Contractor's bill prompts warning

A concerned Bay resident is warning others to be wary of a contractor he says tried to overcharge for his services.

The man, who asked not to be named, said the contractor turned up claiming he had some leftover material which he could use to reseal the man's driveway.

The man accepted the price for a 100sq m section of his driveway after working out it would cost $1800. The contractor billed him for $8100.

"I rang around a few places to see how much they would charge, they said $9 to $10 sq m. I told him I'd give him $2000, he said $2500. We ended up transferring $2250 into his account, it's still a long way short of what he first wanted," the customer said.

Consumer Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Kearney said consumers had the right to cancel a service seven days after engaging someone who had been going door-to door looking for work. This right applied if the job had been completed.