Rated people for tradesmen

I wonder if anyone has used Rated People to find a tradesman. I am looking for a good plasterer to board over both sides of a two part glazed partition and apply plaster so as to blend in with the surrounding wall.

The plasterer I have used in the past was excellent on the first job but not so good on the second so I am now looking for someone new.

Having had a look at the Rated People site it looks as though you fill in some background info and they get three people to submit quotes, but there does not seem to be a system of ensuring that a customer receives only the highest rated available tradesman.

Has anyone used any alternative sites?

Reply to
rbel
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I've just used Checkatrade for a scaffold company and they were excellent as described. Also had a gas-hob fitted by one of their guys a few months ago and he was OK too. The builder who took my chimney down though, was recommended by a neighbour, which I prefer really.

Reply to
Andy Cap

I've used Check a Trade with considerable success. I wouldn't definitely decide to employ someone based on the site, but it's a very useful way of building up a shortlist.

Bert

Reply to
Bert Coules

In message , Bert Coules writes

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" I have no doubt there are many fine tradesmen on the site; I have spoken to people who?ve had good experiences with Checkatrade.

However, I began to wonder where the less-than-glowing reviews were; even just the average ones. It was then I looked further into how Checkatrade operates. Workmen pay more than £800 to feature on the website.

?Members?, as they call them, are interviewed before they are accepted, they are required to hold current public liability insurance and the correct qualifications for their trade. Checkatrade also checks ID and takes five references from previous customers.

Once on Checkatrade, a workman is issued with feedback forms to hand out to customers. The forms ask customers to rate the worker on different criteria on a scale of one to ten. The scores are collated and an average given. In theory, customer comments are published straight after each job.

But I discovered that only applies to the positive ones, as Checka-trade makes it very difficult to post negative comments. In fact, the complaints procedure appears weighted in favour of the trades. "

Reply to
Bill

Many thanks for the comments - I will have a look at Checkatrade.

Reply to
rbel

It looks as though the south-west does not feature strongly in the Checkatrade listings. I put in plasterer within 30 miles radius of Torquay and there were no listings - without the 30 miles there was one recommendation in Somerset and the rest were in Hampshire or further afield. Just tried again with joiner and that produced 2 local recommendations.

I will use google to look for similar services.

Reply to
rbel

The trouble with scemes like this is who funds them? If you aren't paying for the service, it's probably being paid for by a vested interest, which makes impartiality challenging for a company which is looking to grow and be profitable. That's not to say it's impossible, but you need to vet the recommendation just as much as the company you pick from them.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Good question...

Tripadvisor has become the defacto go-to place for hotels, restaurants and things to do.

But they are probably funded by referral kickbacks when someone books a hotel or flight through them. Everything else can ride on that.

And they seem very good at maintaining editorial control - eg you do not get the same place submitted 3 times under slightly different names - as was so common on some of the product review sites.

Amazon is my "go to" place for product reviews - but then they sell the products!

So - "Tradeadvisor" - how could it be funded, and yet make it open to review any trade and not just paid up members? Advertising?

Reply to
Tim Watts

Yet a search for "tripadvisor" AND "fake" shows they're no more immune to problems than the next review site

Reply to
Andy Burns

Exactly. But because they carry such a large number of reviews for any given place, fakes are usually obvious - eg if you get a load of 5 stars but there are also many 1-2 stars then the 5 stars are probably fake. Plus you'd have to register a lot of accounts to put in many fake positive reviews without being trivially spotted.

Despite all that it is still the most useful site of its type that has ever been in existance, so I think it's safe to say "good enough".

Reply to
Tim Watts

The last roofer we used made a big point of being on Checkatrade. I mean

*big* told me how it meant he had to be good.

1) Job was delayed by 3 days because the tiles he ordered were >50% broken

2) Despite assuring me that I would end up with dry eaves (it was a key requirement), when the job was nearly finished it was "oops, we can't fit dry eaves, you'll have to have mortar instead" 3) Left almost a skipful of rubble in our back yard for a month, only to collect it after being prompted - which he did when I was out, and taking a dustbin of mine (not yet returned) 4) When it looked like a tile was out of place and I called him, I was told that there would be a call out fee if there was nothing wrong ... however he turned up half an hour later, and with bad grace had to replace 4 tiles that were from the first shoddy batch.

And this guy has 10/10, 10/10, 10/10 on Checkatrade.

So from personal experience, these sites aren't worth a candle.

The guy we used before the Checkatrade guy was top-rated on RatedPeople. He was less than satisfactory too.

The only tradesmen we have ever used happily have been personally recommended by friends and family. Sadly they've all retired, or moved into other businesses.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

I had a personally recommended one who turned out to be a corner cutting numpty. He used to do good work, but buggered several things up for me. Funnily enough he then buggered a later job up for the recommender.

So nothing is bombproof.

Reply to
Tim Watts

Think Andrew had it with got to review the reviews...

Went to a recently opened chain pub food place, reviews on Trip Advisor , strangely polarised, quite a few 4 and 5 star reviews but a large number of 1 stars.

Unusual for somewhere to get a lot of 1 stars, generally unhappy people seem to leave 2 or 3 and a long complaint.

Further reading including the response form the manageress of the new establishment showed what was happening, nearby establishment that had seen a drop off in trade and was retaliating.

Number of reviewers had rated 1 place 5 stars and the other 1 star with extensive comment and then a given third random review with one line comment.

Roofers with 15 google reviews, as one reviewer commented , number of reviewers were so delighted with roofer was only thing they had ever reviewed via google...

Reply to
Adam Aglionby

Amazon isnt much good for product reviews. Their official policy is that th e review is for the trader, not for the product, and when you're critical o f a product they delete the review when the trader asks them to. So disastr ous & illegal products go uncriticised.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

I have not found that to be true at all.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I have seen a *lot* of scathing comments on products - enough to doubt what you claim.

Reply to
Tim Watts

I've always read Amazon reviews as being fairly accurate - they always publish mine, whether good, bad, or (a few months ago[1]) alleging borderline criminality.

[1]Ordered something from an "alternative supplier" for Xmas. Was given a 6 week delivery estimate, which it became clear was a ploy to take the money and run, as *loads* of comments on the suppliers Amazon page started making clear. Once due date had passed, I started a claim, which was settled in 3 days.
Reply to
Jethro_uk

I picked a roofer from the "Which" local services site. He was fine, but it's not particularly well populated.

Reply to
newshound

It's simply a worthless marketing gimmick.

Public Liability Insurance is cheap as chips. You could take it out, then cancel it a month later. And the references - are only going to be from highly delighted customers, mates, relatives etc. Nobody is going to provide references from unhappy punters.

If the customer is obviously delighted, you give them a form, if not, you don't. Simple.

Because the 'trades' are paying to advertise.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

t the review is for the trader, not for the product, and when you're critic al of a product they delete the review when the trader asks them to. So dis astrous & illegal products go uncriticised.

Well, that was their stated excuse for pulling mine. So the comments on tha t product don't reflect user experience.

And there are plenty of illegal products on Amazon, fwiw

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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