Rated People website

dacouch

If you google the builder, if they have an entry you can often leave a review on google itself. Thus when people google the company they have the option of reading the google reviews.

A large percentage of people will do a google search on businesses they intend to use to check them out

chutneyprincess

My husband is a painter & decorator with 30 years of experience. We don't advertise; all our work comes from word of mouth and repeat business. We have 1 employee and I do the paperwork. We joined Rated People 3 months ago because the wet weather meant that we couldn't do much of our scheduled outside work and for some weeks there wasn't a great deal going on; we needed inside work. NOT ONE of our purchased leads has led to a job; when you can get hold of the customer they invariably say they're doing it themselves/they've already found someone/they've decided not to do the job after all. Rated People then credit your account with the cost of the lead but now, when our membership is due for renewal (as if we are going to!) they WILL NOT refund the credit in our account. Result: a considerable financial loss to us. I would endorse the comments above: ask around - tradesmen with bad reputations are generally well-known locally, and if you DO use a company such as Rated People, please remember that the tradesman has had to pay to have your details and only post a job if you GENUINELY want it done.

timdf911

I truly think that Rated People are trying to do the right thing in as much as they will cancel a tradesmans account when adverse feedback is provided and documented - such as in my case with Premier Loft and extension Co. Ltd.

However they are clearly still not doing adequate background checks as Premier Loft and Extension simply re-registered with Rated People but under a different name - this time calling themselves Acorn Building and Joinery Ltd but registered at the same address in Southport as Premier Loft and extension.

A simply cross check would have thrown this up.

I absolutely agree with the comments above - all of these job lead sites need to be treated with extreme caution.

Hames

This site should be shut down!

We took there recommendation for a roofer and he took a large deposit from us and disappeared.

Ther obviously don't do thorough background check as we have managed to find out subsequently that this rouge trader's last company went bust and has done this scam to people before by just using Google!!!

:j

baldelectrician

Hames wrote: »

This site should be shut down!

We took there recommendation for a roofer and he took a large deposit from us and disappeared.

Ther obviously don't do thorough background check as we have managed to find out subsequently that this rouge trader's last company went bust and has done this scam to people before by just using Google!!!

:j

For many of these sites it's all about the membership fees

I find that many local 'rogue' companies have good profiles as they get somoene to add good comments about the trader.

jaybeetoo

I recently used Rated People to get quotes for replacing my gas boiler.

One of the two people who came to quote didn't know what he was talking about. His solution would have resulted in the boiler breaking down in very cold weather. I couldn't find him on the Gas Safe register so he must just have been a salesman.

From my one experience of using ratedpeople.com I'd have been better off talking to friends and neighbours for recommendations. I can't see what value Rated People adds. I wont be using them again.

timdf911

that trades people who are just setting out or tradesmen with a dubious background find it hard to get work and sites like rated people provide an opportunity for them to get work and build a reputation.

Good established tradesmen likely don't need a service like this.

Problem is the dubious contractors who use such sites give the site as a whole a bad reputation.

Rated people and similar sites could solve (or reduce) this problem fairly easily by making more rigorous background checks much as a consumer might do when looking to hire a contractor.

The problem is that Rated People clearly do not make such checks, plus consumers using this site assume wrongly they have been vetted.

I speak from experience here about my dubious contractor who was trading as Premier Loft and extension Company Ltd (just one of many company names) but who got themselves back onto Rated People for a short while by trading under a different name Acorn Building and Joinery Ltd which was registered at the same address as Premier Loft and Extension.

Rated People should have picked up on this right away during their checking process but didn't.

I would recommend using local recommendations and local companies and steer clear of websites

abandonded

timdf911 wrote: »

I would recommend using local companies and steer clear of websites

Not always such a good idea. See here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4361513=

tonyleech

Against my better judgement I tried Rated People again for another job, but the three contractors they sent all had issues. One was clearly incompetent and desperate for any work in any field, the second had a number of previously failed companies / name changes and the last guy had a criminal record !!
I guess I was just unlucky with RP, but it does show that not all their people are rated or vetted in a 'good way'.
At least with a local company and a bona fida shop front you have something a little bit more solid but as the thread you highlighted shows things can still go wrong.
At this rate I'll never get my second bathroom re-fitted

abandonded

tonyleech wrote: »

...........the thread you highlighted shows things can still go wrong.

Just to warn others, I have posted the review all over the web and last week heard about the first results. One acquaintance decided not to go to the firm for a kitchen refurbishment after hearing about my experience and a fairly near neighbour who had intended to use the firm also decided against it. Another said that she would never enter the shop again.:j

Edit: I also reported the matter to Consumer Direct and they have passed it on to Trading Standards just in case there are further complaints.