Emergency home repair scams on the rise

You are locked out, need to fix a broken boiler or a water leak. Needing emergency repairs is common. Unfortunately, so are cases of unscrupulous tradespeople charging far more for a locksmith, plumber or electrician than is necessary.

In Belgium, the economy ministry noted a record 392 reports of unfair prices last year, almost a 50% increase compared to 273 in 2023, with 329 reports in 2022 and, probably higher also because of the pandemic with more people working at home, 370 in 2021.

“The vast majority of reports concern abusive or abnormally high prices,” said economy ministry spokesperson Etienne Mignolet. “Generally speaking, a company is free to set its own prices for goods and services. But there is a concept in law that is ‘abnormal profit’.”

Customers also complain about the warnings they were given about the work and information given to them before it started.

“As a consumer, before signing a contract to have a good or service delivered to you, you should receive a whole range of information in a clear, comprehensible and unequivocal manner, and preferably in writing. For example, the total price of the service.

“This is what we call pre-contractual information,” Mignolet added. “And we often see that this is not the case when we are in an emergency situation.”

One bill, seen by the Belgian federation of plumbers, revealed an excessive €931.74 cost for repairing a boiler. Studying the fee breakdown, its vice-president Dirk Peytier said: “The only thing that is not abusive here is the €50 for transport. It is a real scam, taking advantage of people’s weaknesses”.

A plumber since the age of 12, Peytier said the bill should have been under €400. “It would be wise to ban these companies from entering the profession,” he said.

“We are calling for greater monitoring, even if it means involving our federation, to play the role of jury if necessary and bring order to these practices, which can be likened to theft.”

Other dishonest examples include locksmiths damaging doors unnecessarily, so that they can charge much more money.

Faced with such practices, the French-speaking Federation of Locksmiths, with its Dutch-speaking counterpart, is drawing up a certification scheme, at the request of the economy ministry and the office of the secretary of state for consumer protection.

Any locksmith granted this certificate, still under discussion, must sign a code of good conduct, comply with administrative formalities - such as having a clean criminal record - prove their expertise and quality, and authorise an independent body to carry out audits of their work.

The economy ministry recommends three key actions when using an emergency repair service.

• Plan ahead: Do not wait for an emergency. Compile a list of trusted professionals (locksmith, plumber, etc.) so when you do run into a problem, you can ask friends and family for advice.
• Do not rush: Do not pick the first name in a Google search: “You should be aware that some companies pay to be listed at the top of search results, and they are not always the most reliable,” Mignolet added.
• Be wary of prices: Use common sense… “There’s no such thing as an emergency callout for a broken lock that is priced at €10,” Mignolet added. “We say it all the time, but when it’s too good to be true, it often is.”

To avoid an excessively high bill, the economy ministry also recommends “making sure that you have received the total price in writing, so that you know what you are getting into”, although this is not always possible in real emergencies such as being locked out.

When faced with an unacceptable price to pay, the ministry advises disputing the invoice with the company, preferably in writing, and then, if there is a dispute with the company, you can call on a mediation service.

If this does not succeed, clients can even go to court. They have to get the bill (which tradespeople have to provide). And if the price is excessive and there is no likelihood of getting it reduced and “you feel intimidated” by the professional, the economy ministry says do not hesitate to call the police.

In 2024, the ministry issued 67 warnings and 70 fines following reports. Any problems can be reported via this link.