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Hi guys,

Wondering what your thoughts where on these schemes has anyone signed up to these and got any work from them? They seem really expensive and not sure if your even guaranteed the work. They seem a good idea but are they worth it? Read some reviews online saying some schemes where a scam etc.
 
Actually had a check-a-trade rep come round my house yesterday. 3 months free trial - but then £84 a month. Seems too steep for me - as a sole trader.

I’ve used MyBuilder a bit - which is pay per lead. Those jobs all seem to be pretty small - just ‘fillers’ really.

I am thinking customers like to see feedback.....
 
Checkatrade are getting desperate, because since they were bought out by homeserve they have significantly increased prices (by almost double in some cases apparently) and many trades have left them. £84 a month is where they start you at, so you bend over backwards to get good reviews and then they will increase your prices each year.

Years ago I called trustatrader and the guy gave me the usually nonsense how great they are and it's only so much a week etc, but once you've added vat and times it by 52 it was around £800 a year (probably more now). I said to the trustatrade bloke that I would give it a 3 month trial but he wasn't having any of it. I said that if he was so confident I would get so much extra work out of it why couldn't I have a 3 month trial, but he just gave me the usual waffle. I kept getting messages on my mobile thanking me for joining (I hadn't joined them), so I blocked their number.
 
Ive also heard this i think it was rated people who would put up a fake lead and let you buy the job, soon as its bought the lead disappears or the contact details are a dud & basically they then say you cant be refunded
If that is the case, its a straight forward criminal deception and should be reported.
 
Said it before, I’ll say it again;
Don’t trust anything that uses the Lone Ranger theme tune as their jingle. Bunch of cowboys
i better change my ringtone then. :D:D:D. was good/bad/ugly.now it's star wars empire darth vader theme.

 
Great if your starting out and have no contacts or don’t know how to get your foot in the door. But as stated they are just filler jobs. You might be lucky to meet a builder on one of the jobs who could give you more work. Problem is the people using these platforms obviously need work so will charge stupidly low prices when they qoute to get the work. You won’t make a living using them
 
Great if your starting out and have no contacts or don’t know how to get your foot in the door. But as stated they are just filler jobs. You might be lucky to meet a builder on one of the jobs who could give you more work. Problem is the people using these platforms obviously need work so will charge stupidly low prices when they qoute to get the work. You won’t make a living using them

You’ve just summed up my last two years!

But the vast majority of work I get now is by word of mouth - so all good.

My worry though is that the way customers look for work has changed - and just see the easy way forward when they see these schemes advertised on telly etc...
 
Great if your starting out and have no contacts or don’t know how to get your foot in the door. But as stated they are just filler jobs. You might be lucky to meet a builder on one of the jobs who could give you more work. Problem is the people using these platforms obviously need work so will charge stupidly low prices when they qoute to get the work. You won’t make a living using them

You’ve just summed up my last two years!

But the vast majority of work I get now is by word of mouth - so all good.

My worry though is that the way customers look for work has changed - and just see the easy way forward when they see these schemes advertised on telly etc...
 
You’ve just summed up my last two years!

But the vast majority of work I get now is by word of mouth - so all good.

My worry though is that the way customers look for work has changed - and just see the easy way forward when they see these schemes advertised on telly etc...
Just resurrecting this in the hope it'll be of some use and encouragement to anyone just starting. Drove myself spare testing these parasitic websites.
My Builder - Cheap filler jobs at rock bottom prices
Rated People - Expensive filler jobs at...you guessed it
CheckaTrade - Met the rep the electricians exhibition. Offered everything except a BJ to justify their extortionate fees. All these sites trade on the same premis - cheap to the client who gets a budget job by a trades..err person hoping to building a customer base. Still seeking the right way forward; maybe a cardboard neck sign outside the station "will cable for food"

Failing that; get known at the local food bank or any good charity that needs a willing hand. Hanging around in the van at schools gates looked promising but my case comes up next ;)
 
I did use Rated people to get some jobs experience when I started out 7 yrs ago and to be fair that worked for me then but have ditched them now.. too expensive and dont need them anyway.
Also when a customer slandered me saying I wasnt qualified etc etc RP didnt want to know when I complained. They took another years subscription from my bank after I phoned them to say Im not renewing and had a devils job getting it back.
Ever since I left I get begging letters to rejoin.. they dont seem to understand that they would benefit if they kept their best tradesmen by way of reputation but they only interested in taking yr money.. AVOID wherever possible!
 

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