Trust a trader, checkatrade, rated people

[M3 Electrical]

Hi guys,

Wondering what your thoughts where on these schemes has anyone signed up to these and got any work from them? They seem really expensive and not sure if your even guaranteed the work. They seem a good idea but are they worth it? Read some reviews online saying some schemes where a scam etc.

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

Great if your starting out and have no contacts or don’t know how to get your foot in the door. But as stated they are just filler jobs. You might be lucky to meet a builder on one of the jobs who could give you more work. Problem is the people using these platforms obviously need work so will charge stupidly low prices when they qoute to get the work. You won’t make a living using them

You’ve just summed up my last two years!

But the vast majority of work I get now is by word of mouth - so all good.

My worry though is that the way customers look for work has changed - and just see the easy way forward when they see these schemes advertised on telly etc...

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

Great if your starting out and have no contacts or don’t know how to get your foot in the door. But as stated they are just filler jobs. You might be lucky to meet a builder on one of the jobs who could give you more work. Problem is the people using these platforms obviously need work so will charge stupidly low prices when they qoute to get the work. You won’t make a living using them

You’ve just summed up my last two years!

But the vast majority of work I get now is by word of mouth - so all good.

My worry though is that the way customers look for work has changed - and just see the easy way forward when they see these schemes advertised on telly etc...

 

[Squid]

In all honesty I would rather donate £80 a month to charity than one of those scams

I'll send you my details if you are genuinely offering.......

 

[Marti]

You’ve just summed up my last two years!

But the vast majority of work I get now is by word of mouth - so all good.

My worry though is that the way customers look for work has changed - and just see the easy way forward when they see these schemes advertised on telly etc...

Just resurrecting this in the hope it'll be of some use and encouragement to anyone just starting. Drove myself spare testing these parasitic websites.
My Builder - Cheap filler jobs at rock bottom prices
Rated People - Expensive filler jobs at...you guessed it
CheckaTrade - Met the rep the electricians exhibition. Offered everything except a BJ to justify their extortionate fees. All these sites trade on the same premis - cheap to the client who gets a budget job by a trades..err person hoping to building a customer base. Still seeking the right way forward; maybe a cardboard neck sign outside the station "will cable for food"

Failing that; get known at the local food bank or any good charity that needs a willing hand. Hanging around in the van at schools gates looked promising but my case comes up next

 

[a-z electrics]

I did use Rated people to get some jobs experience when I started out 7 yrs ago and to be fair that worked for me then but have ditched them now.. too expensive and dont need them anyway.
Also when a customer slandered me saying I wasnt qualified etc etc RP didnt want to know when I complained. They took another years subscription from my bank after I phoned them to say Im not renewing and had a devils job getting it back.
Ever since I left I get begging letters to rejoin.. they dont seem to understand that they would benefit if they kept their best tradesmen by way of reputation but they only interested in taking yr money.. AVOID wherever possible!

 

[Leesparkykent]

I think it all depends where you are....in London I imagine you could set up an electrical business tomorrow, register with check a trade and be making a living by next Friday.....However if you live in the middle of but **** nowhere then you aren’t going to do that well off it. I live on the coast in the south east and know a plumber who makes a living off of checkatrade and also know a chippy/builder that gets nearly all his work off of checkatrade. I’ve just rewired a 12 bedroom hotel for him, that he’s just Refurbished/toshed up and the job was worth about 175k to him. Not a bad investment from a grands worth of advertisement.

 

[Kelvin Waldron]

I must admit I tried rated people years ago but I never had a single job from it, I'm a member of checkatrade and have been for about 5 years and although it's a bit expensive but it more than pays for its self over the year.

 

[Marti]

Mmmm....may need to reconsider CaT but they better have a blindin' deal or I want me

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

I was sceptical about checkatrade and gave it ago recently via an offer 12 months for 10 if you are unhappy get money back after a year apparently.
As per my post in another similar thread, not liking mybuilder. Real race to bottom but keep profile open as its free and some people find you there then google and contact you direct.
Ratedpeople is similar but filters a few cowboys by the monthly fees.
Checkatrade has brought in several jobs already and made me a couple grand in the first several weeks. I got more jobs lined up and others to quote for.
Id say most if not all of which I wouldnt have got if i wasnt on Checkatrade.
So yes at around 20 quid a week its not cheap but its a damn better investment than paying google adwords, less time than delivering leaflets etc. For say 3 quid a day its money well spent. If you cant build 3 quid into a job somewhere each day then something is wrong with your pricing.
I bought a new multitool from ITS this week and there was a leaflet inside offering 12 months for price of 9 on checkatrade membership i will dig it put the recycling if anybody wants it.

 

[John Arnold]

Expert Trades, have a look you won't regret it. No subscription and when you have been verified you will be listed for customers to find you. They have very good software to run your business if you wish (subscription required), quotations invoices etc. I got in at the start they are good. They also have ToolTalk great for a workaholic like me.Just won a tool last week, thanks.

 

[peterhyper]

Expert Trades, have a look you won't regret it. No subscription and when you have been verified you will be listed for customers to find you. They have very good software to run your business if you wish (subscription required), quotations invoices etc. I got in at the start they are good. They also have ToolTalk great for a workaholic like me.Just won a tool last week, thanks.

I had a look on their website and it offers a free trial but no where does it say how much it cost after the free trial. In fact I'm not even sure what they do to get you work?

 

[Tony Reidy]

Hi guys,

Wondering what your thoughts where on these schemes has anyone signed up to these and got any work from them? They seem really expensive and not sure if your even guaranteed the work. They seem a good idea but are they worth it? Read some reviews online saying some schemes where a scam etc.

Word of mouth best way

 

[alan132]

i'm with check a trade now and all they do is increase the cost.
i also caught them out with a service they was meant to provide last year. the person this year said that wasn't available then and is now.

so i have lost trust with them.
i can agree tho the amount of work covers the cost but this year was a joke at £1400 and they wanted to add more too it.


@John Arnold is expert trade just a website designer?
how does it work? i am looking are other options for work advertising.
i have started my 3rd year alone and just started getting a little bit of word of mouth

 

[a-z electrics]

you need to invest in your own SEO website really.. it takes a year or two to get going but once it does its fairly regular work coming in. I use Simply Digital and pay £15/month once startup costs are paid. I would say most new domestic clients go to the web to search, certainly if they have an emergency..

 

[Octopus]

you need to invest in your own SEO website really.. it takes a year or two to get going but once it does its fairly regular work coming in. I use Simply Digital and pay £15/month once startup costs are paid. I would say most new domestic clients go to the web to search, certainly if they have an emergency..

I would certainly agree that anyone SE these days can't exist without a reasonable website BUT based on my own decade of experience, don't assume your pot of gold will be full from internet enquiries.

My website costs £99 per year to have ..... and I've never paid for any SEO