Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: DASERVICES on November 18, 2008, 06:24:38 pm
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www.kilmarnockstandard.co.uk/2008/11/07/crosshouse-handyman-driven-out-of-business-by-rogues-81430-22184466/
Crosshouse handyman driven out of business by rogues
Nov 7 2008 by Lizzie Struthers, Kilmarnock Standard
TRADESMAN Michael Dorrans claims he has been forced out of the window cleaning business by rogues.
The Crosshouse handyman says he can’t compete against undercutting, unlicensed and uninsured window cleaners.
The father-of-three, said: “I can’t afford to feed my family from making an honest living by cleaning windows.”
Michael understands that householders are choosing the cheaper service in a bid to save cash during the credit crunch.
But he is furious that the council is failing to stamp out on the rogue window cleaners.
Michael, who runs his own company Handymen Services, is registered and licensed through East Ayrshire Council.
He has been police checked and pays every three years for a licence to work in the area.
The fed-up 44-year-old handed his window cleaning licence back in disgust to East Ayrshire Council bosses this week.
He is planning to simply concentrate on his handyman work now.
Michael says he had recently lost 40 window cleaning customers to unlicensed men working for “small change or beer money”.
He said: “I’d try to work an hourly rate of £7.50 so I’d make £70 for about a 10-hour day.
“It was long hours for not a great deal of money.
“I’d built up a good customer base but I found I was being over run by unlicensed operators pushing for business. They were undercutting every time.”
Michael claims that dodgy window cleaners have no fear of the EAC enforcement officers, who check their licence to trade, and simply avoid them.
A public register of all licensed window cleaners can be viewed by contacting the Civic Government licensing section at EAC’s headquarters.
A council spokesman said: “Any person found to be operating without a licence will be reported to police.”
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from the title i thought Matt alwight had been snooping on a wc? ;D ;D
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The licensed window cleaners should demand a refund if the councils won't persue rogue traders otherwise it's just another stealth tax issued by the councils.
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East Ayrshire does have an enforcement officer but the area is too big for one person. What we are pushing for the Council to do is to run some campaigns on why to use a licensed window cleaner.
I will be hopefully approaching the board next month.
This is happening everywhere with the colapse of the building trade so it is now important for Councils to act and protect our livelyhoods.
I am in discussion with some very senior people so hopefully we will see huge improvements. To be fair the Councils we have worked with are tackling the problem.
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Gee,
R U sure this bit is right
"He said: “I’d try to work an hourly rate of £7.50 so I’d make £70 for about a 10-hour day.
"
Everyone tells me you only get monkeys for £7.00 and unshaven at that!
Plus everyone is on around £1000 per week and employees on at least £800 per week.
If its that they are not trading legally then they should put a stop to it, but its only up north and scotland that you need a licence. I dont think the licence is the cure.. or the way to go.
We do not have licences down in Kent.. but UNDERCUTTING yes. But thats business. Get use to undercutting. Its all that is left! We can all offer reliability, the tools etc.
I can see cats being thrown in the birds here!
this will be fun.
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Minimum wage is £5.77 so what's the point being a legitimate window cleaner earning £7.50p.h with no holiday pay, sick pay, etc. Think the rogue traders done him a favour as he was a busy fool at that hourly rate.
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no chance you are making 7 quid per hour cleaning windows, not saying you can make a fortune but 7 quid is wot most window cleaning companies pay their guys per hour, but if you are self employed then you need to be be making a wee bit more than that......i am suprised you are getting undercutters at these rates.......but still it should not be happening....so doug and co are doing the right thing.....dont surrender that license because of the scum, go on the attack, legally of course. ;)
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Whats the point of having a Licence scheme, when it does not protect the legal window cleaner or the customer.
You cannot have a fair licence scheme when the ones who really abuse the system will always escape any form of punishment, no matter how many time they get caught.
The real culprits are the CUSTOMERS who willing to turn a blind eye, that they are using ILLEGAL window cleaners.
They are the ones who will always stop any form of licence from working.
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not much is accurate of that post.
i stay 10mins from this area and the so called "big men" are laundering money through window cleaning in Kilmarnok, not a competator undercutting. Happy to wash the windows for £1 and put it through the books at £11
And no-one does this service for £7.50 either
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not much is accurate of that post.
i stay 10mins from this area and the so called "big men" are laundering money through window cleaning in Kilmarnok, not a competator undercutting. Happy to wash the windows for £1 and put it through the books at £11
And no-one does this service for £7.50 either
Interesting , makes sense of the report I read
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East Ayrshire does have an enforcement officer but the area is too big for one person. What we are pushing for the Council to do is to run some campaigns on why to use a licensed window cleaner.
I will be hopefully approaching the board next month.
This is happening everywhere with the colapse of the building trade so it is now important for Councils to act and protect our livelyhoods.
I am in discussion with some very senior people so hopefully we will see huge improvements. To be fair the Councils we have worked with are tackling the problem.
D.A. Services
You seem clued up on the license issues in Scotland, So just a thought passing through my thick head but if your employing an illegal service i.e., an un-license w/c, aren't you breaking the law as well? So could not a customer be liable for prosecution as well???
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not much is accurate of that post.
i stay 10mins from this area and the so called "big men" are laundering money through window cleaning in Kilmarnok, not a competator undercutting. Happy to wash the windows for £1 and put it through the books at £11
And no-one does this service for £7.50 either
Interesting , makes sense of the report I read
seems you are on to something there doug......this could get very interesting indeed. 8)
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not much is accurate of that post.
i stay 10mins from this area and the so called "big men" are laundering money through window cleaning in Kilmarnok, not a competator undercutting. Happy to wash the windows for £1 and put it through the books at £11
And no-one does this service for £7.50 either
:o sounds like the mafia!
Would explain a few things going on around here as well! :( >:(
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Elginn, No the customer cannot be held reliable for having an unlicensed window cleaner.
Pure Hydro has hit the nail on the head which I have been challenging the Councils, "The real culprits are the customers who turn a blind eye"
This is the biggest challenge in getting the message accross, it can be done but sometimes Councils cannot think that far. ???
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not much is accurate of that post.
i stay 10mins from this area and the so called "big men" are laundering money through window cleaning in Kilmarnok, not a competator undercutting. Happy to wash the windows for £1 and put it through the books at £11
And no-one does this service for £7.50 either
Interesting , makes sense of the report I read
Sorry should have said that, that wasnt me telling you that your post was wrong, i was refering to the story told by the individual, obviously doesnt want to upset the wrong people. But yeah someone just said something about it sounding like the mafia, not quite just drug dealers but none the less you dont really want to get in their way.
The w/c's from Kilmarnok are all apparently being "pushed" off their rounds by people from Glasgow who have a different intention for the w/c business.
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i think this post is saying that people with high incomes and good lifestyles who can't show where there wealth came from and have it taken away as the proceeds of crime- will now be showing a few years books as wc as proof of earnings.
No idea if this is true or if this is really what is being said.
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is he a handyman or a window cleaner, if he concentrated on his window cleaning buisness he might earn more and lose less customers-quite simple really!! ???
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is he a handyman or a window cleaner, if he concentrated on his window cleaning buisness he might earn more and lose less customers-quite simple really!! ???
i was thinking the same thing. There's even less money per hour in being a handyman. ;D