Mybuilder.com

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by OllyUK, Apr 11, 2010.

  1. OllyUK

    OllyUK Member

    Hi
    I am not promoting this website! But I just want to know what peoples thoughts are on it. The reason I ask is that I have posted my requirements about renovating a 5 bed town house today and then have had about 10 emails some look like good companies. Thoughts anyone.
     
  2. palavaman

    palavaman Well-Known Member

  3. ThreadJacker

    ThreadJacker Active Member

    All I know is you never hear anything good about these sites, I refer you to this thread albiet from a different but similar site.

    Don't get me wrong there could be a few good guys on there desperate for work but they will be outweighed by the dregs of the trade.

    Can you not find anyone recommended localy Olly?

    If no freinds or family as had work done recently then maybe someone is having work done on your street?
    If so ask your neighbour it they are any good.
     
  4. OllyUK

    OllyUK Member

    It's not spam thanks I would appreciate you looking at what type and how many posts I have had
     
  5. OllyUK

    OllyUK Member

    Thanks for that TJ just read it. I would go by recommendations normally but the property is not where I live and so don't have local trade persons. I am managing the project so would be keeping a close eye on the work and the site does give comments from previous clients the way the site is set up it's quite difficult to cheat this I think (and no it's not spam)

    olly
     
  6. D.S Builders

    D.S Builders New Member

    I'm on mybuilder.com List of problems i find with it.

    1, 95% OF 'TRADESMEN' are just diy chancers.
    2, As there chancers they dont have any come backs because there not companys and will just change the mobile number etc.
    3, They charge peanuts and we all know what that mneans
    4, i'm lucky to get 1 reply from approx 20 sent.
    5, You get plumbers offering to build extensions etc.

    Some of the jobs people quote for are unrealistic and can not be done for the price.Example been to see a job to day it was to take down a air raid shelter (concrete) the walls are 10 inch thick and some one off mybuilder quoted £100 to do it.

    Rant over

    D.S
     
  7. D.S Builders

    D.S Builders New Member

    ollyuk you can 'buy' ratings so dont read to much into them.
     
  8. palavaman

    palavaman Well-Known Member

    ok olly, not spam, but my point is, I'd not go to a site & choose a tradesman/woman.

    recommendations is best, anyday. 80% of my jobs come from recommendations. as already mentioned, ratings can be bought.

    example, get on here and complain that company X (which actually happens to be your company) did a bad job at your place, and you'll never use them? then a couple of your friends come on forum and say what a wonderful job co X did at their place:D then finally, another friend, pretending to be the managing director comes on here and sympathises with you. he promises they had no idea and have not received your complaint.

    he goes on: ''we will come and rectify any problems you have. we will give you a free one years maintenance deal''. now, how's that for deceiving the public:(
     
  9. Edwards Le

    Edwards Le New Member

    Hi Everyone

    I completely agree with what these guys are saying.

    If you look through everyone's feedback page the same name appears time and time again meaning they are small one or two man bands. Not to say they are not good tradesman. My builder send out loads of emails but when you reply or be even fast no one gets back to you, or would happily invite you round for the smallest job but is not interested in doing the work. Who has the time to admin this???? Only small one man bands which sit around doing nothing the other half of the time. Because they have no overheads and chancers mostly they put in ridiculous prices where most good tradesmans cannot compete as it is not realistic. By doing this they are bringing the whole building industry down, everyone is cutting cost, customers expect more for less, which results in more cowboys and cutting corners.

    Larger individual companies should stand up to these sites as they are misleading. The customers that use these sites are mostly looking for a bargain, why are we not able to leave a review on them because if there are cowboy builders there are also cowboy customers always expecting more for nothing. However I do not entirely put blame on them. These sites are dangling carrots in front of there face. If 3-6 tradesman go for the same job and the other is cheaper than the other obviously most of the time the customer would go for the cheapest quote.

    I find mybuilder.com very misleading and only catered for small one - two man bands catering to fussy bargain hunters looking for the cheapest deal. I would stay well clear.
     
  10. Paul Otter

    Paul Otter Active Member

    Well, this site works for me, I am one of those one man bands in the business over 25 years, four year apprenticship at 16, advanced craft, LCGI etc.etc. Only 3 people are shortlisted per job and I specialise in the little jobs no one else wants to do as long as you are organised, polite, friendly, professional and know what you are doing it is very difficult to go wrong. My bill with My Builder is over £100.00 per month but it pays over and over, once you have proven yourself the work keeps coming. The most important thing is price does not matter, I get 90% of the jobs I price for and I am not cheap - not a rip off merchant either, if price did matter we would all shop at Aldi... With these sites customers are looking for a swift response to their enquirery, being punctual and a solid quote - not an estimate, a good website helps. I have around ten customers a week and with My Builder and Facebook advertising it works.
     
  11. fenwoman

    fenwoman New Member

    I have used this site and myhammer.com to find tradesmen. Previously using yellow pages and the like has been fraught with frustration. Local tradesmen either don't turn up when they say they will, or they turn up and promise to send a quote and then don't. I don't know people who've had the work done that I'm wanting, in order to get recommendations. At least with this site and myhammer, you get feedback from previous jobs, can view their qualifications, contact the people who've left the reviews. I found my lovely builder on this site several years ago and have been very happy with him. I know I'll get a fair price from him, and, over the years, we've got to know each other and I'm happier with someone I know.
    It's a brilliant way to get access to a variety of tradespeople, see qualifications, read reviews. Of course that doesn't mean that you don't still have to check credentials. Personally it's the *only* way I now find a tradesperson, rather than waste my time with very local people who have more work than they can handle and want to cherry pick the jobs which make them the most money, can afford to turn down work or be unreliable and know that if they do a bad job, very few people will get to hear about it.
     
  12. wau5

    wau5 Active Member


    I must be the only one who actually LOVES shopping at Aldi? :D
    +Lidl of course as well.
    Even if tesco's prices were cheaper,I would still go to Aldi/Lidl because they don't stock thousands of ready-made packaged junk items and fill their shelves only with nasty processed **** which tastes naff. No thanks.. I better get proper german food...
     
    fenwoman likes this.
  13. fenwoman

    fenwoman New Member

    you are not the only one. I love both too. There's enough of a choice and range of products, but not so much that you get confused. The weekly specials are interesting too. I find their fruit and veg last longer than the other supermarkets and since I eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, their prices are much much cheaper. I *do* go into Tesco for odd things, because it's literally a few hundred yards up the road from LIDL, and I am amazed at people buying things which are a 3rd cheaper in LIDL. I bet these are the same people who are always complaining how broke they are.
     
  14. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select


    You buy fruit and veg out of a supermarket???

    Your avatar sounds like you live right in the middle of farming country, on those long straight extremely bumpy roads. :)
     

  15. It's the power of advertising and the need for appearances. Why the posh supermarkets succeed.

    If you go to europe and look for a supermarket Aldi and Lidl are amongst the best available, but are still presented in a similar way.

    Brand names are expensive.

    But like everything else, some people will like them and some will not.
     
  16. CGN

    CGN Screwfix Select

    Harrods darling...why compromise! :D
     
  17. Agree.

    But I don't go there for my lunch box requisites.

    I have them deliver. Awkward parking I find :rolleyes:
     
    CGN likes this.
  18. CGN

    CGN Screwfix Select

    Of course darling...always take delivery and besides, I wouldn't want to be mingling with the cattle and sweaty tradesmen who frequent such establishments...bad show! :D
     
  19. Limara

    Limara New Member

    I have just read all the posts and want to say how helpful you have all been. I was stung for £1.500 to build a 'storagerobe'. What was built and how is a tale in itself, suffice to say I have a trust issue and many jobs 'building' up. I am not sure of this, but do some Local Councils have a list of trusted builders or The Main Library's?? Having read and digested all your comments and rants I am still reluctant to trust my people reading instinct's, although to add insult to injury, I was at the time very Ill & the little **** took advantage of that!
    Any suggestions??? I have not used the site & I am still unsure how it works, do the Tradesfolk contact us and then we, the customer choose one to come out??
    Anywho I like Lidl and have not been to Aldi, I can't stand Tesbury's , yes, I too hate plastic meals full of yukky things to preserve their bland and uninteresting comestible's.
    Toodle loo for now. Lim.
     
  20. Jez Brown

    Jez Brown Member


    I am on of these so called chancers as you put it, I have 30 plus years and did a 3 year apprenticeship city and guilds craft plumbing 1979, how dare dare you blindly **** people off. I have recently started up on my own as i lost my job due to long term ill health which as now been cured and getting a job at 59 aint the easiest thing in the world I have been trading 6 weeks now and all my customers have been very happy and I work to a very high standard and avoid **** such as flexi tap conns etc which the likes of you probably think are great because if your sort where to be a plumber you probably would not be able to use a bender. I have to say I dislike the concept of mybuilder, checkatrtade etc as they are just pimps and are taking an unfair cut. What exactly is wrong with so called one man bands, this is how plumbers as plied there trade for years.
     

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