Checkatrade gone down the pan?

[Stanios]

Been on Checkatrade since 2016. Has been the highest source of customers for years. Since start of this year I've noticed something isn't right as phone goes dead of days on end which never happened before. Searched for myself, lo and behold I was not listed at all on the website. Same search I do every now and again and never in 4 years have I been anywhere but the first page usually top 5. Now I wasn't on first 10 pages, businesses 40 miles away were there but not me. I rang up and was pretty much fobbed off with usual "this is how it works". Day later phone ringing again Im on page one as usual. Week later again I am nowhere to be found.

This seems to be the new algorithm in action which makes me wonder why am I paying about £8 a day not to be listed anywhere. I would love to jump ship but from what I understand Google requires quite a set up, just throwing money at it won't work. Checkatrade was good in that way you paid and didn't have to do much at all but alas like every good thing in life this seems to have come to an end.

 

[SimonG]

They've changed the searches to make sure everybody gets a fair share apparently. I did it for 12 months quite a few years ago and wasnt worth the money for me.

Theres a facebook group that's full of people getting out of it now.

 

[Stanios]

They've changed the searches to make sure everybody gets a fair share apparently. I did it for 12 months quite a few years ago and wasnt worth the money for me.

Theres a facebook group that's full of people getting out of it now.

It worked so well for me its just a shock to have no phonecalls for 3-4 days. Whats the FB group called?

 

[SimonG]

It worked so well for me its just a shock to have no phonecalls for 3-4 days. Whats the FB group called?

Checkatrade Discussion Group (news and changed since homeserve plc takeover)

 

[BN9Pete]

Worth looking on Checkatrade Community, it’s a forum for member, many posts from trades that are unhappy and leaving.
When a potential customer is looking for a local tradesperson on the Checkatrade site, in the past local trades would be listed, now traders 40 miles away are appearing in the search.
There is a box in the top right corner on the search page, it says ‘ most relevant’ if you click on the box it changes to ‘nearest me’.....the potential customer doesn’t always know this, so a tradesperson that may live a mile away will now be on page 5 of the search.

Seems like something that was very good and worked fine in the past they trying to ruin. 🤨

 

[Stanios]

Worth looking on Checkatrade Community, it’s a forum for member, many posts from trades that are unhappy and leaving.
When a potential customer is looking for a local tradesperson on the Checkatrade site, in the past local trades would be listed, now traders 40 miles away are appearing in the search.
There is a box in the top right corner on the search page, it says ‘ most relevant’ if you click on the box it changes to ‘nearest me’***..the potential customer doesn’t always know this, so a tradesperson that may live a mile away will now be on page 5 of the search.

Seems like something that was very good and worked fine in the past they trying to ruin. 🤨

Do homeserve have some kind of incentive to disrupt the independ plumber? Even in London a 4 squared miles radius has no more than 40 companies which should be very easy to rotate. But every search is super diluted with new members and members 7+ miles away. Its like they don't want any business to get a footing in any given area.

 

[BN9Pete]

Do homeserve have some kind of incentive to disrupt the independ plumber? Even in London a 4 squared miles radius has no more than 40 companies which should be very easy to rotate. But every search is super diluted with new members and members 7+ miles away. Its like they don't want any business to get a footing in any given area.

I’m not really sure why Checkatrade / Homeserve are trying to achieve to be honest. In a few years time when they haven’t got £1000+ a year coming in from hundreds of trades that have left they may wake up.
Im quite lucky as i am the only plumber on Checkatrade in my small town, but when the search was changed I went from number 1 to page 10. I did complain and this was changed back.
I only joined Checkatrade in 2019 as work was quiet for a few weeks and they were doing an offer. It was a good decision as in no time I was turning jobs down.
Even though I’m at the top of the search page for my town now, I haven’t had a call or message through Checkatrade for 2 weeks.