Stories abound in France of foreign residents being ripped off by rogue traders.
And the ones that stand out are of those who have been ripped off by fellow expats whether due to incompetence or basic swindling or a mixture of both. It happens all too often and the victims are often left without their hard-earned life savings.
There are of course many expat tradesmen who are bonafide and highly capable and the reality is you could be ripped off by anyone in France, locals too.
Victims often talk about feelings of shame, embarrassment and guilt after being ripped off, but often they did many of the right things.
However, there are certain things, many in fact, that you can do to help minimize the chances and weed out those rogue builders who have left a trail of victims in their wake around France and make it harder for the good ones.
Plan and get your budget right
Many of those who end up losing their money are those who have just bought a house in France and need urgent work doing on it.
But often they spend too much on the house they have fallen in love with and don't leave enough for the subsequent renovations.
This forces them to look at cheaper quotes, which are often, although not always, given by builders who are not qualified to do the job but desperate for work. So include cost of renovations when you set your budget for your house.
The Devis
The devis is the all important estimate or quote that a builder will give you for the job you want them to carry out, whether it's an extension or electrics or roof repair.
For a start, always get at least three.
Sally Coppack, from Deux Sevres who lost €12,000 to a builder who walked off the job after making a mess of their planned extension says: “I would advise people to get an itemized devis. It should state exactly what work needs to be done and what materials will be bought.”
This is what the French government website says about a “devis”: “The estimate of the proposed works by the professional is considered from a legal point of view as a contract offer. As such, it strongly engages the professional in a very precise manner regarding the scope of work, their cost, the expected deadlines.”
The devis should also carry evidence that the builder has the correct registration number, known as a Siret, and the appropriate level of insurance for the job they are being paid to do (more on this to follow).
READ ALSO: How foreigners in France fall victim to being conned by other expats
Is it too cheap?
It's not just the detail on the devis that the customer needs to take into account but also the amount.
Micala Wilkins from the Artisan Central, an online directory of “pre-checked, highly skilled” expat artisans based in France says : “Many in France baulk at prices and services here – too expensive, out of my budget then choose Tom, Dick or Harry, who talks a good talk at a lot cheaper price. Only to find out at a later date they have been royally ripped off.”
Don't do it 'on the black'
A spokesperson for estate agent Leggett Immobilier advised: “One of the silver linings around the cloud of French bureaucracy is that artisans need to be fully qualified and are well controlled, both in terms of training and invoicing.
“Obviously there are still incidents of rogue traders and, if you decide to pay cash and pay your builders on the black market, then you forego your consumer protection rights.”
References
Helen Wood, who along with her husband Jim lost €11,500 to a builder who failed to carry out ceiling repairs and botched the instillation of electrics, had, like many others, asked for references for his previous customers.
“Another victim of this man was given the same references, she later found out that both of them were his friends,” says Helen.


I, unfortunately, employed a well known French estate agency in the center of Nice 06 to manage my rental. It went “pear shapped” when I discovered the kept my premiums for “loyer impayee” insurance and I was not covered. Moreover, they indicated on the notepaper that they were members of “FNAIM” and an agency registered with the Prefecture of Nice. Neither proved to be the case yet they still continued operating merrily in spite of the authorities knowing of the true facts! Lesson: do your homework and be prudent and suspicious of all “professionals”.