Trust a trader

Are you time served? What skills do you have?
If you've served an 'apprentice' and have some happy customers...I'd ask them for letters of reference as to the standard of your work...rather than waste money on what is - in reality - often just a marketing scheme designed mainly to make money for the scheme's owners!
Just my opinion others will have their own opinions!!!

(added) The Consumers Association (does what it says) runs a trade scheme designed to protect consumers needing 'the trades'. Take a look here: https://trustedtraders.which.co.uk/ then type in your postcode. For some trades there's no one registered nearer than circa 60 miles in my area!

 

I actually avoid such websites now having had my fingers burnt several time. Instead I rely upon local recommendations or review sites if the organization is large enough.

 

Local papers / village magazines etc., plus word of mouth and even leaflet drops - worth way more than these schemes. Personally I’d avoid them like the plague.

Also, work with some other trades. Builders, sparks etc. I get a lot of work from a bathroom fitter I know who always wants new lights, extractor fans, heated mirror feeds, electric showers etc.

 

The find a tradesman groups have got a bad name for accepting near anyone and doing very little when things go wrong, they may have got their act together now, but I will avoid anyone who is a member of those groups, as it says to me, they are no good, and need the groups to find them jobs.

My start point is the Heritage railway, I ask them who they use, and second is the Pub.

 

If I want someone to do something, I'd actually avoid such sites. I regard them with dark suspicion. You may get some bites, though, after all "they advertise on the telly"!

 

I recently had a bathroom refit. The plumber I used had glowing reviews on checkatrade, trustatrader and everywhere else I could find online. One google review (which I can’t find again) showed the true quality of his work, which for sure didn’t match the glowing reviews. On the basis of that, unless there is no other option, I would never use the advertising sites to find a tradesman. I would now also be suspicious of anyone who turned up to quote in a vehicle that was not sign written, and company uniform is reassuring too.

 

The lack of signwriting may not be suspicious: a good friend of mine runs an electrical contracting company.

All the vans are signed except his own and this is because a lot of his work is in London and one of the parks doesn't allow commercial vehicles through it but as a small unsigned van is excluded from their definition of commercial he can use the route as a short cut!! The troops have to go round.

 

Don't make those your sole assesment criteria. My vehicle is not sign written nor do I wear a uniform but I'm turning work away at the moment and it all comes via recommendation. This is generally the best way to find suitable trades people if at all possible in my opinion.

 

My vehicle was never sign written due to the fact it gives a free advert for what tools may be onboard worth pinching.

 

My van is custom sign written, not the name it goes by, just some naughty words and rude drawings in the dirt.