Checkatrade, Mybuilder, Myhammer ratedpeople etc etc.. Your views?

[alexg]

Are they amu good as I am thinking if joining and one of their reps is coming next week!!

Keep the cash and have xmas or spend it and have a bonanza Xmas next year?!?!!?

 

[Octopus]

^^ but joe public see the glossy slick adverts .......

 

[Pete999]

^^ but joe public see the glossy slick adverts .......

Waste of space should be outed

 

[Santa]

You all agree that these people are "rip off merchants" but how does an ordinary person find a reputable tradesman? You might suggest this site, but there is no guarantee that anyone on here is 'reputable', any more than a Checkatrade member.

I have used them to find someone to replace a fence and he did an excellent job at a reasonable price. Homeserve do my annual boiler maintenance and as far as I know, the guy who has been doing it is pretty competent.

So what do you suggest?

 

[Dillb]

The problem with these s that they dont allow negative reviews, meaning they claim that everything is all good with those registered with them. Where as in reality they provide a expensive trade directory.

 

[Spoon]

The problem with these s that they dont allow negative reviews, meaning they claim that everything is all good with those registered with them. Where as in reality they provide a expensive trade directory.

The thing with that is that the review system will always be abused. The people on there will get friends to do good posts for them, even thought they have had no work done, and also get friends to do bad reviews for competitors.

 

[Dillb]

The thing with that is that the review system will always be abused. The people on there will get friends to do good posts for them, even thought they have had no work done, and also get friends to do bad reviews for competitors.

Which goes to show it as a expensive trade directory.

 

[Pete999]

You all agree that these people are "rip off merchants" but how does an ordinary person find a reputable tradesman? You might suggest this site, but there is no guarantee that anyone on here is 'reputable', any more than a Checkatrade member.

I have used them to find someone to replace a fence and he did an excellent job at a reasonable price. Homeserve do my annual boiler maintenance and as far as I know, the guy who has been doing it is pretty competent.

So what do you suggest?

Does your area publish a local newspaper? they some timeshave a feature about local trademen, mind you they could have got that list fom "check a Trade" I suppose worth a look, or you could try a local electrical wholesaler

 

[peterhyper]

I agree that any site that relies on customer feedbacks runs the risk of the trade person doing their own feedbacks.

I think the point is that check-a-rip-off have loyal trades people paying them to advertise on their website, and they are frankly shafting them with 100% increases in annual fees just to be listed on an online directory. I hope more trades people leave them and advertise elsewhere as I despise companies that try and shaft their loyal customers (the trades people are their customers).

Ironic that check-a-rip-off was apparently started to avoid Joe public being ripped off by dodgey trade people, and now they are instead ripping of the actual trades people!

 

[Spoon]

Ironic that check-a-rip-off was apparently started to avoid Joe public being ripped off by dodgey trade people, and now they are instead ripping of the actual trades people!

It seems that ripping people off is coming the norm.
It's like the holiday companies doubling the price of their holidays when it's school holidays. Do the government help.... No... They join in the rip-off and fine you for taking the kids out of school....
Anyhow, I'm taking things off subject again....

 

[peterhyper]

Apart from 'check a rip off' stitching their customers up (the tradespeople who pay to advertise with them) by increasing their annual fees by up to 100% (as recently mentioned on here), they also used to require a number of customer recommendations before they would have you on their website (I think it was around 8 to 10 customer reviews they required) they now let tradespeople advertise with just 1 customer review.

I really hope the company that bought them out go bust the greedy baskets!

 

[Spoon]

I see that you love and respect this organisation....

 

[Pete999]

I see that you love and respect this organisation....

I love Checkatrade, like a hole in my head, should spend some of that extra cash they will surely get on a name change "Cheatatrade", "Ripoffatrade" something along those lines.

 

[peterhyper]

I love Checkatrade, like a hole in my head, should spend some of that extra cash they will surely get on a name change "Cheatatrade", "Ripoffatrade" something along those lines.

Cheatatrade is perfect and one I will steal for future use.

 

[Spoon]

The problem is, the principle of it was great... It's a pity that it was run by a bunch of people who didn't care about anything except getting lots of money from whoever they can.

 

[Octopus]

Try getting Checkatrade to act on a complaint against one of their members ......

They won't unless a few people complain.

Imho this rather undermines what they stand for .....