MyBuilder refusing to refund lead costs and is wrongly flagging my trustpilot review

Foodwizardry

We have been traders with MyBuilder since 2020 and use them frequently. We are fully aware that not every job can be won and also some jobs we had to turn down and just bite the bullet. 

In the last few months, the fees doubled and less jobs coming in. One job we got shortlisted for, the customer (unaware of the fees that we are incurring) just asked a question, we replied and tried to call but nothing, we tried multiple times and in all the years, this has never happened to us. The charge was £24.00+VAT and I disputed this with MyBuilder, only to get an email ping pong from utterly rude customer service people that refused to escalated this. 

I have then wrote a review on Trustpilot, copying their response out, a few days later, they asked for more information but never contacted me but instead flagged my review as harmful or illegal, so my review is not showing on the website. I have tried everything under the sun to find an official complaints email or anything to escalate this but constantly get back to the generic contact form, or if I reply to their response, get no resolution whatsoever. Again, we have paid up for years but in this particular instance, as we are unable to reach the customer, I disputed this. 

I am copying my review in full below but would really appreciate any help or advice as to a governing body that I can escalate this to. 

Here the full review from trustpilot (I have updated the flagging of my post in the subject line)

DO NOT USE - A review just gets flagged and ignored but not resolved SHAMEFUL - and stay away, use other platforms, no issue resolution whatsoever

We have been traders with the site for 3 years and we understand well that you can't always win a job. Lately the fees wet up while the jobs are going down and some customers do not understand the cost implications. We have had a case where the customer literally took the mickey and never picked up or replied to any messages, leaving us out of pocket. As we have never had such a case, I contacted the service team to refund this one charge as a one off good will gesture.

OMG, after speaking to multiple people via email I asked for a manager as the email ping pong got ridiculous, read the emails below as to their point, which in my opinion is utterly disgusting:

We are not able to credit the fee for this lead as when you're shortlisted, we exchange your contact details with the verified customer's contact details. As MyBuilder is an introductory service, rather than a 'pay to win' service, the outcome of the job does not affect the validity of any fees.

Whilst I appreciate this may feel frustrating at the time, our system is designed in such a way that the jobs you do win should, over time, be much more than you spend on all your fees.

After this, I mentioned that this is neither fair, as the customer is not responding to anything or ok for us as we have never made such a request before, then I got this:

Hi Catherine

I hear your point but applying our rules consistently across the site is the fairest way to run the platform so as not to inadvertently create two tiers of support.

It would be a shame if you chose to stop using MyBuilder over this but we value honesty over anything else and being honest about the service we offer is the bedrock of our platform. We believe, as do so many of our members, that our service is the best in spite of the odd situation like this.

-----------------

I'm afraid we are unable to help on this occasion - sorry we cannot offer a refund on that particular fee. As mentioned previously, we have criteria that need to be met for a refund to be actioned and unfortunately, this does not apply in this case. We do hope you understand that we have to work within a specific and defined framework - this would be the case no matter who looked into your query or who you spoke with about it. Speaking to a manager would not bring a different outcome on this occasion.

After asking again, I then got this:

A member of our customer support team can give you a call if you'd prefer to talk over the phone however, I will let you know that the same advice will be provided. We cannot escalate this to a manager as our customer support team are the experts in handling cases like this.

I understand you're asking for a gesture of goodwill to be made here and whilst we like to help as much as we can it would not be fair to credit you for this reason when we don't for anyone else who has the same experience. With MyBuilder you are paying for the verified phone number of the customer rather than the guarantee that you will always get in contact, get to quote or end up as hired so this fee still applies.

After 3 years, it is shameful to be treated this way by My Builder and while sales still calls us up for stuff, they then can't look at things on a case by case basis. By the way, if My Builder ever reads this, I still wait for a call back and a positive resolution to this case

Date of experience: 14 March 2023

Lola_balola

I can see this is causing a lot of stress, and assume (rightly or wrongly) this is probably in the context of you hitting financial difficulties.

I can’t see any rudeness in the responses you have received from customer services, they come across as polite and empathetic as they explain and re-explain their position. 

I’ve had a quick look at their website and it seems clear to me that this isn’t one of the situations in which they will waive a fee. 

“FAQ: Do you refund shortlist fees?

Because the customer has chosen you and we’ve verified their contact number, most shortlists should result in a positive contact. Despite our best efforts though, we cannot guarantee you will always make contact, get to quote or win the job.”

Foodwizardry

Lola_balola said:

I can see this is causing a lot of stress, and assume (rightly or wrongly) this is probably in the context of you hitting financial difficulties.

I can’t see any rudeness in the responses you have received from customer services, they come across as polite and empathetic as they explain and re-explain their position. 

I’ve had a quick look at their website and it seems clear to me that this isn’t one of the situations in which they will waive a fee. 

“FAQ: Do you refund shortlist fees?

Because the customer has chosen you and we’ve verified their contact number, most shortlists should result in a positive contact. Despite our best efforts though, we cannot guarantee you will always make contact, get to quote or win the job.”

I am not quite seeing it the same way, working another job in customer service also, I know exactly what is going on and that this is a ''fob off/delaying'' tactic. As I said, we are only disputing this one charge and I have read through the FAQ's and they are very vague, so there is space for a good will gesture. If we would have got a hold of the customer in any way, then fine, but without any response, the phone number might as well not be working at all. 

We have paid them hundreds of £ so one charge of £24.00+VAT should not take such an effort to refund and actually provide customer service to us who are, in the end, paying their bread and butter

born_again

Given you are a business it is not a consumer rights issue. It will be down to your agreement with them.

Have you checked all spam/junk folder in case the update went there? Or maybe it is in your user area on the site?

Foodwizardry

born_again said:

Given you are a business it is not a consumer rights issue. It will be down to your agreement with them.

Have you checked all spam/junk folder in case the update went there? Or maybe it is in your user area on the site?

It is sole trader, so not sure where to post this. I have checked everywhere and I know it's not much but in this instance, I feel that a good will gesture for a longstanding and paying trader would be not too much to ask. I would also like to note that flagging my review as harmful or illegal on trustpilot, shows that there is something not quite right in their business practises (and the refusal to escalate this and I am by no means a ''Karen'' and far from it as I work in customer service myself as a second job. 

Just to note on the previous comment, the case has nothing to do with financial difficulties but a matter of principal, which again, just shows me that their business practises are far from fair. 

sheramber

But if they refund you they have to refund everybody else who has the same experience., which would be fair. Only reunding you would not be fair.

So it probably would not be just one refund.

user1977

Foodwizardry said:

born_again said:

Given you are a business it is not a consumer rights issue. It will be down to your agreement with them.

Have you checked all spam/junk folder in case the update went there? Or maybe it is in your user area on the site?

It is sole trader, so not sure where to post this.

You're a business - I think there's a small business board on this site, but it's nothing to do with consumer rights (other than perhaps providing an insight for consumers about how MyBuilder works).

born_again

Foodwizardry said:

born_again said:

Given you are a business it is not a consumer rights issue. It will be down to your agreement with them.

Have you checked all spam/junk folder in case the update went there? Or maybe it is in your user area on the site?

It is sole trader, so not sure where to post this. I have checked everywhere and I know it's not much but in this instance, I feel that a good will gesture for a longstanding and paying trader would be not too much to ask. I would also like to note that flagging my review as harmful or illegal on trustpilot, shows that there is something not quite right in their business practises (and the refusal to escalate this and I am by no means a ''Karen'' and far from it as I work in customer service myself as a second job. 

Just to note on the previous comment, the case has nothing to do with financial difficulties but a matter of principal, which again, just shows me that their business practises are far from fair. 

You are a business as such.

There is no section for business as such, as this is a consumer based site. I would take it that there are business based forums.
As well as business is expected to know what they are agreeing to or have access to legal advice.

>> One job we got shortlisted for, the customer (unaware of the fees that we are incurring) <<
From their T/C

https://www.mybuilder.com/terms-of-use

2.13.“Shortlist Fee” means the agreed amount owed by a Tradesperson to MyBuilder when contact details are exchanged as a result of being Shortlisted for a Job.

So a customer should have agreed to the T/C when placing a add for quotes on a job.

Slinky

Whilst this is annoying, is it really worth taking up so much headspace for £24 or £30? Stick an extra tenner on the next 3 jobs you get and move on.

Foodwizardry

Slinky said:

Whilst this is annoying, is it really worth taking up so much headspace for £24 or £30? Stick an extra tenner on the next 3 jobs you get and move on.

it is the principle and could be 100's or just 30, if we complain all the time, yes fair enough, but this is an isolated incident. As a business, why lose a customer that pays £££ to them over the years, over a customer that probably didn't know better or had any idea of the monetary implications of asking a question (which MyBuilder also do not make clear)? I am looking for constructive advice to escalate this, not a ''get over it'' in all fairness. I thought this forum would help people and that's why I posted here. I know it might seem silly to you, however, that's what people said about PPI years ago and now the full extent of the scam is revealed and claims can be made,... I just want to know where I can escalate this to some regulatory body in the UK.

diystarter7

Hi OP

Sadly I'm no great fan of ,most builders but your post has touched me.

I found out about the charges years ago when a builder did a phone chat with me and did not win the job asked if I could help/confirm,

I sent an email to the company you talk about not sure what happened after that

I never shortlist anyone these days unless I'm 101% serious ie fully checked their appropriate feedbacks, locations etc etc and their messages - re the messages that is another site I think

I sincerely wish you good luck and hope you can get good, helpful advice here

Good luc