Identify the signs of a trades recommendation website which may not be completely legitimate
How do you know which tradesperson to contract for your business?
If your business is looking to contract in a tradesperson to complete something such as building work or plumbing, be careful of the trades recommendation website you use. Usually the users of the less reliable trades recommendation websites pay a larger than usual fee as these sites may not even ask for qualifications and usually fake the customer reviews.
The Risks
- The tradesperson or company you choose may have little to no qualifications and experience which could also lead to dangerous work
- They may be trading with no public liability or employer liability insurance, so if anything were to go wrong, it would be very a long and difficult process to get it rectified
- Customer reviews could be faked, leading to results below your business expectations
- You may pay a lot more than usual for the work being carried out
- The tradesperson could be disingenuous and request upfront payments with no intention of ever completing the work
Take Action
Things to watch out for
- Tradespeople asking for upfront payments
- Trades recommendation websites with no qualification or experience listings
- Trades recommendation websites with customer reviews that seem ‘staged’ or ‘too good to be true’
Protect yourself and your business
- Search for both negative and positive reviews on the tradesperson or company in question, don’t just use trades recommendation websites
- Meet the tradesperson to discuss the job before agreeing anything
- Always ask for the address and phone number for the tradesperson’s business and check the authenticity of the information provided
- Ensure the tradesperson is insured, qualified and experienced
- Get a written estimate before any work is carried out
- If you pay an upfront fee, be sure to get a receipt. Also make sure you are given a receipt after the final payment
Report it!
- Contact the police if you are put in danger