BARBARA West ("Cowboy cost me £4,500", Your Letters, August 9) should have checked the status of the contractor she so willingly handed her savings to.
Such people can not expect any amount of legislation to protect them from rogue traders when they don't do any kind of checks. Reading Mrs West's letter one must draw the conclusion that she handed £4,500 to someone without so much as a letter-headed invoice having been presented.
One might ask why? The usual reason lies in our exorbitant 17.5 per cent VAT rate on this type of work, which not only creates such a situation but is also responsible for a general lack of building maintenance by the public.
Using a non-VAT registered company gives a strong indication of the size and type of firm you are employing and should sound a clear warning.
HARRY JOHNSTON,
chairman and managing director,
R & G Construction (Manchester) Ltd.
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