Does MY HAMMER encourage cowboys???

[rocker]

Ironically MyHammer profess to exist to help customers find a tradesman who isn't a cowboy.
The customer rating system is a nice idea but a customer's idea of a 'proper job' might not always be one which is done correctly; a customer may give a poor rating to a sparks who tells them they can't have what they want because it contradicts the regs, while they may give a high rating to a cowboy who appears professional because smiles politely, turns up on time in a shiny new signwritten van, does a superb job of tidying up after himself but installs incorrect cable outside safe zones and whose idea of testing consists of a bang test.

A socket wired in bell wire or coax will probably work perfectly well if it is only used to charge a phone, but plug in a vacuum cleaner a few years later and you could have a fire, by which time Barry Bodgett has got his 5 star rating because he did a cosmetically tidy job, and done one.

Spot on.

 

[rocker]

For anyone who's interested, the following illustrates myhammers position on investigating complaints against potential 'cowboys', i.e. they don't even mention it.....

Hello there, I took out the three month premium trial period approximately a month and a half ago. I would like to cancel my premium membership - please ensure I still have premium partner priviliges up until the end of the three month period I have paid for, but I want this noted before the two month cut off period so that no contract is started. After the paid-for three month period I would like to go back to a basic membership.

Apart from the fact that there is generally not enough work in my area to justify the prices you charge for premium membership, I have decided not to keep the premium partnership due to the way that people treat the service to take up what work is in the area. I am referring to the practice of people deliberately undercutting to unrealistic amounts in order to get the jobs, presumably inflating their prices afterwards or doing poor works. One current example is a job entitled '******** ** ***** ********' in *******- this is for the rewiring of a large three storey property, something that any reputable electrician would charge 3500 at the very least to do, and probably closer to 4500. A member named **** *****, who is a repeat offender in this kind of undercutting, has quoted £880 for this job. There is NO WAY that he can accomplish this job up to today's electrical safety regulations for this price. This amount would barely cover the materials used, so either this person is doing a poor job, or is vastly inflating his prices when the work has been started. Both of these practices I am unwilling to do, and as these are practices needed in order to get any work through your website, I do not think that this is a viable financial outlay for me at this time. **** ***** is not the only member who seems to be using these practices. Another thing I do not agree with regarding your service is that you allow people with any qualification to quote on electrical jobs - if somebody has a qualification in plumbing you allow them to take on electrical work and I can guarantee you, from what I have seen - most plumbers are not suited to electrical work.
I am sure that there is not a great deal that can be done about this, as it would be quite hard to prove, and I'm sure that as these members are paying you your commission you aren't that bothered about it. However, once my premium membership is up, and I revert back to basic membership, I will obviously moitor the situation and if I see any positive change in the future, I will consider taking a premium membership again.
Please email me to confirm you have stopped my preimum trial membership and that it will cease after my paid-for three month period.
Kind Regards

Dear MyHammer Customer

Gotta love that personal touch!

Thank you very much for your recent emails, regarding the status of your MyHammer Premium Partnership Try. You have requested to cancel your package.We have been checking your account and we can confirm the following points:You had subscribed to the Premium Partnership on the 03.04.2010. The contract was initially running on a three months trial term and is granting you an extraordinary notice of cancellation. You can terminate the membership within the first two months after you had entered the contract.We have received your cancellation request in due time. Please note that your contract will expire on 03.07.2010. Until that date you can still use the entire scope of our online services. Your membership fees will likewise become due until that date.

If you have any further queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us – we’re here to help!
Kind regards
MyHammer Support

Did you even read the email, myhammer?

EDIT: I don't know why it's splitting the last line from the rest of the quote, but hey it does highlight their customer service policy....

 

[tommo1275]

I am amazed COWBOY BUILDERS use MY HAMMER as a sponsor!!!, they dont ask for proof of qualifications ( these are just questios asked)
MY HAMMER encourages cowboys to price jobs at ridiculous rates such as £1100 for a full house REWIRE, absolute joke.
They need to be stopped. how anyone can do these jobs at this price is beyond me.
we do a 4 year apprentiship and time on the tools in order to provide a service at a industry recognised rate and MY HAMMER exploits this.

 

[jasperhound]

You are absolutely right about the quotes people are putting in for jobs. Around my area there was a 3 storey complete rewire being awarded for under a £1000 & consumer unit replacements regularly going for under £200!.
Another thing, God help you if you have ever got a problem to sort out with MyHammer... You have to deal with Germany (no UK call center). I paid to join on a 3 month trial (regret it now), their payment system was not working on the site so I done a Bank Transfer sending the money to the account they emailed me. 8 days later, 8 phone calls later & numerous emails they still have not acknowledged receipt even though I have emailed a statement (twice at their request) from my bank showing the payment. They have suspended my account and threatened legal action. The girls on the end of the phone say that the account is active, when it is not. I have asked to be put through to accounts or to speak to some one in authority but am always told "it is not possible".
My view of MyHammer.... A BUNCH OF INCOMPETENTS!!!!

BEWARE! At nearly £300 a year membership & 6% commission on jobs awarded, the service you receive, in my opinion is appalling.

 

[lloyd1980]

MY HAMMER can suck MY BALLS

 

[lloyd1980]

I am amazed COWBOY BUILDERS use MY HAMMER as a sponsor!!!, they dont ask for proof of qualifications ( these are just questios asked)
MY HAMMER encourages cowboys to price jobs at ridiculous rates such as £1100 for a full house REWIRE, absolute joke.
They need to be stopped. how anyone can do these jobs at this price is beyond me.
we do a 4 year apprentiship and time on the tools in order to provide a service at a industry recognised rate and MY HAMMER exploits this.

Isnt it THE most ironic thing youve ever seen?

im going on in a min to post a fake ficticious job and see who responds, ill sugest £50 inc VAT for an extension

then when mr 'get off yer horse and drink yer milk' gets in touch ill do a 'big dom' on him

 

[jasperhound]

The repeat offender of posting completely unrealistic quotes goes by the name of **** *****. Pretty sure its the same guy 'Rocker' is referring to.
In my opinion, if you're a legit sparkie with all the costs involved with memberships, insurance, regulations to meet, certification, traveling costs, tooling (and thats before you start factoring in materials and labour costs), etc and work out of the south/south west of England, and are considering joining MyHammer, forget it, while this guy is operating.

 

[rocker]

BEWARE! At nearly £300 a year membership & 6% commission on jobs awarded, the service you receive, in my opinion is appalling.

Spot on there.

then when mr 'get off yer horse and drink yer milk' gets in touch ill do a 'big dom' on him

Ha that would be proper, you should film it and stick it on you tube.

The repeat offender of posting completely unrealistic quotes goes by the name of **** *****.

I didn't see the name before it was edited, but we may have the same person. Are you in the south wales/south west area?? Have you had a few customers through myhammer who say that old mister anonymous quotes low and fast on jobs, then doesn't bother even showing up?? If so, then we are brothers in our distain for this joker.

And he knows who he is, because I always post quotes into the forums he undercuts on asking him exactly how he plans on making money on these jobs, haven't had a reply yet....

 

[tommo1275]

I have complained to the programme COWBOY BUILDERS for having the ordastity to use MY HAMMER as a sponsor
I am sure that people must win quotes and then add work to the job on site arrival

Lets just feel sorry for the poor sod who got an £ 800 rewire.
my guess would be new facias and a new board is all they got

 

[jasperhound]

Yes, I work out of Bristol & I am sure we are referring to the same joker.
Problem is most consumers have no idea of the regulations involved with electrical work, the issuing of certification, the testing etc. so as long as you turn up with a few tools, be polite and the job looks okay & works, any chimp could turn up and pose as an electrician.
The MyHammers of this world need to be brought to account because sooner or later somebody could get seriously harmed by employing a cheap jack to work on their property.
P.S. Are these so called electricians aware that when you change a fuse board you then become responsible for the whole installation. I would never quote on changing a board without first visiting the site and doing a pre-test inspection.
Another crazy quote just been placed on MyHammer.... It never ceases to amaze me!

 

[johnboy6083]

ive just had a look at my hammer, and ive noticed that some people have city and guilds certificates in the qualifications/memberships box. City and guilds in what? a lot of tradesmen think that they can do each others jobs, just because they have watched other trades on site! so whats to stop a plumber deciding that he can add an ouside socket to a ring, in a house with 3036 fuses and no RCD/RCBO? nothing, but he has a city and guilds certificate. In plumbing, but it doesnt mention the plumbing bit!

 

[Echo]

Have done a few jobs on myhammer when its been quiet basically just to get me out of the house! Can't possibly compete with the prices being posted on there. I suspect they turn upto the job and then say its going to cost more. Thats the only way half of the jobs can possibly be done.

IE, changing a few light fittings and socket facias. Joe Bloggs from 76 miles away quotes £50?????

 

[jasperhound]

I have today notified the NICEIC & MyHammer about an individual (quotes crazily low for jobs and gets awarded them on MyHammer) who is associating himself with the NICEIC on his website in regards to his certification practices. On investigation he has no association with the NICEIC at all.

Guess what... NICEIC take these matters very seriously and are taking action, while MyHammer are still allowing him to quote on electrical jobs as of this evening.

Encouraging Cowboys? I'll leave it with you to ponder over.

 

[rocker]

Wow really? He was quoting on so many things I didn't even think to check that he was registered, gotta be pretty brazen to be that out-in-the-open and to pee off a lot of people if you're not squeaky clean. If it does transpire he's unregistered he deserves everything he gets, great detective work, Jasper.

 

[rocker]

Hmmmm just checked the NIC website for his business name and his proper name - nothing at the address given on myhammer, nothing under the postcode and nothing indeed in the city he trades from. Verrrry interesting.