General Chat

My advice is not to rely on a trader being a Checkatrade member to get a fair deal and a satisfactory job.

Recently, I made that mistake when engaging a roofer to replace ridge tiles, although the work seems OK I got ripped off on the price, the site was left in a mess and the company was dissolved before I had a chance to take them to the Small Claims Court.

I found out afterwards that the company had only been set up last year with a £1 share capital and no checks had been made by Checkatrade.

It appears that you can set up a company, pay £250 to register with Checkatrade and put their logo on your literature and website.

Sorry to read of this Brian.
Like you, if I hadn't actually had someone recommended to me, I would probably rely on a Checkatrade member to complete a good job at a fair price.

I would have thought that to advertise as Checkatrade certain checks would have been made.

I try to find someone that someone else has recommended. A bit stuck at the moment as our local minor plumbing works chap has retired and we don't know who to use. My OH can't do some of the little leaks as he now has arthritus in his hands.

We've actually got the boiler check going on at the moment. some years ago they were parked in the layby by our house and I had a chat. I knew the person using the mand they had turned up bang on time. We've used them since and they are very good. They now do my son, who had someone turn up and then disappear because, we think, they didn't liike his boiler. They also do my daughter.

The general rule around here, being a village, is that if anybody local doesn't do a decent job at a sensible price, they won't get any more work.

My sister always looks at reviews of potential workmen.

She has a firm she prefers to use - but they're so good, it's difficult to get them!!

The reviews from customers on Checkatrade are all good, the only adverse one being on Bark.

But were the reviews genuine? How can you be sure.

That's a point, Brian.