Complaints regarding home improvement, construction, and domestic trade fraud

I am writing to request data regarding consumer complaints and financial losses relating to home improvement, construction, and domestic trade fraud.

Please provide the following information for the last three financial years (2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26):

1) The total number of consumer complaints received regarding home improvement, construction, or domestic trade fraud.

1a) Of the total complaints in Question 1, how many involved initial contact between the consumer and the tradesperson originating via social media platforms?

2) The total estimated financial loss to consumers reported in relation to these specific complaints.

Note: If extracting the contact method data for question 1a requires manual retrieval of individual case files and would exceed the Section 12 cost limit, please fulfill questions 1 and 2 and advise on any pre-aggregated contact-channel data available for question 1a in your reporting software.
 

1) See below table

a) See below table

Note – relies on the complainants notes to mention this – no specific code for recording this.  This will be under-reported. 

2).Note – Detriment/loss can be difficult to assess initially.  The consumer may have quoted a number of figures in the complaint (cost quoted, amount paid, deposit paid), etc.  This may not always be accurately recorded.  Therefore figures for cost and detriment are provided below.