OT - Homeserve acquires Checkatrade

[Jeff Layman]

[tim...]

"Founder and CEO of Checkatrade Kevin Byrne, from West Sussex, has announced the ?difficult decision? to sell the company to shareholder HomeServe"

Translation

I'm disappointed to have to sell out fro a few mil when I wanted to be a billionaire

tim

[Jethro_uk]

Who cares ?

All and any sites where the revenue is not derived from the customer are s**te. As a parade of "workmen" has demonstrated, where each one scorned the previous ones work ...

[Roger Hayter]

They are, unfortunately, untrustworthy parasites, like the old print trade directories, and many so-called trade associations. If one had any doubt about their nature the fact that British Gas has set up its own version should be a clue.

[Dave W]

There is often a van parked near my house, expensively adorned all over with checkatrade logos. It tells me that the owner is to be avoided at all costs.

[Rob Morley]

I'm assuming you mean things like the "Guild of Master Craftsmen".

[Roger Hayter]

And some organisations of small builders who seem unconcerned about their members commercial morality or technical competence.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Of course. Their main aim is to get the fees for membership.

Some form of co-operative might be better, but even then might not be ideal for those who use it.

That was the whole idea of the CA. Independant. And for the benefit of the members, not makers. Which is why so many hate it.

[Roger Hayter]

There was a time when all their research and recommendations seemed to be for the benefit of neither party, but purely devoted to the middle class conscience regarding the good of the planet. But glancing at some of the recent leaked reports (I am not a member) perhaps they have moved back a little towards testing whether things work rather than judging equipment entirely on its frugality.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've not been a member for years now. But when I was you'd often see comments based on a headline which simply didn't give the full story that was published. Ie, usually taken out of context. Reading the full story might well make an individual choose a headline for it which was the opposite of the commonly quoted one in the press.