A group of men offering to cut down trees and then charge thousands of dollars for the service may now be operating in the Dunedin area, a Fairfield resident warns.
Earlier this week, the New Zealand Arboriculture Association warned homeowners to be wary of a group of Polynesian men who were travelling around New Zealand knocking on doors for tree-cutting work.
The men were last seen in Balclutha and mainly targeted elderly residents who were often intimidated by them.
A Balclutha couple were recently quoted $2500 by the men to have a large tree removed.
However, when the work was completed, the men demanded payment of $5000.
A Fairfield resident, who declined to be named, said she was approached by two Polynesian men at her home yesterday.
"They didn't say who they were, or where they were from. They just said, `Do you want your trees cut?'.
"It wasn't that they were intimidating - they just didn't seem professional.
"They just seemed dodgy, and I sent them on their way," she said.
