Scaffolding scam?

[pilsbury]

I think I’ve already got my suspicions….. But hear me out and give me some ideas on how to protect myself…..

In the next few weeks I’m going to want to scaffold half the rear of my house in preparation for me to loft convert. Being a miser, I don’t want to pay for hire, so like I often do, I buy 2nd hand, use, then sell for what I bought it for - free hire in my book.

Can’t be doing with a crappy tower. Need proper scaffold to work off. Hard to find on fleabay and scumtree, but some has come up on scumtree. Exactly what I need. Not too big, perfect height and width.

The photo is of the scaffold in place on a house in Stoke, an hour from me. The chap wants £500 for it. Buyer to dismantle. So, I’m ok with that. Will do me a favour as I have to put it back up and never done it before.

So my predicament is this. What’s to stop some scum bag just taking a photo of some scaffold at an empty house, meeting me there, taking my money, then leaving me to steal the scaffold and possibly get the sh1t kicked out of me by an angry mob of scaffolders? How would you verify this is legit? In an ideal world the homeowner will greet me at the door and all will feel legit. Got a feeling this isn’t going to happen.

Scaffold is hard to come by. That’s why I’m entertaining this. Thoughts?

 

[JP_]

I guess, request a written invoice with his full details, name, address etc. plus bank account info. Say you cannot pay with cash, bank transfer only. You need to write it off as a cost. Then you'll do the transfer when you come and collect, not before. And then knock on the door before starting - unless the house is empty, somebody is bound to be in.
He he refuses, walk away.

 

[Tigercubrider]

get the address first? then send a letter to the address?
Could be a recorded delivery 1st class, or a short drive.
Make sure they can get into the house?

check electoral roll?

 

[bernardgreen]

I would be very wary of this "bargain" scaffolding. As you fear it may not belong to the seller

Also erecting scaffolding is a skilled task if it is to be a safe and stable working platform.

Pay the hire cost and have ot professionally erected for you.

Scammers will sell anything to take someone's money

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-59069662

 

[pilsbury]

Fully understand your concerns Bernard. I do however have a couple of mates who would help me. They used to scaffold many years ago.

It is a fall from grace rather than height I'm currently concerned about.

 

[kingandy2nd]

When you arrive, just ask if you can use the loo…see if he can/will let you in the house.

 

[kingandy2nd]

I’ve dealt with this guy on eBay before, good bloke. Sells lots of scaffolding:

https://ebay.co.uk/usr/exvoguemodel

 

[pilsbury]

Cheers for the recommendation

 

[cdbe]

I’ve dealt with this guy on eBay before, good bloke. Sells lots of scaffolding:

https://ebay.co.uk/usr/exvoguemodel

Same here, got some great acro's from him, believe he has a base near the Midlands as well.

I own my own scaffolding, it's not difficult to erect something safe with a bit of common sense, and I don't quite know how to phrase it without sounding like a complete cowboy, but if it's for "personal" use and not going to carry 4 men and 2 tonnes of building materials it doesn't need to meet the exacting standards of a commercial set-up.

 

[SFK]

As a reminder, if you buy stolen goods, the general rule is that you are not the legal owner even if you paid a fair price and didn't know that the goods were stolen.
The person who originally owned it is still the legal owner.
Orginal owner gets it back, and you then have to try and get your money back form someone who has likely scarpered.
SFK

 

[pilsbury]

Build the tower, diagonals to stop it racking, tighten it all up and bob’s you uncle. I guess. Plus I’ll be putting some outriggers on and bolting to the wall.

Has to be better than my 2x4 chimney scaffold I built held to the chimney by ratchet straps. I’m still here!

 

[^woody^]

It's quite simple. You only pay after you have dismantled, loaded it and with the engine running.

I would suspect the bigger risk to your health is from it falling down after you have had a go at assembling it

 

[pilsbury]

It's quite simple. You only pay after you have dismantled, loaded it and with the engine running.

I would suspect the bigger risk to your health is from it falling down after you have had a go at assembling it

That is how I intend to pay. After locked and loaded.

Tomorrow is d-day. Getting there at 1030, then beaten up by 1100 by the real scaffolders, then arrested and thrown in the nick having lost £500. Or come away smelling of roses with my free scaffold hire. You take your chances….

And ye of little faith. I’m a scaffolding expert now. I’ve watched a YouTube video.

I’ll let you know tomorrow how it goes

 

[^woody^]

 

[SFK]

Don't forget your can of (say) Lime Green paint to paint your 'new' scaffolding in 'your' Proprietary colours.