Here in Australia, let’s face it, we are masters of the laid-back lifestyle. She’ll be right mate. No worries. All good sport. Our culture and society have been described as growing out of a brutal meritocracy, which was established in our convict past. We let people do their own thing, if it does not directly bother us. Of course, inviting strangers into our homes, as we do with tradies like electricians and plumbers, can turn out to be a bad idea. In fact, checking on tradies who visit your home prior to engaging their services can prevent unfortunate outcomes from arising.

Era of the Internet: A Fraudulent Time

21C living in the Lucky Country is far more fraught with danger than it was a few years ago. The era of the Internet is a fraudulent time, with bogus identities making funny with your money every chance they get. Tradesmen and women portraying themselves as skilled in things they have little real experience or training in is a common occurrence. For instance, tradies who appear to lay down artificial grass, but have little competence and use an inferior product. Disappointment awaits the unwary and ill prepared. Do your research and you will end up with a better result.

Fake Tradies Are There, So Beware

Doing a Google search on any service that may visit your abode is a sensible idea. Checking on tradies who visit your home will increase the security around your identity and protect you from nefarious agencies. Fake tradies are on the increase in cities around Australia and government consumer affair departments are warning the public. These unscrupulous individuals target older Australians and are, often, seen after storms and natural disasters. They tell customers that they can fix roofs, reseal, repaint, repair and clean up houses, but, once they have the money they disappear or never finish the job to the client’s satisfaction.

Always check out the background of potential contractors before hiring them. Use the Internet and peruse social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and the like. The information is out there and it is not that hard to access. If you take the time to do a little research, you can save yourself thousands of dollars and plenty of heartache. Similarly, word of mouth from someone that you can trust, in concert with some digital digging and investigation, will pay dividends in terms of making a sound and safe choice.