Complaints against Tradesmen

We can only assist you with complaints about Checkatrade members.

In the rare event that you have been let down by a business that is a member of Checkatrade, please let us know. Either fill out a customer feedback card or phone our Trade Appraisal Line. We can send you a card if you have not already received one.

Where you are happy for us to contact the business involved, we raise any issues of concern directly with them. This gives them the right of reply and encourages any necessary reparation.

Usually the problem is one of communication or expectation, and it is in the interest of our trades and services to put things right. When the job is finished, your feedback is made public on our web site (your identity is not published). This monitoring system prevents things from going wrong in the vast majority of circumstances.

Further to this process you may also register a complaint with your local Trading Standards.

Should you feel it necessary to take a complaint further or resolve a serious dispute, we endorse the following advice from the Liverpool Environmental Health and Trading Standards Service:

Before you start keep these points in mind

1. Always keep copies of correspondence
2. Make sure you have a proper claim before you start complaining
3. Contact the trader you bought from or hired as soon as possible
4. It is always this trader who must sort out your problem
5. Always stay calm and be fair but be firm and stay determined
6. Tell the trader all the story not just the parts which help your claim
7. If your problem is still not solved it is only a court that can order the trader to do something
8. Courts should only be used as a last resort
9. You may have extra rights if you bought on credit
10. You have fewer rights if you buy from a person who is not a trader

Approaching the trader or workman at fault

Seeking redress...

1. For small items, bought locally, visit the trader. Take the goods and any proof of purchase with you.
2. If you cannot take the goods back to the shop, either visit, phone or write to the trader. If you visit, take your proof of purchase with you. It you write, briefly set out the problem and ask the trader to get in touch with you. Include a copy of your proof of purchase. Don't send originals.
3. Ask to speak to, or write to, the manager or owner. Explain your problem, keep calm but be firm. Make it clear whether you want a refund, a repair or compensation. Remember you may be entitled to a refund or repair plus compensation. You may still be entitled to a refund when a repair turns out to be unsatisfactory. Don't demand something you're not entitled to. Your problem may well be solved at this stage.
4. If there is doubt about your claim the shop may want to send the goods to their head office or to the manufacturer for examination. Let them do this as it may help sort things out, but ask how long it will take. The goods must came back in a reasonable length of time - say two weeks. If you feel you are entitled to a refund make it clear that the goods aren't to be repaired without your agreement.
5. For larger items or goods which have been fitted, you may ask or the trader may arrange far somebody to call out and examine the goods within a reasonable period of time, say seven to 14 days. It may be somebody from the shop, the manufacturer, the traders own service department or an independent expert. When they come, make a note of the person's name, where they are from and anything they may say about the problem.
6. If poor fitting caused the fault, contact the fitter - this may or may not be the trader who supplied the goods.
7. If the problem still remains you must write to the trader. If you know the head office address, send them a copy of your letter as well. Send your letter by Recorded Delivery. (You must go to the Post Office for this). Keep a copy of each letter.
8. If the trader replies and asks for more information, be as helpful as you can. This may help the trader solve your problem. If the trader asks for receipts or other documents send copies, not the originals. Keep a copy of any reply you send.
9. If you get no reply to your letter, send the trader a reminder with a copy of your first letter. Remember to keep a copy of both letters. Send your reminder letter by Recorded Delivery.
10. If the trader offers to do something, but not what you have asked for, you can either accept the offer or negotiate for a better offer. Be reasonable in what you are prepared to accept Sometimes it can be better to compromise. Only you can decide this. (Keep a copy of every letter you write).

What if your trader refuses to do anything?

If the trader doesn't reply to your letters, refuses to do anything, or makes a final offer you are not prepared to accept, you will have to think about going to Court. Only a Court can order a trader to sort out your problem. Most claims can be settled by an informal procedure in the County Court in England and Wales or Sheriff Court in Scotland. This does not need to involve a solicitor.

Going to court

If you decide to take the trader to Court you will have to prove what the original fault was and that it was not due to fair wear and tear or misuse since purchase.
Remember, court is a last resort. Before you consider going to court, think carefully. Ask yourself:

Will I be able to find the trader? - It is your job to find him/her.

Have I got evidence? - It is your job to prove your case.

Has the trader got money to pay what the Court may award?

It's not worth suing a person or limited company if they have gone bust. If you have lost money on faulty goods, don't waste more money on a case you cannot win.

Making a claim

To inform you of your chances of progressing a court case there are a number of options.
Information: You can access legal information via the Citizen's Advice Bureau.
Small Claims Court: These are courts set up to deal quickly with claims for small amounts of money. Small Claims Courts can be found in your local County or Sheriff Court.

Legal Aid

Are you entitled to money from a central fund to pursue your claim?
That depends on a number of factors including your income. Different organisations deal with different areas of Great Britain.
England and Wales: What used to be called the Legal Aid service in England and Wales is now run by The Community Legal Service. You can get advice under the scheme as well as representation. Visit their website, use their advice search or look through their directory. 

The benefits of Checkatrade membership

There are 4 main benefits of Checkatrade membership 

and many secondary benefits.

Whether you are a one man band or a larger company, your reputation is paramount to your business success, and gaining credibility and consumer confidence are probably the greatest tools to winning work.

The very base levelCheckatrade membership will give you the tools to convert more quotations into work. We have found that on average trades would win 5 out of 10 quotations. Often Checkatrade membership (used correctly) will increase this to 8 wins. An increase of over 50% in work and turnover.

All members receive a profile page on the main Checkatrade web site. With the facility to upload pictures of your work, your company logo, team photographs, what type of work you do and where.

Often we hear from members “I no longer have to advertise” and “I get far less time wasters when people have checked me out on your site first”.

Secondary benefits are:

• Checkatrade advertising
• Dedicated customer services
• Unlimited amounts of marketing materials
• Members area (take a guided tour below)
• Having your say on how Checkatrade develops
• Discounted services
• Trade chat forum

Take a guided tour below

How Checkatrade works for a trader???

Once you have joined and have successfully passed our vetting procedure (see below) you will need to start building your reputation with us. This is done quite simply by giving all your customers (and we don’t mind you going back to past ones) a Reputation Report Card for them to complete and send back to us.

At that point (usually about a month) members are able to proudly say to a potential customer that they are part of a scheme that is designed to isolate cowboys and only promote honest reliable trades. They give their customers a Reputation Report Card whilst saying, “Can I give this to you now? If you decide to use me, when I’ve finished the job could you please give me some scores and a comment and send it back to Checkatrade, then my next customer will know what you think about me and that’s really important to me”.

They can add, “I want you to know you will get the job done right first time so please visit the web site (www.checkatrade.com/MembersName) printed in the card or call the freephone number and they will give you an up-to-date appraisal of what all my previous customers have said about me.

This has real power in generating consumer confidence and will help massively in helping turn those quotations into confirmed jobs. - Read more about the benefits of membership.

Now you want to join, what happens after you contact us?

Trades and services who apply to join Checkatrade are first informed that they will be interviewed, vetted and then, via public feedback, continually monitored and that the results will be made public.

The interview takes place.

At a mutually convenient time we will visit you, preferably in your office or place of work.

The vetting takes place.

This is comprehensive but most of the work is undertaken by Checkatrade.

• Qualifications - We require proof that you are qualified to undertake your chosen profession.
• Insurance - We require proof that you hold Public Liability and combined insurance if you employ people.
• Utility Bills - We require 2 utility bills that show you live / work from the place you state you do.
• Identification - We require to see either your drivers license or passport.
• Tax reference code - We require proof that you are registered with HM Revenue & Customs for tax purposes.
• Trading Standards - We require you to sign a document that will permit us to talk to trading standards about you.
• Referees - We require 6 referees for us to write to: 4 customer, 2 trade/professional.
• Code of Ethics and Conduct - We require you to sign to agree to follow them.
• Credit Check - We will perform a Credit Check on you to check your financial history.

Substandard businesses do not get past this point. However genuine professionals have nothing to fear!

The monitoring takes place.

All members agree to give out personalised Reputation Reports to all their customers at the start of a job. Filled in by your customer and sent back directly to Checkatrade via freepost, your customer comments and scores will start to build your reputation.

The results are made public via our web site on your very own profile page. We notify our members when new feedback is received via email and text. All customer feedback is handled personally by Checkatrade. They are checked for authenticity by phoning back the customers, or verified automatically via email.

Aproximately 33% of all feedback is verified or spot checked by a member of staff.

The satisfaction takes place.

Read and view some of our members testimonals, they areall genuine and new ones are added regularly. This could be you in 3 months!

Checkatrade Standards Where you can trust

People trust Checkatrade because we are independent and impartial. We do not offer an opinion on tradesmen but the facts. We are transparent and fair in the way that we operate. Every trade or service that applies to join Checkatrade is rigorously vetted and the results are made available to the public. Businesses agree to be monitored by their customers and have the results published for all to see. Our information is comprehensive and does not discriminate between the good and the bad results. We have been developing our public information system since 1998 , making us the first point of call for consumers nationwide for years. Our dedication to tackling dishonesty among tradesmen allows only the best to join us. Our retention rate for member businesses is 97%.

We have listened to consumers and worked with tradesmen long enough to know what a fair standard is for quality work. From the outset we have been advised by local Trading Standards. With our Checkatrade Standard, consumers know what they can expect from the trades and services they use. And the trades themselves are proud to be known as high quality businesses who will meet those expectations.

The Checkatrade Standard

Reputation reports from real customers:

Excellent job done promptly and courteously. Would recommend for any electrical work.

Customer in Folkestone, 19 September 2011

Replacement of fascia board

Very good and would highly recommend.

Customer in Alton, 19 September 2011

Check banging noise          and replace pump

Reliable and efficient.

Customer in Bagshot, 19 September 2011

Our trades and services pledge to you, their customers, to:

	Be honest.
	Inform you of any call-out fees before attending the work.
	Be realistic regarding start dates and how long work will take.
	Return all phone messages you leave promptly.
	Keep all appointments booked and be on time. If unable to make original time or date, they will call you to let you know and reschedule where necessary.
	Let you know immediately if they are unable to carry out estimated work, referring you back to Checkatrade for assistance in finding another tradesperson.
	Be courteous and respectful to you, your property and your belongings.
	Keep you notified of all aspects of the work being undertaken.
	Advise you before commencing any works that generate further costs due to variation from the original contract.
	Create an additional contract for any variations to the original contract agreement, signed by both parties (you and the tradesperson).
	Never demand cash.
	Never be threatening, or verbally or physically abusive.
	Deal with any complaints promptly and professionally

Why Checkatrade Works???

The success of Checkatrade lies in the power of partnership.

Consumers want to find tradesmen on whom they can rely to do a good job. Our trades and services want the phone to be ringing with genuine customers who trust them from the start. Checkatrade brings the two together.

Years ago neighbours would recommend a local trader over the garden fence, and through word of mouth a reputation was built. These days it can be harder for the word to spread and the threat of rogue traders has increased. Checkatrade has brought word of mouth recommendation back for the twenty-first century using modern technology and the Internet.

We rely on consumers to give us feedback on our member trades and services. This information is presented here for all to see. We rely on our member businesses to maintain the Checkatrade standard, knowing that they will be publicly exposed if they do not. For our part, we continue to display honestly the results of consumer feedback and our vetting procedure.

This three-way partnership is a powerful combination to solve the problem of rogue traders across the UK.

Checkatrade History

Watch Checkatrade on ITV, 2 June 2006

Video courtesy of Meridian News

When a tornado damaged hundreds of Selsey buildings in 1998, cowboy operators travelled from all over the country to take advantage of the situation. Homeowners were deceived and there was no easy way for them to discern between genuine tradesmen and swindlers.

Local businessman Kevin Byrne discovered that little was being done to help the consumer, and that reliable information about the businesses was hard to find. He started Checkatrade, a free information service that runs on the basis of reputation. With all member businesses being recommended, vetted and monitored, the public were able to find the latest facts about trades and services in their area.

The system worked, and the service soon dealt with thousands of businesses. Trades and services were proud to be listed and shown to be trustworthy. What started as a local initiative is now an international service, improving the standard of work and delivering peace of mind.

A message from the founder

For too long cowboy tradesmen have been preying on consumers. Despite the good efforts of community organisations such as Age Concern, Citizens Advice Bureaux, Neighbourhood Watch and Trading Standards, the rogues are still out there.

We all prefer a recommendation from a friend or neighbour because we want to avoid the uncertainty involved in asking a stranger to come and work in our home. There are no guarantees of a good standard of work. There is no way to tell if you’re going to be ripped off. But failing a recommendation, what can we do? Anyone can advertise in the phone book or newspaper. The good and bad are listed together and it is left to chance what we will get.

That is where Checkatrade comes in. We separate the trustworthy from the dishonest with these simple principles:

• Rogues do not want to be vetted.
• Rogues do not want to be monitored.
• Rogues do not want the results of their work made public.

Our stringent vetting filters the cowboys out at the start. Monitoring keeps our members on their toes. Whether they are being scored one or ten out of ten, the information is publicly available here and via our free Trade Appraisal Line.

So we need your help. Inform us of the standard of workmanship of any trades or services you have used. If you continue to recommend and warn us about who is out there, I give my commitment to keep on publicising this information. Together we can remove the uncertainty, raise the standard, and cut the rogues out of trading.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Byrne, CEO and founder