Tradesman Websites, Any Experience?

Cartus

Cartus

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,874
Name
Tim
Edit My Images
Yes
Towards the end of 2012 I had bought a house that needed quite a bit of work doing to it and having been let down by a builder I knew I decided to try 'Ratedpeople.com' to get things moving along. The builder I selected despite having impeccable references turned out to be a complete disaster with just about everything he did having to be re-done by the (much better) builder I subsequently found.

When the 'ratedpeople.com' builder and I parted company I complained strenuously to the website and left negative feedback with the result he was removed from their list of tradespeople. Fair enough.

About six months later I noticed his website mentioned another similar website to the one he'd been slung off - 'Checkatrade.com'. When I looked at the website it allowed me to upload a review and feedback which I duly did, again warning others to steer clear (I was still angry at the way he had treated me). He responded in the usual fashion, nothing his fault etc. I left it at that and more or less forgot about it.

For some reason, the other day, after about eighteen months I decided to see what he was up to. This led me to his entry on 'Checkatrade.com'. My original feedback is still there but now it seems I have given him a 10/10 rating!! I don't remember that, mine would have been 1/10 had I been able to leave it. How does this happen? :confused:

My conclusions are that unless you have a very simple job don't use these websites as any good, reputable tradesperson won't need to register with sites such as these as they seem populated by the incompetent and those 'starting out' perhaps and other trades who struggle to find work for other reasons.

Maybe my experience was unlucky. Has anyone had a positive experience of 'find a trade' type websites?
 
No experience myself but I have often wondered if those sites were a bit dodgy. I strongly suspect the builders themselves rather than customers pay to get their name on the site, so the site are hardly going to kick them off are they. Especially if its an annual subscription or something. and whats to stop all the members friends and family logging on and posting spurious fake reports about how great he is.
Cynical, moi?

Going from 1/10 to 10/10 just about shows what a load of old tripe it is doesnt it.
 
I have found checkatrade.com and the like to be a pile of useless rubbish when it comes to finding a reputable trader - considering mine and others experiences of them I also find it strange that one of those cow boy trader programs fronted by Dominic Littlewood is sponsored by checkatrade.com

My local council run there own local trusted traders program which I find to be much more reliable
 
Last edited:
I'm a self employed bathroom and kitchen fitter. I would not advertise myself on these sites, and neither would anyone else I know in the trades.
You have to pay them a subscription, as said above, but this doesn't guarantee a level of professionalism or standard of work.
I get my work through word of mouth, and local advertising, and always show examples of my recent work including pics of me doing the work.

If you need something done ask around.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
The builders do pay to be featured on the site but the sites surely need to supply moderately competent tradespeople to survive.

When I left my feedback on 'Checkatrade' there was no facility to leave a X/10 rating. The fact that I now have apparently given him not one but four 10/10's makes me feel it's all a load of fraudulent bullocks. I wouldn't use any of them again but they seem to manage to keep going.
 
Curiously I contacted 3 very local tradesmen through their websites,
for a quote, about 6 weeks ago now.
Not one of them replied!

I tried rated people and 2 people from outside my area
well that is 20-25 miles away contacted me within 10 minutes.
(It was quite late at night too)

It seems that they actually "buy" the details of the job.
Not sure about actually paying to register though.
(I'm not saying they don't BTW, I just don't know.)

One has no feedback, or a website, the other has glowing reports and images on theirs.
Ones coming tomorrow the other is yet to confirm (I gave him a few options)

I'll see what happens ;)
 
Cobra said:
Curiously I contacted 3 very local tradesmen through their websites,
for a quote, about 6 weeks ago now.
Not one of them replied!

I tried rated people and 2 people from outside my area
well that is 20-25 miles away contacted me within 10 minutes.
(It was quite late at night too)

It seems that they actually "buy" the details of the job.
Not sure about actually paying to register though.
(I'm not saying they don't BTW, I just don't know.)

One has no feedback, or a website, the other has glowing reports and images on theirs.
Ones coming tomorrow the other is yet to confirm (I gave him a few options)

I'll see what happens ;)
Click to expand...
You are right about 'buying' the job, I don't think they do pay to register, I'd forgotten!

Good luck! (y)
 
Cartus said:
Good luck! (y)
Click to expand...
Cheers :)
I meant to say before, that's a bit bloody cheeky them giving him 10/10 on your behalf!

I still can't get over the fact that 3 very local people, that I contacted direct never replied though.
You would have thought even if they weren't interested or booked "for a year" they would have at least said.
 
I believe that the only safe way of buying services is through personal recommendation.

I remember a photographer friend (who incidentally is a good pro) asking the NEC what he needed to do to become one of their approved photographers, and the answer was "Just pay us £400"

I can't see it being any different for 'tradesmen' websites, it applies to just about every run-for-profit accreditation scheme, another example of which is the RSPCA accredited farm scheme - Freedom Foods
 
It reminds me of a company I worked for years ago that belonged to the 'Guild of Master Craftsmen'.

The only criterion for entry was about £300 I think!
 
I had a fair bit of work done a few months ago and used these sites....none of the work done on my house was carried out by anyone from there. I had personal recommendations but these guys were all busy as they're good and eventually I employed the 13th builder to come and look at the job:thinking:. He was ok- nothing special, but the job got done.

For a plumber I used the Gas Safe website, stuck my post code in and contacted a couple who were closest. It was a lot of plumbing work I needed and I had British Gas in to give me a quote first so I knew exactly what was what. After that I went on recommendations who both quoted more than British Gas:eek:. When challenged one didn't reply and the other one claimed to have "accidentally" added VAT twice. From the Gas Safe site I struck gold, both were good and I employed one of them who could not have been better.

For an electrician I asked in the local electrical suppliers who gave me a couple of numbers. I only really wanted day work as I would buy the supplies and again the first guy who came round was very good and got the work, he didn't disappoint. Both he and the plumber have been back for further work since - They do good work and I pay promptly so it's a win-win:)
 
Well the first guy turned up today, and his quote was a bit higher than I had guestimated / budgeted for.
Any how I thanked him for his time and said that I had someone coming out Friday, also from "that site"
And I'd let him know, what I decided.

As he left, he turned and spoke the immortal words, let me know what he quotes (if its cheaper) and I'm
sure we can work something out :D

What part of "best price" do these guys not understand?
I don't really like playing one off against the other, but sometimes it just has to be done.
Besides with comments like that, they leave themselves wide open for it ;)
 
Last edited:
Rated people throws up some real oddball builders/plumbers etc, etc, i wanted a quote from local plumbers/joiners a few years ago after a long term water leak (didnt spot it for years until we wanted to relay the flooring and we have a false ceiling underneath) flooring and part of a joist were rotten as was the stud wall behind the shower wall where the leaking water pump was hidden away, i reckoned on about 3K worth of work to include brand new joist, floorboards ripped out and replaced with marine ply, 1200mm double shower, tray tiles etc, etc.

Several quotes coming in at 5-6K (as soon as you mention insurance everyone doubles theyr prices) then we had a Ugandan chap come round who said he could bring it in for under £500 in 2 days, hmmmmmm

In the end just got fed up and asked for a loss adjuster to come in, he came in priced the job at just over £3500 and organised the building/plumbers himself, more than happy with the end result as well.

Upshot, i would never use rated people again, its just full of builders working together to rate each other and subbing work out to their "mates"
 
Garry Edwards said:
I believe that the only safe way of buying services is through personal recommendation.

I remember a photographer friend (who incidentally is a good pro) asking the NEC what he needed to do to become one of their approved photographers, and the answer was "Just pay us £400"

I can't see it being any different for 'tradesmen' websites, it applies to just about every run-for-profit accreditation scheme, another example of which is the RSPCA accredited farm scheme - Freedom Foods
Click to expand...

agree, surely the best advert for any business is a satisfied customer I'm happy to report that I receive calls from prospective customers who have been referred by existing ones.

Reading the checkatrade site most of the emphasis seems to be on an interview and proof of qualifications (although the site warns that not all trades requre qualifications) and ID (admittedly this weeds out the blatent cowboys, the latest scam I am aware of is to tell you that your tree is suffering from ash dieback and needs to be felled a a matter of urgency) If as the OP suggests FB on members is unreliable are these sites of any use

One of the few trade sites that I am aware of which has a proper policy in place ie proof of training and work undertaken in NABAS which represents the balloon industry

http://www.nabas.co.uk/join/membership_levels.php
 
My two cents....
I am a manager of a builders merchant, I deal with tradesmen all day, every day & have done for almost all of my working life. Most reputable tradesmen do no advertising at all, at the very most it is 'A' frame sandwich boards outside their current job & recommendation. Builders & associated trades are several decades behind the rest of the world as far as the Internet & advertising goes. I have never seen a tradesman that I know of advertising on such a site (they certainly wouldn't pay for it!), this does lead me to wonder if it is the domain of people starting out who have no customer base etc....
As for tradesmen not phoning you back - by and large they are terrible at it. Period. It seems to go with the territory, and is partly to do with a cash in hand payment mentality, and generally what we would see as a lack of drive / professionalism. Obviously there are exceptions to the norm.
 
I needed some plastering doing and posted the job on ratedpeople. The person I employed actually gave the higher of the two quotes, but the attention to detail when he came to look at the work impressed me so I hired him. The finished walls and ceiling were of excellent quality, I was extremely pleased.

Speaking to him while he was working, he told me how the sites work - pay to register, pay for contact details - and that consequently he only uses them if he has a late cancellation and nothing he can bring forward to fill the gap. I have no reason to doubt this, because I couldn't have hoped for better.

Maybe I was just lucky!
 
Some councils have been rolling out a Trusted Trader Scheme for example http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/200222/trusted_trader/1434/trusted_traders it encourages customers to write to them with their comments on the tradesmans work etc. I've heard quite a few traders stopped using Rated People, it was costing them money to get the contact details but lots of times they didn't even get to see or visit the customer cos they changed their mind, the trader didn't get a refund
 
frank said:
, it was costing them money to get the contact details but lots of times they didn't even get to see or visit the customer cos they changed their mind, the trader didn't get a refund
Click to expand...
I guess that's always a risk, with sites like that, on both sides.
 
We've had a kitchen fitter that we contacted via the manufacturer (approved fitter scheme etc.) and were asking him about it.

Trust a trader charge £900 per quarter to be listed on their website, and then you pay a small % for each recommendation then pay a second, higher rate, if you get the job. Needless to say he doesn't use that particular site.

He is on a couple of sites to get some jobs coming through - he's spent 30+ years working for housing associations and builders and had decided he's had enough of them, he wants to wind down his hours and take fewer jobs to suite the pattern he wants to work. For him it means that he can look at the jobs that are coming up and cherry pick which ones he might be interested in based on timings/location/value
 
Well the second guy that contacted me from that site (within 10 mins of placing the ad)
has just emailed to say that his van has broken down, and so he can't quote now.
(He was due out at mid day)
No "when can I come next" or "sorry can we reschedule?" ,
nope that was it.

Well I'm glad that he's so busy that he doesn't even need to quote.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top