Problems with Checkatrade

[LOVELYDOVEY05]

I put up this post to ensure no one else is caught out.
In the space of only 2 years we have had a problem with 3 different
trades procured from Checkatrade

1. A builder (experienced ) who did a botch job and has cost £5000

so far to fix

1. An electrician who gave no paperwork (new fuseboard)

3. A gas safe engineer who filled in the paperwork incorrectly We spotted this by pure chance.

Only used it once for plumbing job as usual man was abroad for a while...total disaster....insisted on only working from 5 am to 10 am as ran a swim club...!!...quality was dreadful..tiles fell off wall etc...he chucked bits from the shower into the skip and covered them up, as didnt know how to fit them...!!...i fired him and stopped his cheque and waited for the usual man to return.

The reviews don’t have to be genuine! My husband was asked by a friend to post a glowing review on a mates checkatrade page, just to help out. Which DH stupidly did. The guy never did a job for us, and I have since heard he’s scamming the government by illegally claiming lost earnings when he worked throughout ( cash in hand of course).

Good tradesman don’t use Checkatrade.

The idea behind Checkatrade is so good but it doesn't work in real life. I've had mostly bad experiences through these 'find a builder' websites. I do as much research as I can then meet them to quote for the job. If I get on with them and they appear sound, then I engage them. Otherwise any hint of a con / weirdness - then it's a no. Its a minefield and can take ages to find the right person for the job.

I know of a number of tradespeople who get their friends to write glowing reviews for them. I'd be sceptical of anyone with incredibly high scores.

Relieved to hear that it's not just me having horrendous problems getting decent tradesmen.

I'm in despair, I've been trying to renovate my house since last year. I've painted the outside and replaced the windows and work has stalled. I got rid of some cowboy builders who were supposed to be building a small extension. The flat roof leaked after a week, floor wasn't level etc. Job failed by building regs. I've lost 3k and have a half built room . These muppets also had glowing reviews.

I found a carpenter on Mybuilder to move a stud wall upstairs and replace rotten floorboards. He did at least turn up on time and worked hard. But his stud work was slap dash. Cutting plasterboard with a blunt knife and ripping the paper. Also had water pouring through my lounge ceiling as he had moved a radiator and not capped the pipes properly!!

I've been ignored by endless tradesmen who disappear after first contact. Just last week I had a builder promise to give me a quote and I've heard nothing. I found a plumber who seemed really promising. Very polite and professional with hundreds of positive reviews. He even went to the trouble of giving me a detailed quote and we have been in touch by email. He was supposed to call last week to discuss the job. Didn't turn up. I asked him if he was definitely going to do the job and he said he would visit this week to discuss, then start next week. Well it's Wednesday and so far nothing. I need a new central heating system. I've no gas heating or hot water only my kettle and electric shower. Why bother to reply to me if he's not coming?

Has anyone here taken a tradesman to court for crap workmanship?

My shop has been closed for 3 months due to Covid. I thought 'great, I can get the work done while I'm at home.' I'm no further forward and at my wits' end. Time is just slipping away .

Only used it once, for a heating engineer who serviced my boiler and gave it the ok. Then I had him come back a month later when it stopped working and he condemned it as was leaking monoxide through a rusty hole that had been there for at least a year. Never again.

Always get a personal recommendation for any big project.

I prefer to use FB local groups and ask for recommendations

Yep, and Checkatrade are still the same...i'm currently having a battle with them over a negative review i gave for a plumber/bathroom fitter... within an hour of posting the review I had an email from checkatrade support team (support, thats a joke), and i sent them evidence to support my review...they cam back and said that the from box on one of my emails had code in it that caused the contractors email response to fail to get to me...no it didnt... its just a microsoft bug that does not affect email at all (as verified by the Microsoft Community Webpage), and the contractor said initially he had no email from me...!! to story goes on...I fully expect checkatrade not to protect customers trying to get a contractor, and to side with the contractor who pays membership to them... The whole thing is a complete clusterf* and its about time they ghot theyre come-uppance by complaints being in the media and on TV...

problem with that round here is you just get people with not enough work recommending themselves or getting all their mates to pile on and recommend them. There are just not enough good people and the ones that exist tend to be booked up.

Quality tradesmen don't need to use Checkatrade.