WHY would employers post on this forum for labour?

[millwall ken]

Hi all,
Right the tin lid is on, I'm in a prepared fighting position, with plenty of overhead cover. So here goes, I've long been an advocate of blokes using this forum to find labour BUT due to a recent incident that paul m suffered, it got me wondering whether a potential employee could REALLY trust taking a job off of someone on this forum (Incoming Kenny boy). Now I ain't warning blokes off of taking work from fellow members - but if someone like paul can get mugged off, then what chance would an 18 yr old kid have? Opinions please gents.

 

[telectrix]

well, ken. i had someone on the forum booked us in for help with 2 rewires. promised to phone with site details for work the following monday, and never phoned. OK, didn't take anything off me, but had lost time because of booking it in.

 

[millwall ken]

well, ken. i had someone on the forum booked us in for help with 2 rewires. promised to phone with site details for work the following monday, and never phoned. OK, didn't take anything off me, but had lost time because of booking it in.

So, you'd agree mate that I ain't just being paranoid? I know that this may seem like double standards on my part mate, because like I've said, this is a great forum for students. However, it will only take a couple of boys to be mugged off, before word will spread to avoid this forum. What do some of the more senior blokes think? After all, its them, that have made this forum what it is. And it seems to me that it will only take a couple of scumbags to reverse the good fortunes of this site!!!

 

[Phil]

Best advice I could offer to everyone is to check out the company or person as well as you can before hand. I do know of quite a few guys who have had some good work and contacts on here so please don`t let one or two instances put you off just use them as a warning and keep the guard up guys. I know the tilers forum is a great place for job leads and it would be great if the guys and girls on here got some really good work through it

 

[millwall ken]

Best advice I could offer to everyone is to check out the company or person as well as you can before hand. I do know of quite a few guys who have had some good work and contacts on here so please don`t let one or two instances put you off just use them as a warning and keep the guard up guys. I know the tilers forum is a great place for job leads and it would be great if the guys and girls on here got some really good work through it

Phil, you more than most people, will know how much I love this forum - I've posted it enough.
And yes I know, that, if I had posted this on the open forum, as opposed to the arms, then I'd drown in the posts from blokes who have got a job, or have made best buddies with someone else on this forum.
And mate, this is exactly what this forum is/should be about.
However, I believe that we've been lucky so far, in that some youngster hasn't been ripped off. Its all very well, you and the other mods telling people to do their home work on any prospective employer - however, YOU know what to research on a potential employer!!!
However in the same way that paul.m done his home work AFTER the fact, so a youngster wouldn't have a clue where to start.
Could we not get a sticky or something done, advising people on what steps to follow in order to check up on any potential employer???

 

[Paul.M]

I know where your coming from Ken, in my case I was the right person at the right time with the correct quals + experience at the right age over a financial barrel that the person in question knew my personal details (he helped me write my CV ffs). Anyway, people pop up jobs on here every now and again and some pay off, others don't. I can't see how anyone could moderate a posted job vacancy apart from what ken did tonight (and on another thread by a chancer last month) by asking questions of the position, wage, time, van, tools etc needed. Maybe its down to us lot (the experienced members) to look out for any jobs that are posted and look into it ourselves? Ask the right questions, look into the firm and if we find anything that's a bit dodgy, post it up. The forum is a great place to advertise for skilled workers, let's not chase these people/firms away but let's keep an eye out for other members, all we have to do is hit the report button.

 

[millwall ken]

I know where your coming from Ken, in my case I was the right person at the right time with the correct quals + experience at the right age over a financial barrel that the person in question knew my personal details (he helped me write my CV ffs). Anyway, people pop up jobs on here every now and again and some pay off, others don't. I can't see how anyone could moderate a posted job vacancy apart from what ken did tonight (and on another thread by a chancer last month) by asking questions of the position, wage, time, van, tools etc needed. Maybe its down to us lot (the experienced members) to look out for any jobs that are posted and look into it ourselves? Ask the right questions, look into the firm and if we find anything that's a bit dodgy, post it up. The forum is a great place to advertise for skilled workers, let's not chase these people/firms away but let's keep an eye out for other members, all we have to do is hit the report button.

Thanks paul mate, like I said, I'm NOT looking to deter ANYONE from taking a job that is advertised on here, BUT I want to see an OFFICIAL sticky warning people to do their homework, AND how to go about it. God, for once, I'd love the mods to give us open season on a known scumbag...

 

[Des 56]

I'm being a little harsh here,but if an agreement is going go sour for whatever reason.it can and will happen whether its on the forum or in the community,its essential that young unworldly guys keep their wits about them

Also to a certain extent I am in agreement with Kens post
It is a little easier for a scumbag to tap the right available talent congregated on this forum
I dont like for one moment,offers of work for the value of experience gained and no wage,that always sends alarm bells ringing in my head for the recipient of those deals

Because its a channel that the rouges can easily manipulate for talent,this forum should perhaps charge an equivalent fee that someone would have to pay in a local paper for their advertisement

After all.it would help finance the forum and if they are genuine,then they would not be too perturbed at a small fee on a dedicted section for that service

Good topic and well worth conidering as a sticky,well done Ken

 

[Paul.M]

One thing I will say about this subject, yes I got mugged off by one member but another member (sirkitbreaker) has passed my number out to anyone calling him for call outs and quotes, so far so good, I had a call tonight, sounds like a mixed up cowboy/diy install but I'll have a look at it. I've also had communication with another arms member regarding suby work for him but its too far to travel on a daily basis. I've worked with one forum member side by side and know we will again. Only yesterday I called a member to pass a job onto because I'm busy for the rest of the week including Saturday. And on the other side of things I'm helping Manda get some tools time next month, I'm picking her up first thing in the morning taking her to a house rewire that I'm on (suby and she is covered under the firms insurance before you ask), me and the wife are putting her up for 2 nights, giving her 2 days experience on her first rewire and of course we will take her out for a meal and a few drinks and I will push my boss to put his hand in his pocket if she has saved us time which I'm sure she will, we will see. So on the other side if things I've got the opportunity to take advantage of a member (telectrix please don't make a comment ) but I'm an honest man and I'll make sure that Manda leaves Leeds with some tools that she needs and maybe a bit of cash but her gaining experience will not cost her a penny, I promise. Some people out there will take advantage of the young and inexperienced we can't stop that but we can look out for one another.

 

[brucelee]

Paul

your offer to amanda sounds genuine and fair its not going to cost her anything and to put her up in your own home feeding and watering etc lol good on ya mate you sound like a boss/ subbie/mate that anyone would be glad to get experience with
and squeezing the boss off a few pounds for her is deffo worthwhile cause and always goodto get em to dig deep lol

and the scroat that mugged you off should be strung up with you know what

anyway god on ya mate for thinking of others even when others have ripped you off

 

[Paul.M]

Thanks Karl. I believe in karma, he will get his and I'll will get mine. I'd rather be me than him.

 

[brucelee]

yeah mate and he deserves all he gets and you are the better person and always will be and i like others of theis forum have benefited from you knowledge ,wisdom and humour
and I for one am glad your a member some of your posts have brightened my day and gave me something to laugh at when i needed to

keepup the good work mate your karma is good

 

[Paul.M]

I'm happy that I entertain people on here with my funny posts and wit, its not all about work or study. Anyway back to this thread. Ken had brought up a valid point and its not just the people/firms seeking employees its also advertisers, salesmen for goods and services (pv room mainly), training centers that offer £50k PA (sorry sponcer's but its mho). I had a barny with a member 5 weeks ago offering a mates job at less than ten quid an hour but must have own van, tools and willing to drive everywhere in and around London up to 12 hours a day because "he has a bad leg and can't drive". Not what he said 2 weeks prior when he posted up the same job and its because he lost his licence due to drink driving. I pulled him on this and other things he said and ended up having a thread fight, got that bad that I even reported my own posts due to me saying things that I shouldn't have on an open forum! He got banned and the thread deleted. It shouldn't get to that stage but it got my back up because a new member went for his bait and was going to call him for the job. Next time I'll just hit the report button.

 

[brucelee]

good on ya for seeing and speaking up about this guys thread as some unsuspecting person such as myself could Pm them as I have done before on here I applied to a guy a few months ago on the forum via PM about being a driver and mate due to him having previous illness so unable to drive he seemed a genuine guy as far as a telephone call goes but I decided against it as the work wasnt varied enough and due to distance of me travelling to his then getting in his van driving him to jobs and then having to drive home again at the end of the day anyway he contacted me offered the option of going over to his but after initially it being a option a realised it may not be the best option for the Mrs and I and then i would be tied to a job were i would just be able to survive especially with petrol costs of me driving to his etc the job suited a younger guy with less commitments unlike I
But as I say the guy who was offering the Job seemed a very nice guy but hard to tell via the forum or telephone

 

[Paul.M]

There are so many new people coming into the trade and not enough work going around that new starters are venerable to chancers offering the golden ticket for low wages. This is a point that ken has made in the past. After years of study, thousands in cash we are stuck in the middle of recession and people are taking whatever work they can. If the forum becomes a hot spot for the con men to pick up their next victim, what will happen to all those years of hard work by the members, mods, admin and owners? End of the day lads this is our playground, let's keep an eye out for the bullies.

 

[TPES]

I agree, to many dodgy people out there prepared to take advantage of someone's good will, although there's many that speak on here on a day to day basis how well do we really now each other??

I agree to do as much research on a company or person before you get involved, a good chat on the phone wouldn't Hurt..

( I've actually been thinking of asking for help off one or two of the members myself for a while now)

 

[Paul.M]

TPES if your going to take on a couple of members just give them any details of your company and yourself so they can make their own mind up if they want to trust you or not. I'm sure that you are not going to pull a fast one. If I work for another member I will be asking for a basic written contract and a quick credit check otherwise its cash up front. It's a shame that we are all talking about this because we should be able to get a job, do the work and get paid at the end of the week. We have to do a bit of research these days, just look at Total Trade Services!

 

[DurhamSparky]

just landed 3 rewires...!! need 1x QS (must be Part P approved by a scheme) and 6 Electrician Mates.. (preferably Polish or Eastern European..)

cash on completion all materials provided...!

 

[millwall ken]

just landed 3 rewires...!! need 1x QS (must be Part P approved by a scheme) and 6 Electrician Mates.. (preferably Polish or Eastern European..)

cash on completion all materials provided...!

Why not some Umpah Lumpahs?

 

[DurhamSparky]

ecellet idea...!! that can fit the socket and switches with out bending down between 450-1200mm