Contractor Blog

Looking out for a couple of replies with websites I've missed.

Just to add to this,

Brownbook
Touch Local
The Free Index
BizWiki
Gumtree

Thanks, I've updated the list and moved FTT to the free section. Probably should have done that anyway. Cheers Dean.

Here's one i used a couple year back....no good but i didn't know better then..lol

findagoodone.com

businessitonline.com

I think I'll leave the first one out then

Though the second I'll look into.

Please digg this if you have an account with digg.com: http://digg.com/business_finance/Tra..._Type_Websites

From a member on TilersForums.co.uk:

Checkatrade / MyHammer / MyBuilder / Trusted etc. Are they all evil?

I’m glad the subject of Checkatrade etc has come up in another thread. I will be open from the start and state that I really hate the way these companies exist and the principles behind these companies.
These companies simply sell leads to us trades, they generally charge to be on their website then they charge either a fixed fee or a percentage for every job bided or won. They try and hide the fact that they are simply lead sellers by telling the customers / market (and their trade members) that the customers can rate their ‘members’ therefore they are doing a ‘service’’ by ‘driving out the cowboys’.
The single problem being – its mostly very misleading! They are only trying to add respectability and cover to their operations by ‘selling’ this idea of theirs that they are there (for customers and trades) to drive out the cowboys. It’s all a simple sales job. This wouldn’t be so bad but for the fact that the customers are being conned by their claims or checking trades, they don’t. All the time they are running their business for profit their prime reason for existence will be profit.

Customers are not only being conned – they are suffering bodge jobs on a daily basis as they rely on organisations to ‘vet’ trades that have never and could never pass a proper vetting.

I particularly don’t like the fact that Checkatrade allows their system to be manipulated, I really don’t like the fact that the customers have been conned into almost believing they are some form of ‘official’ setup, maybe by local government etc. They advertise down here in the south on local radio and that’s how its presented, if I was a customer I’d believe them to be ‘official’.

There are sites out there (even one run by a major tile addy OEM) that do advertise for free, these sites do not have the jobs traffic that the others do, I know Checkatrade charge over £400 a year to each of their trade members, they are using that money well for Google Ads and search engine optimisation – capitalism wins – the non pay sites can’t do that so are not on Google’s first page if you search for a local tiler etc.
(the other major pay per bid sites are generally charging about £40 every 3 months then upwards of £15 per bid, successful or not)

I have looked through the examples of the trades work on these sites, there’s plenty of total rubbish on there and guess what – its rated highly! Now let’s think about that, why would that be? Well its simple really, if the customers knew what they were doing they’d DIY many of these jobs themselves. They are not ‘qualified’ to rate a trade – except in extreme circumstances when its obvious to anyone that things have gone totally wrong. I fixed a job recently where the ‘tiler’ (who left his materials behind) had put down a floor using really good addy (Mapei) but it was the wrong addy (non flex on a wood floor), and put down the wrong spec ply - after weeks all the tiles started popping – no doubt that trade if he had gone via one of these sites would have been another satisfied customer.

As can be seen on another thread on this forum, you can get plumbers employing / sub contracting the tiling, where is the checking done on those being sub-contracted? Plus we have all seen the profiles of these guys who plumb, tile, do the gardening and fencing, be a chippy, be a man with a van, and are a tiler! (let's ask them what BS5385 is and ask them about some of the basics within shall we!). How do these sites allow this? These’ jacks of all trades and masters of all’ are quite bluntly – liars!

I have read recently that the government will be looking into the activities of these companies and their masquerading as ‘official' agencies (source: Checkatrade was specifically mentioned in Kitchens and Bathroom Review – Trustmark are getting very hot under the collar about them) so I look forward to the day when customers and the trades stop getting ripped off by these companies. I say the sooner the better because as we are in a recession with idle programmers and desperate trades I’ve noticed a new version of these ‘pay per lead’ websites popping up every few months!

So what is the solution guys?
Support the free bid sites and refuse the pay for lead sites? Don’t the ‘here today gone back to Eastern Europe bodgers’ just carry on using these big sites and taking our business?
Try the ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ approach and join up then complain from within?
Start writing articles to local rags highlighting these issues?
Write to forums complaining and making people think?
Write to Trustmark and ask what they are doing and when?
Just accept it because this is capitalism at work and if some customers get stung then so-what?

Please discuss here (yes I know many of the pro's here will say ‘I get all my work on recommendation etc’ but think a bit deeper – pretend your work dries up – then how do you feel ref the above? Think of all the additional work you are losing to these bodgers via these sites – because you are! Think of good customers out there being hurt by this system – it’s not their fault is it ).

I feel so terribly sorry for customers employing poor trades that are hiding behind this cloak of apparent respectability. I also feel sorry for all the professional tradesmen out there doing a good job being affected by this. The only people I see benefitting from these sites continued existence is the site owners and the bodgers. IF they all disappeared tomorrow then customers would simply select via our advertising and ask for references and portfolio’s themselves, or turn to the trade associations who would then have to improve even more on their self policing activities to ensure their badges are worth a damn. ... it’s a good argument for actually banning any bid site that asks customers or trades to pay a single penny to be a part of all this isn’t it!

So what’s the solution guys? Is there a solution?

Only a small point but your topic reads...
We thought the 'lost' would be beneficial...

Guess you mean 'list'

What would be good if maybe the topic could be sub categorised to the relevant companies/adverts, that way people who want to comment can under the relevant banner and those who wish to consider joining the 'advertising' company can get a quick link. Otherwise I could see this topic becoming too much info abount info I dont want to read.
I would then send a site mail to all members asking everyone to contribute their 'personal' experience, thus giving everyone an opportunity to reconsider our current advertisments/spending

HI

U MAY ADD HALOLONDON

REGARDS

Originally Posted by Dan

Looking out for a couple of replies with websites I've missed.

Just joined Trust a Trader as they are on our local radio all the time. Yet to officially be registered as waiting for my referee's to respond (so they say)
Info to date

£600 (just short) for 1 year, as a 'promotion' they offered me 2 specialist listings for 1. This was because I wanted to be in electrician listing but all 6 slots were taken. They need 5 referals which they will contact and upon their positive response you go live. they say this will take 3 weeks and is now 2 and a bit weeks. however they take your money within days and although they say your listing 12 month contract will only start when your referals are back and the listing is live.

I will update as and when I get calls

Hi all, to smarter and everyone, i get calls from such companies all the time and i really hope you do get work from them but where are the guarantees? Of course if you get lots of work from them then £600 is a bargain for the year but i got stung by similar companies and got very little poor quality jobs! For £600 maybe you could have got your own website and some seo to create your own leads? Thats what i did and have not looked back since......the other thing that annoys me is sites like freeindex who also allow their system to be manipulated ie companies leaving pos feedback on their own profiles to get higher ranking.
Creating your own website is not so difficult i learned how to do it and i knew nothing about computers 3 years ago but i got so pee'd off with people taking the pee i decided to do it myself, yes it takes time and effort but its worth it in the end....if anyone would like help feel free to contact me.

All Trades North Manchester Builders

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Nice to see our Checkatrade.com here ...

Cheers
Lakshmi
Checkatrade

Thank you!

hello, You could update your paid list by including this site- www.tradestool.co.uk

Thanks,