Telltale signs of cowboy contractors: who should you trust?

When getting household jobs done, you need to be careful with who you trust. Not everyone is who they say they are. Some people promise a long lists of conditions, only to break them when you make the payment. With a purchase as big as a new boiler or air conditioning system, it’s crucial that you get things right. If something goes wrong, it can be very dangerous, and be incredibly expensive to put things right. 

Can you trust every contractor you meet?

There are stories all over the web about cowboy contractors, and how they sneakily take your money after doing a less than satisfactory job. You may even know someone who has been burned by a boiler contractor or similar in the past, for example. If you’re at the research stage of finding a new boiler or air conditioning system, it’s essential that you keep the following points in mind to ensure you choose a reputable and trustworthy company.

How did you find them?

Or did they find you? A lot of cowboy contractors tend to knock on doors around their area to find work. Perhaps you get a leaflet through the door about the services they offer. While a lot of these people may be genuine, there are many who simply want a chance to make money.

You should always research anyone before you give them a call. At BOXT, we’re always transparent with our services. Our engineers are Gas Safe registered and our team are always available to answer your questions and concerns. Use our online chat to speak directly to an engineer.

Check their pricing.

When getting quotes, take them with a pinch of salt. Some companies or contractors like to offer their services for an unrealistically low fee to attract customers. However, some companies are honest in their approach. Here at BOXT, we’ve sparked up a lot of debate about whether we’re too good to be true because of our unbeatable prices. We offer a fixed, fair price for our boilers and a genuine approach to bringing our customers nothing but the best. 

They need payment quickly.

Granted, you pay for things before you get them in a lot of cases, and that’s usually how we work too. However, we also understand that appliances like a boiler are an expensive investment, which is why we give our customers the option to pay in instalments if needed. However, if you experience a contractor or company quickly asking or pestering for payment in an unnatural way, you may want to take a step back and rethink your choices. 

Punctuality.

Let’s say you agree to having a new boiler installed by someone who is offering a cheap service. You organise a date and time for the work to be completed, but your installer turns up half an hour late. Perhaps they disappear for hours at a time to “collect a part” or “pick up a needed tool”. There’s always a risk of them never returning -  leaving a job half done and potentially hazardous.

Extra jobs. 

If a cowboy contractor does actually finish a job, then they may try and get more work out of you by suggesting that there are other ‘serious’ problems that need addressing there and then - forcing you to open your wallets for them once more. These jobs are more than likely things that don’t even need to be done. At BOXT, we don’t have salespeople. We do the job you’ve asked us to do at the highest possible standard - then leave you to get on with your day.

How are BOXT different?

We’re proud to be a trustworthy brand that has been recognised for our excellent customer service. 

We’re award winners.

We’ve won a number of awards for recognition of our high-quality services and products:

• Best User Experience 2018
• Best New Brand 
• Best New Product/Service Launch Of The Year 2017

In fact, that’s only a fraction. We’ve been recognised for our excellent services to the community and won a handful of awards. 

We help you find the right deal.

Instead of just giving you a single option and forcing you to buy from us, we’ll make the process much more personalised to you - with no fuss. So if you’re after a boiler or a brand new air conditioning system, we’ve created a helpful platform to help you choose your perfect product at a fixed, fair price. 

Simply answer a few easy questions about your home set up and requirements, and we’ll give you a list of all the possible products that would be a great fit in your home. Make your purchase in full or set up a payment plan suited to your needs, choose your delivery date and we can deliver and install it for you as soon as the next working day, subject to availability.

We’re partners of some of the biggest names in the business.

We work with some well known UK and global brands such as Worcester Bosch and Ideal, giving you peace of mind that our products are reliable and of a high quality. Our engineers are fully trained to install each of our appliances safely and securely.

Stay away from cowboy contractors - choose BOXT.

Whether you’re in contact with a boiler maintenance contractor or you’re looking around for air conditioning installation cheaply, stop and think before you commit. There are many people out there simply after a job to earn money, with no cares about the job their doing.

At BOXT, we work differently. We do everything in our power to make sure our customers have the best possible experience and receive the greatest quality appliances for their homes. When you book your time slot, our engineer will come out and visit you on time, and complete their work in a reasonable time frame. In a lot of cases, we can even remove an old appliance and dispose of it safely for you. BOXT goes that much further...

For more information about our services and what you can expect to receive from our trusted brand, talk to a member of our team through our online web chat.