MyBuilder and other Electricians support thread.

[spynage]

Hi

THIS POST IS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF BRINGING LEGITIMATE ELECTRICIANS TOGETHER WHO HAVE PROFILES ON MYBUILDER RatedPeople AND OTHER SIMILAR WEBSITES.

Please kindly DO NOT post if you don't seek work this way.

I get the alot of my work on the MyBuilder.com online tradesperson website. As it's not possible to communicate directly with other electricians and tradespeople on there I wanted to create a space where we can communicate and share experiences. I've tried using the Q&A section on my builder but posts are heavily censored and moderated.

Please post below if you have a profile on any of the following review based sites : MyBuilder, Rated People, (more will be added if suggested)

What's really got my goat apart from having an answer heavily censored for posting links to products (was trying to give advice to a homeowner who was having a problem with their elderly mother randomly turning on light switches) was the following.

This is just an example. Its the dodgy profiles and fake reviews of other tradespeople I'm in competition with. It costs money when a potential customer shortlists you on mybuilder, so you don't want to be up against some cowboy who will do a shoddy job for half the price.

This profile has no less than 41 reviews in this month of December. The same amount as I have in about 2 years. They are mostly in pigeon English. This 'electrician' is also not registered with a competant persons scheme as far as I can see yet they have reviews for changing consumer units?

SEES: 98% Feedback, Electrician in London - https://www.mybuilder.com/profile/view/sees

(will add more as I see fit)

MyBuilder has already had various articles written about it in the media. It works for me this website that's all I can say. They're not however completely rigorous about fake reviews and qualifications. It doesn't seem necessary for instance that an electrician bidding for a job changing a consumer unit for instance be registered with a CPS scheme. I think they should.

There are many expamples as far as I can see. Lots of reviews in poor English. I'd like to put a list together of all these unregistered people with SPAM reviews. If you have any suggestions and if I'm allowed to I'll post them here.

Rated People and MyBuilder website profiles cause concern

A BBC journalist was able to advertise as a handyman on trusted trade sites despite no experience.

www.bbc.co.uk

Please get in touch.

Thanks

Spynage

 

[FatAlan]

I think the moral of the story is that from a consumer point of view it is still a luck dip as to the quality of the tradesmen the get. The trade sites are only in it to get as much cut as possible. If it still works for you then you carry on using them. What qualifications do you need to be a handyman?

 

[telectrix]

What qualifications do you need to be a handyman?

1. need to be able to hold a hammer by the butt end; paintbrush not by the bristles; and biggest of all.... a 4mm slotted screwdriver is not suitable for 10 x 3 pozi screw heads (but it does help to get 30 years of paint out).

 

[Pretty Mouth]

I am not registered with a CPS but still do notifiable work, including the occasional consumer unit change, using a 3rd party certifier to notify the work. It can be done legitimately.

What makes you certain that the profile you have linked to is not legitimate?

 

[Midwest]

I am not registered with a CPS but still do notifiable work, including the occasional consumer unit change, using a 3rd party certifier to notify the work. It can be done legitimately.

What makes you certain that the profile you have linked to is not legitimate?

Whats your mainstay of works, domestic, commercial or industrial? How much on average does your 3rd party charge you?

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Whats your mainstay of works, domestic, commercial or industrial?

Almost exclusively domestic

 

[Midwest]

Almost exclusively domestic

Edited my #5?

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Edited my #5?

Ah, I see. Initially, ~2 years ago, about £100 for a board change, and ~ £50 for say work in a bathroom. He would turn up and have me show him photos and all relevant tests. Now, peanuts. I don't think he charged me anything for the last 2 jobs. I work for him regularly, and as he says, I'm more rigorous in my testing and inspecting than he is.

 

[spynage]

I am not registered with a CPS but still do notifiable work, including the occasional consumer unit change, using a 3rd party certifier to notify the work. It can be done legitimately.

What makes you certain that the profile you have linked to is not legitimate?

41 reviews in this month alone is impossible. You can't win 41 jobs complete them in less than 25 days. I have 48 reviews after 4 + years although I don't use it exclusively. But I know what it takes. Do you have insurance btw for your work? But registered guarantees your insured and also that you have a minimum competancy.

 

[Baddegg]

I think you know the answers here mate........his prices are lower than yours, my builder couldn’t care less about what he charges as they still get they money....obviously not being cps registered saves him a fair few quid in silly things like scheme membership, notifications and testers and calibration etc.....I personally can’t stand these websites as you are potentially bidding for a job that’s already gone with no guarantee of even meeting the customer (even if you are shortlisted) and reassuring them why they need a tradesman such as yourself.....been said before but I’ll say it again.....it’s a race to the bottom on there ?

I don’t think it’s fair to put the fellas picture up on here either mate, I appreciate it’s already out in the public domain but he hasn’t chosen to be put on here in a detrimental light, if what he says in there is true then he is certainly more than competent to do the works and the fact he doesn’t mention cps membership may just be his choice as he understands most of the general public in the domestic arena have no idea what it means anyway ?