Isn’t the first time I’ve heard this scam.
Had a fella in my office last week proclaiming he wanted to push forward gshp installations. Spouting off he wanted people to have this and he wasn’t bothered about making profit. He was doing his work for the greater good. He’d made enough money to retire and frankly making money now wasn’t his concern. Alarm bells rang as soon as I saw his Hollywood million dollar smile and continued eye contact. He asked me to teach him about how construction took place. After this he then began his pitch. This went like so;
I will gather potential clients, complete the heat loss calculations. You go and assess the home and land. I then go and get quotations signed, collect 2 deposits, one on signing and the second when you arrive on site. You supply the equipment and I’ll pay you on completion.
I stopped him there and informed him on the correct process being the company that completes the install and produces the mcs certificate is the company that handles the financial transactions.
Well, needless to say the smiles stopped and conversation turned to him becoming defensive basically ruining his soon to be scamming plan. Every moment I talked to this scum bag I knew his motive being around these toss pot salesman for many years and knowing his angles.
You see, his motive was to front himself with us, collect multiple deposits and disappear, not unlike your situation.
Never pay any money unless
You have signed contract/quotation
You understand that the company taking your money is the company issuing the mcs certificate.
You have received calculations determining the equipment and heat requirements of the work to be done.
And lastly, you’ve contacted 3 references, and looked at work previously done.
Luckily it was only £200, I know people that have handed over £10,000 and don’t have anything from over in Yorkshire. People who have had installs and will not receive RHI due to poor installation or paperwork.
Financial lessons are the hardest to swallow. ASHP isn’t free and you will not get a company installing to claim the RHI over 7 years for no profit. They don’t exist. Only paying customers and people who take out finance.
Your hard earned cash just helped him fuel his car to go scam somebody else.[/QUOT