OT-ish: "Trusted Tradesmen" websites?

[fred]

Ah, schoolboy error, I missed that 'independent' was a sub-domain.

[geoff]

And its illegal to call yourself an engineer without a relevant degree

[Mark]

And ?NICEIC, but being British they are both typically half arsed. Here any fool can turn up at your door claiming to be able to do Roof repairs, no formal training, no qualifications, no idea how to use tools safely. With luck and only luck, they will end up in A&E and not you. (angle grinders used to cut lead flashing springs to mind.)

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[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Nightjar saying something like:

'Bout thirty years ago the 'Guild of Master Craftsmen', just recently formed, asked me to join up. Any bugger and his dog could join, for thirty quid. I politely declined.

[Ian White]

That seems to have changed. Here's a little story...

Not long ago, a local upholsterer found herself cold-called by the GMC because she had received an anonymous nomination. She was very suspicious, and only reluctantly agreed to let them come (way down here, miles from anywhere) for an interview. As far as she was concerned, the GMC were the interviewees, not her.

When they arrived she was given a meticulously polite grilling which not only covered the quality of work but also went deep into the way she ran the business. Customer references had to be given, and were followed up. She was impressed with the quality of their vetting... and believe me, this is not a woman who is easily impressed.

In due course she was told she had been accepted. They still wouldn't divulge who had nominated her, but they did answer her big burning question: "Why me, mostly self-taught, so small a business and so far off the beaten track?" The answer was: "Because you do very good work and you have the right kind of business values. It's our job to get out and find people like you, because it's an asset to the Guild to have you as a member. If we'd known about you a couple of years ago, we'd have been recommending you for the fire restoration work at Windsor Palace." Oh.

PS: A nationally famous trucking firm that was being considered at the same time did not get in.

[JimK]

....aye yeah! Did she believe that?

JimK

[Ian White]

She did when she found out the full name of the person who had interviewed her.

[Jeweller]

You can't leave it there!

[michael adams]

Just the two questions

- how much does it cost to join and stay registered ?

- what possible benefit can the following "notable members" (among others) possibly derive from membership ? If indeed they are members.

When clearly here it's their established names and prestige which is being used to puff the GMC, and not as it should be, the other way around.

(partial list)

Aston Martin Beaulieu Burberrys Cambridge University Press Fortnum & Mason Franklin Mint Gieves & Hawkes Harrods Henkel Hilditch & Key Ltd Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Liberty Lotus Morgan The Ritz Rolls-Royce Rules The Savoy

adams

...

[Ian White]

[...]

]

I don't know the answers to those; try the FAQ. My only intention was to counterbalance Grimly's anecdote from 30 years ago with another one that was more recent.

Oh come on...

[geoff]

When they approached me, they didn't so much care if what I was doing was relevant and couldn't really explain what advantages it might bring me (except for their logo)

I felt they just wanted my subscription

[Bruce]

Not only a relevant degree, but also a license to practise.

[geoff]

Never heard of that, you've got a link ?

AFAIK a dipl ing is a dipl ing (even without caps ...)

[Nightjar]

they approached me more than once. I am not sure what good it was supposed to have done for me to join. I made medical devices at the time, which did not seem to be something many people would want, and, in any case, I had a near monopoly on what I made, so it would not have increased my business.

Colin Bignell

[Nightjar]

The Registered Office is the place at which legal documents may be delivered and assumed to have been received by the company. I'm not sure that would meet the requirement, under the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002, to show the geographic address at which the business is established.

Colin Bignell

[Bruce]

It came up about 22 years ago when I was offered a job by a German engineering company. Among the terms and conditions was that I would need to register to practise as a professional engineer. I didn't accept the offer so it was never an issue.

[geoff]

I think someone was pulling your schwanz, I was working in germany at around that time (for 5 years), along with probably another 20 brits

none of us had to go through such a procedure