson learnt'.

Why would anyone trust a neighbour to do due diligence on a potential suppler of good/services?
I would want to do my own research before committing my money. 
I'm as careful when buying goods from an online  supplier that I've not used before.
The internet - and the real world - is not the fluffy, friendly place that some people believe it to be.

RogerBareford

condoghost said:

Valli said:

What’s that old saying about a fool and his money?

"What’s that old saying about a fool and his money?" Really? Fingers crossed as you get older that you too don't become a "fool".
The point of writing about this 'experience' is to highlight just how easy it is to presume one's neighbour is on their toes checking-out who they have invited to their door - always go and have a chat first.
Comments like yours are not helpful

You should always do your own reseach of any company before commiting to doing business with them and NEVER trust that a neighbor has done that research. Even if they insist they have checked them out thoroughly always do it yourself so having a chat with them wouldn't help at all.

But the real isssue here is that if someone comes to your house selling goods or services then just say "thanks for informing me i will do some research and get back to you" and NEVER commit to buying anything in the spur of the moment even if the Queen personally knocks on your door and endorses them!

lincroft1710

condoghost said:

lincroft1710 said:

If I'd had a garage roof redone 6 months ago and a 3rd party was telling me the roof was peeling, the first thing I'd be doing would be contacting the contractor who did the roof!

Yes - did that - they're in the States now - just goes to show even family can't be trusted at times
And what would you do next? still, it's a tale of the experience, a warning to others to 'think twice' should they come across New View Property Care - it isn't an opportunity for comment 'the first thing I'd be doing' but rather 'good to be warned' given there are quite a few properties nearby who have so obviously had a similar Dry Verge System fitted and they are still out there having not been confronted by Trading Standards or anyone else. The days of 'Rogue Trader' confronting them are long past - we are left on our own to get the message out there

Well if you don't like the "the first thing I'd be doing", then the "second thing I'd be doing" would not be to automatically trust the word of some cold caller, but either have a look myself or ask someone trusted to have a quick look. 


Companies like NVPC can easily phoenix, they could be Rogue Trader Property Care next month.