Tracking Down a Trustworthy Tradesman

TRACKING DOWN A TRUSTWORTHY TRADESMAN Some tips that could help you find a dependable tradesman to carry out work on your home. || ||| |||||||||||| ||||| Research Your Options ilulululul Below are some of the sites which allow customers to rate the tradesmen they've used. These might help you find the right person for the job: MyBuilder RatedPeople Rated People 60,000+ 30,000+ myBuilder.om tradesmen tradesmen registered registered http://www.mybuilder.com http://www.ratedpeople.com 96.2% have positive feedback Government Approved Checkatrade TrustMark 14,000+ tradesmen 13,000+ tradesmen MONITONE registered registered http://www.checkatrade.com http://www.trustmark.org.uk MORE THAN 23,000,000 searches were performed on TrustMark in the first half of 2013, with builders, electricians, and handymen being the most sought-after trades!. ||||||||| Governing Bodies ulululu When choosing the right tradesman for the job, it might be a good idea to check they are registered with the appropriate governing bodies: Gas Tradesmen are legally required? to be on the Gas Safe Register (gassaferegister.co.uk) when dealing with gas. Gas Safe has replaced CORGI as the official goveming body. GAS säfe REGISTER Plumbing - CIPHE phe http://www.ciphe.org.uk - Water Industry Approved Plumber Scheme http://www.wras.co.uk/wiaps - Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors http://www.aphc.co.uk APHC Windows & Doors FENSA - FENSA http://www.fensa.org.uk - Certass http://www.certass.co.uk certass Builders - National Federation of Builders http://www.builders.org.uk NFB National Federation of Builders MASTER UILDER FMB - Federation of Master Builders http://www.fmb.org.uk The sign of building quality Electricians HEIE - NICEIC Register http://www.niceic.com ELECSA - ELECSA Register http://www.elecsa.co.uk - Electricians Contractors Association http://www.eca.co.uk ECA - British Standards Institute http://www.bsigroup.com bsi. bre - BRE Certification http://www.bre.co.uk – NAPIT http://www.napit.org.uk NÁPIT Part P 1 Part P of the Building Regulations governs electrical safety. A tradesman can only be registered if he does so with a government-approved scheme such as NICEIC, which ensures that he is capable of carrying out his services to the right level of quality. Electricians need to be Part P registered for major work, including: • Full rewiring of a home • Changing a fuse box Installing a generator Quotes Versus Estimates 6 uluululululu. Quotes and estimates are very different things, and it's important to know which one you are getting. When your tradesman provides a price, ask whether it is a quote or an estimate. An Estimate is: A Quote is: • A promise to do work at an agreed price • A tradesman's best guess at the cost • Subject to change • Fixed at that price unless you ask for extra work to be done • You can be charged more, but if this seems unreasonable it can be disputed • Secure unless unforeseen • Not legally binding? circumstances occur • Legally binding? Some Ways to Stay Safe mlulululuuululululutululululu You might be making a big investment, so don't be afraid to quiz your professional before work begins. The Office of Fair Trading recommended the following ways to stay safe when working with tradesmen?: Ask to see identification, which Ask for a written quotation, you can check with the relevant bodies and not an estimate Pay by cheque or credit card, to make payments traceable Don't pay upfront, and get quotes from other tradesmen for comparison Get references from previous jobs and follow them up Have written contracts, and check the small print in everything Every year 1.1 million people spend £181 million on tradesmen who haven't received proper training%. |||||||||| Resolving ay issues No matter how good your research is, it's possible things won't go to plan. Here are some tips on how to proceed: 1. Contact the builder and tell them you're unsatisfied with the work that has been carried out 2. Agree to a deadline for fixing the problem 3. If they don't respond, find out if they are a member of any governing body, and see if they have a dispute resolution scheme 4. If you're still having trouble resolving the issue, you may want to find out about your legal options Even if you are unable to get in touch with your tradesman, there may be ways to claim your money back if you paid for the work using a credit or debit cardº. With a credit card: With a debit card: You can make a claim against your card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act10. You may be able to get your money back using the chargeback scheme". Note that this is not the You can claim back on work that costs between £100 and £30,00011 law, but your bank may subscribe the program. Sources: Brought to you by 1) http://www.trustmark.org.uk/newsroom/press-releases/ homeowners-continue-to-seek-trusted-tradesmen Sainsbury's Bank 2) http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/learn/illegal_gas_fitte rs_can_put_yo.aspx 3) http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help/faqs.aspx www.sainsburysbank.co.uk 4) https://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/ approveddocuments/partp/ 5) http://www.niceic.com/Uploads/File1247.pdf 6) http://www.yourtradebase.com/guides/estimates-v-quotes 7) http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/northsomerset/download%20documents/scamwise%201pdf 8) http://www.directline.com/home-response-24/avoiding-rogue-tradesmen 9) http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/action/how-to-get-your-money-back-after-a-scam 10) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/39/section/75 11) http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/section-75-of-the-consumer-credit-act 12) http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/consumer_e/consumer_dif- ferent_ways_of_buying_e/consumer_buying_goods_and_services_on_credit_or_by_debit_card_e Iconsumer_extra_protection_when_you_buy_on_credit_or_debit_card_e/extra_protection_when_ you_buy_with_a_debit_card.htm *• VETTED