Has anyone tried rated people?

[plumb-tech]

Hi has anyone tried the website, if so is it worth it?

 

[Dan]

I don't know many people that are getting work from these chargeable websites to be honest mate. I'd take all the free listings you can get in the world, Home - Find Tilers | Find Trusted Plumbers | Find Local Electricians | Find Rated Plasterers | Find Builder Reviews and more which is ours is free and it gets you ranking in search engines for your area.

Lots of them claim they have customers, though actually, more and more are doing DIY these days, so less and less are posting "jobs" on these types of websites.

And once you're in a contract with some of the rated people type websites you're stuck with them untill the term ends. Not 100% certain of rated people being exactly like that but some of them are buggers for it.

Get yourself a free business listing with google etc. Search google for "add your business to google".

 

[johnmcginty]

Yes I was with them for a while , like most tradesmen do it for a while then get annoyed with them and cancel. They take a fee for every job you quote on before you have even rang the person ...when you do ring sometimes the customer just says " oh its sorted now" and £12 comes out your account and they post two identical jobs so they are allowed more quotes. Also people put up fake jobs and award themselves the job and hence rate themselves. You will not be vetted at all and sometimes there is a delay of up to twelve hours or more ( i'm sure they do this on purpose) of the job by text message so when you phone the customer they have allready been contacted by three other plumbers , all of whom have given a rediculously low quote just to get the job i.e syphon swap for £20 when they have not even seen the job. All the customers want over the phone quotes because the whole idea of the site seems to be geared towards an over price concious customer driven market. It really is a frustrating experience.

 

[migoplumber]

as usual dans advice is good advice/

 

[helpsy]

Had a friend tell me today he's registered with them.He "bought" a few £4 jobs(cost to quote,it varys depending on price of job).When he calls he said he has had to leave messages all the time,yet no returns to his calls.
I just went on Money Saving Expert: Consumer Revenge - Credit Cards, Shopping, Bank Charges, Cheap Flights and more and there doesn't seem to be much confidence in them.
My friend is removing himself from there list 2mrw.
The name may imply to lay people that the people with them are all experienced tradespeople within their field,when clearly anyone can get on there.
I think it's a scam.
There's not just the possibility of the potential customer of getting ripped off but also the person trying to do the job.
BEWARE(Everyone)

 

[david williams]

rated people ,my builder,ukcpa,trust a tradesman,tried them all ,all crap ,stay away from any one who wants to charge you for job leads,you do not know how many people they sell the lead to.ukcpa the worst i have tried £660 a year £10 every lead and most of there leads are people who go through them because they beleive they are there to keep plumbers prices low ,thats if leads ever reply to phone calls.123 get a quote you pay for quote only to find the custermer is just looking for an idea of how much it will cost/sevice genie get most of there leads second hand from 123 get a quote.

 

[yourworkman]

I used rated people as well, but I have canceled my account because I lost lots of money. Every time to get clients details you have to pay the money £5-£20, and plus you pay membership every 3 months £40+vat. You pay for the details, but there is no garantee that you receive this job, and this fee is not refundable. Finally when you get one job, you work just to cover the cost paid to get the previous job details.

 

[johnmcginty]

I used rated people as well, but I have canceled my account because I lost lots of money. Every time to get clients details you have to pay the money £5-£20, and plus you pay membership every 3 months £40+vat. You pay for the details, but there is no garantee that you receive this job, and this fee is not refundable. Finally when you get one job, you work just to cover the cost paid to get the previous job details.
.

I think you are lying and you have never been with rated people at all . I think you work for your wor kman as it is your username .....doh!

 

[Avatar]

All these shysters trying to fleece trademen is unbelievable!

There is only one rule - don't use any third party who wants to 'help' you. I get at least one phone call a week from someone offerering to 'get me one page one of google.

Here is a good tip if you are not web savvy. SPend the money you would waste on one of these providers, and get yourself a good web designer. Get him to make you a website, get it in FREE directories and search engines (google maps ect). ANd then get them to set you up an adwords account which really will get you work - i only use adwords (and all of the above as I am web savvy and have done this myself).

I am sure you can get a web designer to do all of this for you for around the £400 mark most likely.

Or alternatively ask me to do this for you (web design is my background) which I most certainly would. I can show you some of my websites if requested.

I have offered this to some of my pluming mates who i work with, in their 50's and dont have a clue how to use the web . . .

You can waste so much money on advertising and get absolutely nothing in return!

 

[Bernie2]

Hmm!

You are businesses as well as tradesmen. And the business market is shark infested. Both by "rip off" Plumbers/gas fitter/heating engineers as well as all other kinds of business.

So when you swim in the sea you have to expect shark attack now and then.

What we need is a return to proper decent business ethics. In which a peron's and businesses word was good, fair and honest. Let's work toward not having to be looking over our shoulder every time we deal with other people who are not ourselves.

Its not pleasant and not how people should have to live.

 

[gravytrain]

i've been with rated people for about 12 months. i've got some work through them but as others have said all the customers are looking for a low price.
i would spend your money on a decent website and a yell.com listing. this will get you more work than rated people.

 

[Connor Williams]

I have been with Rated People since 2007 and it has gone downhill in the last year, these days i can rarely contact the customer after having paid the referral fee, which can be up to £16.00.
Also don't forget the timewasters and people that want a job completed for £40 or less.
Print and post flyers, complete a website, stick cards in shop windows and put an advert in your local paper.
Let someone else pay £16.00 and fight tooth and nail just for the privelage of underpricing themselves.

All the best,
Connor

 

[jack2008]

Hi has anyone tried the website, if so is it worth it?

i have been with rated people for 3 months now. i have spent a few hundred quid buying leads and only won 3 jobs. rated people are a joke. details they send you are incorrect, phone numbers are wrong or by the time you get the leads the jobs have allready been done then you have got some carry on trying to get your credit back. i have also found that people are putting job leads on to rated people not to have the work done but to get an idea of what it is going to cost them not knowing that it is us poor tradesmen that are out of pocket after buying these jobs what a hassel would never recomend anybody sign up with them. very very disapointed in them and think they should be investigated into the way they run there outfit

 

[mike17]

Hi has anyone tried the website, if so is it worth it?

Total waste of time!!!!! Be aware!!! Rip-off .When you cancel your membership you won't get your money back.

 

[mike17]

Agree with you 100% they should be investigated.!!! Let me ask you who was the person(name) that dealt with your membership?

 

[david williams]

tried them two years ago ,dover kent useless,they said area did not have a big enougth population.moved to medway towns much bigger population just as useless.they say they only give clients no to 3 tradesmen,but you only have there word for that,all these companies are parasites,all you end up doing is chasing jobs where price is the only factor people who use them are only looking for a cheap job.my advice is stay away from them.service magic are as bad a lot of people just looking to see how much a job will cost them should they decide to have it done.

 

[Kimou]

I've heard good news about Checkatrade.com.
A sparks says he get 90% of his work from them.
I called them and was informed that they vet you and organise site visits to check your competency, insurance and quals.
It was started after the owner got peeved from the wealth of cowboys clearing the trees from the aftermath from the '86 hurricane. And wanted a way to be assured that you get what you pay for.
Any customer complaints are investigated. Good business sense really.

Web agencies will be the way forward for tradesmen to expand the word of mouth prospects. The consumer has a false sense of security that they buy into. Unfortunately there are far too many to make it viable so it's really a case of trial and error.

 

[unguided1]

I can not understand why anyone would pay to go on these types of companies you may as well go and sign on for an agency if yer that desperate, and we all know what leaches they are

 

[Kimou]

It's becoming a necessity, Unguided. The Public are scared. All those programmes like Rogue Traders et al, are making people aware and these companies are capitalising on it. They offer clients a choice and visible testimony and reputatation from those who've made prior use of their service. They occupy top listings in the search engines. Now only some vet the tradesmen, other just want the subscription fee. Sifting the wheat from the chaff is the customer's concern. It can actually work in the tradesmen's favour if you get the right one. But the market will soon be saturated which is why 'word of mouth' is always best. These places just supply more mouths.

 

[Kimou]

As a sidenote, when I get cold-called I check out their website and look for their job vacancy section. And see the type they're looking for. It's usual expressed that they want hard sellers that don't take no for an answer. You can usually read between the lines with that type. It's only my opinion for what it's worth.

 

[unguided1]

It's becoming a necessity, Unguided. The Public are scared. All those programmes like Rogue Traders et al, are making people aware and these companies are capitalising on it. They offer clients a choice and visible testimony and reputatation from those who've made prior use of their service. They occupy top listings in the search engines. Now only some vet the tradesmen, other just want the subscription fee. Sifting the wheat from the chaff is the customer's concern. It can actually work in the tradesmen's favour if you get the right one. But the market will soon be saturated which is why 'word of mouth' is always best. These places just supply more mouths.

To be honest I do not and never have advertised, through experiance I say you are only as good as your last Job every job I do usually generates at least two other enquirees whether its from neighbours where I am working or from family and freinds of the customer I am working for, and this to the point where I now do job sharing with other plumbers in my area so that if I am busy they can help me or if I am quiet they will return the favour. Yes, right now it is a quiet time but the next time your driving around your area look to see how many buildings are going up and get out there and talk to people do not rely on leaching companies who claim they can do it for you because in your area they will only take on the desperate who are willing to work for next to nothing, and this will drive the prices down even further in our trade

 

[markfxy]

If you need conformation of how bad they are look at the complaints on moneysavingexpert forum seems like they've ripped of a lot of people

 

[tackleburger]

Tried four jobs cost about 80 quid and have probably paid 120 in membership fees. Here's how it went:

Job one:

Back boiler change moving boiler to an upstairs airing cupboard 14m gas pipe run concrete floors so run outside half a shift at least.

Hot & Cold water to new location another half a shift.

Fit boiler (vaillant ecotech pro 28) vertical flue & 1 extension full day.

Condensate run & PRV pipe would go with gas pipe so add a couple more hours on.

Half a day of snagging getting rid of BBU etc.

So thick end of four days on your own

My price £2600 including manufacturers wireless programable room stat.

I was undercut by £800!! No sign of new gas run so I don't know how they've done that but it must internal unless they connected the 15mm feed to the boiler and used the expansion pipe to the upper landing then diverted to the bedroom.

Second job the guy said he'd call me back never heard anymore and left two messages ( was refunded by Rated people in fairness)

Same on third job.

Fourth job undercut by £500

Cancelled rated people last week waste of time and money.

 

[Kimou]

Hi Unguided, I'm in your corner on this. I agree there are sites like MyHammer that let the client start off the bid with things like- Rebuild Canary Wharf-Starting bid:£20. And there are people that oblige these morons out of desperation, but I'm sure they up the price when they get there. I don't want to disparage them too much as they could be a potential sponsor here.

Although word of mouth is tried and tested and self-employed folk are open to negotiation with repeat clients therefore keeping them sweet, but I feel you need to get into the mindset of the ordinary Joe/Jane who doesn't have a recommendation and needs someone they can trust instead of the phonebook lottery then they are duped into believing these sites are a godsend. Rightly or wrongly, they use them and there is a potential future client that will continue the trend of word of mouth.
I will try one and if I get at least one job in a month from them then I've recuperated my outlay, if not-lesson learnt, don't do it again. But I will only try one that lets you join up for a minimum amount of time. Never a year. They're getting wise to this and many offer this. I don't have so much W0fM so I have to. And they do market themselves far better than I could ever afford.

 

[Kimou]

@Tackleburger.
You done all you could do. I will take caution from this and not use them. I was dubious when I got the waffle from their coldcallers a few months back. Spewed a load of veritable manure in my ear until I asked him to get to the crux of the matter and talk to me about money. It's all I needed to hear before my phone mysteriously went dead in mid conversation. I'm still willing to give Checkatrade a go.