Trade: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Using our service
Q. Why should I use your site rather than any of the other similar sites?
A. Because we are unique in what we do; we don't charge anything for you to see the job details, no joining fee, no commission, no renewal fees and no hidden charges - you always remain in control.
Q. Why can I not access my account?
A. If you have are having difficulty logging in, you may find the following helpful:
- Ensure that you have previously registered
- You cannot log in until your membership has been approved
- Never copy and paste your username and password, type them directly into the boxes exactly as you entered them when you signed up
- Check that you have entered your username and password correctly (characters are case sensitive)
- Ensure you are using the most recent password - If you have reset your password recently then the old password will no longer work
- Ensure you are using valid ASCII characters (i.e. only numbers and letters)
Alternatively, if you have forgotten your password then simply click on the “Forgot” icon that sits on the right-hand side of the blue header bar and you will receive notification via the email you registered with. Please remember to check your spam box as many ISPs employ very aggressive anti-spam software and inadvertently block legitimate email communications.
Q. Do you employ the tradespeople on your site?
A. No. We simply provide a service where we bring together homeowners wanting work done and tradespeople looking for work – we do not employ any of the trades on our site.
Q. I am not registered. How can I find jobs?
A. Unfortunately, we can only help if you register and become an approved member. Membership is free, we don't charge commission and you are under no obligation purchase anything or pursue jobs you don't want.
Q. Why is my email address mandatory?
A. There are many reasons a valid email address is needed. For example, our system uses it to notify you of jobs posted, validate your joining details, send you receipts etc. As an Internet-only company, it is our main form of contact.
Q. Do I have to give a telephone number?
A. Yes - all your contact details are necessary to build confidence in the homeowner when comparing your estimate. We suggest tradespeople include a landline as many of our homeowners are wary about trades or companies that only supply mobile numbers.
Any and all information that is held by us about you is only used for the purpose of this business. We do not use any of this information for other purposes and do not pass or sell it on to other organisations e.g. for advertising purposes.
Q. I just joined as a trade but I cannot see my advertisement
A. This will only show once you have activated your account and it has been approved by a memeber of our team. To see how your advert will show to potential customers, login to your account and go to 'My Advert' in the left hand menu.
Q. I forgot my username/password
A. Go to any page and click on the “Forgot” icon that sits on the right-hand side of the blue header bar and you will receive notification via the email you registered with. Please remember to check your spam box as many ISPs employ very aggressive anti-spam software and inadvertently block legitimate email communications.
Q. Can I select more than one trade category?
A. Yes, you may select as many trades categories as you are legally entitled to carry out the works for.
Q. How do I find out if it is worth advertising on your sites?
A. Go to the home page of the site, click on the trades area and in the menu, try a search by clicking on ‘How many jobs in my area’ to see how many jobs are currently posted for your trades and also to see how many homeowners will be emailed your contact information because they asked to be told when you join.
The search will not only show you what jobs are available, but will also tell you when the job was posted, how many contacts the homeowner wants, the trade categories needed, the nearest town/postcode and what criteria the homeowner will use to select and evaluate a company
Q. I received a job notification but cannot find the job posted
A. We send notifications out within 30 minutes of a job being posted and approved, we have found that popular types of jobs can be completely taken within just a few minutes. Therefore, by the time you log in to retrieve the information it is possible the homeowner has already found a company.
In an effort to remedy this we are taking action get notifications directly to you - wherever you are. To get notifications to you even quicker, we will soon be introducing the facility to receive notifications via SMS – and even pay directly from your mobile phone if your credit is low. In the meantime, remember that you can check the site 24/7/365 to view all currently available jobs
Q. Why can I not get details of the jobs?
A. Your credit balance must be sufficient to purchase the contact details. If it is not, click on the 'add more credit' link in order to save time and buy contact details immediately.
Q. I asked to be notified about jobs posted but I have never received any notifications
A. Please check to make sure your ‘job notification settings’ have been activated. Log in, go to ‘My Account' and select 'change notification settings'.
Also, please remember to check your spam box as many ISPs employ very aggressive anti-spam software and inadvertently block legitimate email communications.
Q. Why should I use your service when I have work already?
A. To help secure work for the future, to get a rating that will show future clients/customers and get your name in front of a growing number of homeowners needing your services.
Don't forget, there are those unexpected cancellations that leave an awkward gap in your work schedule, you may finish a job early or you find you need to expand your client base because your regular customers are feeling the pinch. Its comforting to know that we will always be here when you need us.
Q. Do you use my contact information for anything else?
A. No - We only use your contact information for the purposes of our business e.g. for homeowners to find you, when notifying homeowners that you have joined, when sending you emails about new jobs.
However, because your contact details are publicly available on our site for homeowners to see, this means that they are there for others to see also, as they are on other online websites such as Yellow Pages etc. We do not pass on your details to anyone who is not a member of our sites. We never sell your personal or contact information
Q. What/where are your terms and conditions?
A. At the bottom of every page there is a link to our Terms & Conditions.
Q. I do not have my own computer, can I telephone to add my details?
A. Apologies, but no. To ensure we keep our costs down and maintain value for money, this service is provided via the Internet only.
Homeowners
Q. I emailed a homeowner but have had no reply
A. We often find that when contacting people in these days of spam, your message can often not get through the filters put on by either the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the addressee themselves. If possible try calling them, we cannot imagine why a homeowner would want to ignore the very request they have asked to receive, so give them the benefit of the doubt and keep trying.
Q. How many tradespeople will contact the homeowner?
A. The homeowner specifies how many estimates they require, they can ask for 2, 3 or 4 contacts. Once the number they have selected has been reached, no-one else will be able to contact them. We will notify the homeowner when you promise to contact them - we do this so they can expect your contact. You then arrange mutually agreeable time to visit and provide an estimate.
Q. How long have I got to contact the homeowner?
A. When a homeowner posts your job, they tell us how quickly they need a reply. We recommend you contact them as quickly as possible because if you contact them after that time, it is up to the homeowner if they still require an estimate from you.
Q. How do I be contact the homeowner?
A. When you purchase the contact details of the job, you will have all the information the homeowner provided. Most businesses tend to use the phone (job postings with no phone number will not be processed), but some make an initial contact by email before phoning or arranging an appointment.
Q. What if I cannot gain access to give an estimate?
A. Some homeowners feel they may be able to provide enough information by phone or email without a visit. If you feel you cannot provide an accurate estimate without visiting the property, you must let the homeowner know the reason why.
Q. Must a homeowner use a company from this website?
A. Not at all, who they choose is entirely up to them. We hope we can help you find good quality jobs but it is entirely up to you to provide accurate estimates and other supporting information to help you. Your membership provides you with the facilities to build a great profile backed up by pictures of previous jobs, references and recommendations – all for free.
Cost
Q. How much does it cost?
A. Membership is completely free. You only pay for contact details of jobs that interest you and the cost is shown in each email you receive, together with the number of quotes required – don't forget, you get to see ALL the job details before you decide to pursue the job.
Q. If I buy contact details and cannot contact the homeowner, can I ask for a refund?
A. Yes, we realise that sometimes these things happen, please log in using your username and password and click on “Contact Problems”.
Q. Is your payment process secure?
A. For our payments system we use the ultra-secure PayPal facility, hosted on their own monitored servers. You will notice that every time you are on a secure web page the beginning of the URL (web address) is “https”. Normal pages exist without the “s” (which means “secure”).
Whenever you submit your details from a secure page your details are sent in an encrypted format, ensuring your details are not publicly accessible. You may also see a small lock in your browser to indicate the same. Using the PayPal servers mean we never see the details of your credit/debit card, ensuring you are protected at all times.
Q. Do you provide an invoice or VAT receipt?
A. As soon as your payment is accepted a receipt is emailed to you. Please remember to check your spam box as many ISPs employ very aggressive anti-spam software and inadvertently block legitimate email communications.
Q. Are your charges value for money?
A. Our fee is a fraction of what it would cost to advertise in newspapers and magazines. You should also take into account that you waste money by advertising in this way because you have only a single advert and cannot control who sees it. With our service, not only do you benefit from pinpoint accuracy for your target audience, there are extra features like searching for jobs, getting email notification of new jobs, having your details sent to people who are looking for your trade category, etc.
Feedback
Q. I've been given negative feedback. What can I do?
A. No evaluation is uploaded onto our system until it has been reviewed by a member of our team. However, after confirming with the homeowner that they clearly understand our Terms & Conditions we must accept their ratings. We suggest that you resolve this matter urgently by talking with the homeowner and understand exactly what the issues are and try and agree a resolution. We are unable to get involved in disputes and draw your attention to the relevant extract of our Terms & Conditions below:
Extract
You understand and agree that this service is not liable for and you will not hold this service liable for any ratings given by your customers found through this service.
You understand and agree that any dissatisfaction with any work/job/project done by you may only be taken up by the customer and is a matter between you and the customer only. Any dissatisfaction/complaint will not be resolved through this service, its’ officers nor employees.
Q. I've received the required number of contacts, what do I do now?
A. You can either
- Wait for them to contact you, which they have already promised they will do,
- Call them and take the initiative and say that you have been told they have promised to contact you and wanted to get the ball rolling or
- If they have already contacted you and supplied estimates, then use the guidelines 'How to select a company' found in the logged in area of our site to choose a company or
- If you have not received a favourable estimate and would like more, repost you job and include the information that the estimates you have had to date were not satisfactory (too expensive, not detailed / thorough enough etc)
Our policy is that feedback can only be submitted if work has been carried out so if you have received negative feedback but haven't done the work, please get in touch with us.
Q. I have just joined, how can I increase my chances without any ratings yet?
A. We have provided you with a head start on your feedback score with the facility to add references from your previous customers. The references need to be actual clients (we will verify this), you can add them to your advert after you have been approved.
Q. How does the rating system work?
A. Before homeowners decide who to hire, they look at your feedback and judge your suitability on how well you have previously been rated. After they hire you and the work is finished, they will add to that feedback, giving their rating on several factors and will reward excellent service. It is in your best interest provide quality work and get great feedback, which increases your chances of getting more work and more good feedback.
General
Q. Can I change my advert?
A. Yes, you can change almost all elements of your advert.
Q. Should the estimates include both materials and labour?
A. In the job description it will state whether the customer wants you to supply the materials or not (or are open to suggestion). Make sure your estimate reflects their preference.
Q. I submitted an estimate for a job - how will I know if I was successful?
A. Once estimates have been submitted, the homeowner will contact you directly. We have no involvement once that process has begun and intentionally detach ourselves in order to ensure we do not influence any decisions made.
Q. I can't submit a quote without first visiting the site.
A. The homeowner may want a quote without you first visiting. If this is not possible because of the type of job, you must ensure you communicate correctly with the homeowner, explaining why a visit is necessary. If you have a good profile with good feedback and are local to the homeowner, you will have a better chance of getting a viewing and maybe getting the job too.
Q. Can tradespeople post jobs?
A. Yes they can. The facility has recently been added and now makes it simple for tradespeople to post a job they need help with.
Q. Why should I use your site rather than any of the other similar sites?
A. Because we are unique in what we do; we don't charge anything for you to see the job details, no joining fee, no commission, no renewal fees and no hidden charges - you always remain in control.
Q. Why can I not access my account?
A. If you have are having difficulty logging in, you may find the following helpful:
- Ensure that you have previously registered
- You cannot log in until your membership has been approved
- Never copy and paste your username and password, type them directly into the boxes exactly as you entered them when you signed up
- Check that you have entered your username and password correctly (characters are case sensitive)
- Ensure you are using the most recent password - If you have reset your password recently then the old password will no longer work
- Ensure you are using valid ASCII characters (i.e. only numbers and letters)
Alternatively, if you have forgotten your password then simply click on the “Forgot” icon that sits on the right-hand side of the blue header bar and you will receive notification via the email you registered with. Please remember to check your spam box as many ISPs employ very aggressive anti-spam software and inadvertently block legitimate email communications.
Q. Do you employ the tradespeople on your site?
A. No. We simply provide a service where we bring together homeowners wanting work done and tradespeople looking for work – we do not employ any of the trades on our site.
Q. I am not registered. How can I find jobs?
A. Unfortunately, we can only help if you register and become an approved member. Membership is free, we don't charge commission and you are under no obligation purchase anything or pursue jobs you don't want.
Q. Why is my email address mandatory?
A. There are many reasons a valid email address is needed. For example, our system uses it to notify you of jobs posted, validate your joining details, send you receipts etc. As an Internet-only company, it is our main form of contact.
Q. Do I have to give a telephone number?
A. Yes - all your contact details are necessary to build confidence in the homeowner when comparing your estimate. We suggest tradespeople include a landline as many of our homeowners are wary about trades or companies that only supply mobile numbers.
Any and all information that is held by us about you is only used for the purpose of this business. We do not use any of this information for other purposes and do not pass or sell it on to other organisations e.g. for advertising purposes.
Q. I just joined as a trade but I cannot see my advertisement
A. This will only show once you have activated your account and it has been approved by a memeber of our team. To see how your advert will show to potential customers, login to your account and go to 'My Advert' in the left hand menu.
Q. I forgot my username/password
A. Go to any page and click on the “Forgot” icon that sits on the right-hand side of the blue header bar and you will receive notification via the email you registered with. Please remember to check your spam box as many ISPs employ very aggressive anti-spam software and inadvertently block legitimate email communications.
Q. Can I select more than one trade category?
A. Yes, you may select as many trades categories as you are legally entitled to carry out the works for.
Q. How do I find out if it is worth advertising on your sites?
A. Go to the home page of the site, click on the trades area and in the menu, try a search by clicking on ‘How many jobs in my area’ to see how many jobs are currently posted for your trades and also to see how many homeowners will be emailed your contact information because they asked to be told when you join.
The search will not only show you what jobs are available, but will also tell you when the job was posted, how many contacts the homeowner wants, the trade categories needed, the nearest town/postcode and what criteria the homeowner will use to select and evaluate a company
Q. I received a job notification but cannot find the job posted
A. We send notifications out within 30 minutes of a job being posted and approved, we have found that popular types of jobs can be completely taken within just a few minutes. Therefore, by the time you log in to retrieve the information it is possible the homeowner has already found a company.
In an effort to remedy this we are taking action get notifications directly to you - wherever you are. To get notifications to you even quicker, we will soon be introducing the facility to receive notifications via SMS – and even pay directly from your mobile phone if your credit is low. In the meantime, remember that you can check the site 24/7/365 to view all currently available jobs
Q. Why can I not get details of the jobs?
A. Your credit balance must be sufficient to purchase the contact details. If it is not, click on the 'add more credit' link in order to save time and buy contact details immediately.
Q. I asked to be notified about jobs posted but I have never received any notifications
A. Please check to make sure your ‘job notification settings’ have been activated. Log in, go to ‘My Account' and select 'change notification settings'.
Also, please remember to check your spam box as many ISPs employ very aggressive anti-spam software and inadvertently block legitimate email communications.
Q. Why should I use your service when I have work already?
A. To help secure work for the future, to get a rating that will show future clients/customers and get your name in front of a growing number of homeowners needing your services.
Don't forget, there are those unexpected cancellations that leave an awkward gap in your work schedule, you may finish a job early or you find you need to expand your client base because your regular customers are feeling the pinch. Its comforting to know that we will always be here when you need us.
Q. Do you use my contact information for anything else?
A. No - We only use your contact information for the purposes of our business e.g. for homeowners to find you, when notifying homeowners that you have joined, when sending you emails about new jobs.
However, because your contact details are publicly available on our site for homeowners to see, this means that they are there for others to see also, as they are on other online websites such as Yellow Pages etc. We do not pass on your details to anyone who is not a member of our sites. We never sell your personal or contact information
Q. What/where are your terms and conditions?
A. At the bottom of every page there is a link to our Terms & Conditions.
Q. I do not have my own computer, can I telephone to add my details?
A. Apologies, but no. To ensure we keep our costs down and maintain value for money, this service is provided via the Internet only.
Homeowners
Q. I emailed a homeowner but have had no reply
A. We often find that when contacting people in these days of spam, your message can often not get through the filters put on by either the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the addressee themselves. If possible try calling them, we cannot imagine why a homeowner would want to ignore the very request they have asked to receive, so give them the benefit of the doubt and keep trying.
Q. How many tradespeople will contact the homeowner?
A. The homeowner specifies how many estimates they require, they can ask for 2, 3 or 4 contacts. Once the number they have selected has been reached, no-one else will be able to contact them. We will notify the homeowner when you promise to contact them - we do this so they can expect your contact. You then arrange mutually agreeable time to visit and provide an estimate.
Q. How long have I got to contact the homeowner?
A. When a homeowner posts your job, they tell us how quickly they need a reply. We recommend you contact them as quickly as possible because if you contact them after that time, it is up to the homeowner if they still require an estimate from you.
Q. How do I be contact the homeowner?
A. When you purchase the contact details of the job, you will have all the information the homeowner provided. Most businesses tend to use the phone (job postings with no phone number will not be processed), but some make an initial contact by email before phoning or arranging an appointment.
Q. What if I cannot gain access to give an estimate?
A. Some homeowners feel they may be able to provide enough information by phone or email without a visit. If you feel you cannot provide an accurate estimate without visiting the property, you must let the homeowner know the reason why.
Q. Must a homeowner use a company from this website?
A. Not at all, who they choose is entirely up to them. We hope we can help you find good quality jobs but it is entirely up to you to provide accurate estimates and other supporting information to help you. Your membership provides you with the facilities to build a great profile backed up by pictures of previous jobs, references and recommendations – all for free.
Cost
Q. How much does it cost?
A. Membership is completely free. You only pay for contact details of jobs that interest you and the cost is shown in each email you receive, together with the number of quotes required – don't forget, you get to see ALL the job details before you decide to pursue the job.
Q. If I buy contact details and cannot contact the homeowner, can I ask for a refund?
A. Yes, we realise that sometimes these things happen, please log in using your username and password and click on “Contact Problems”.
Q. Is your payment process secure?
A. For our payments system we use the ultra-secure PayPal facility, hosted on their own monitored servers. You will notice that every time you are on a secure web page the beginning of the URL (web address) is “https”. Normal pages exist without the “s” (which means “secure”).
Whenever you submit your details from a secure page your details are sent in an encrypted format, ensuring your details are not publicly accessible. You may also see a small lock in your browser to indicate the same. Using the PayPal servers mean we never see the details of your credit/debit card, ensuring you are protected at all times.
Q. Do you provide an invoice or VAT receipt?
A. As soon as your payment is accepted a receipt is emailed to you. Please remember to check your spam box as many ISPs employ very aggressive anti-spam software and inadvertently block legitimate email communications.
Q. Are your charges value for money?
A. Our fee is a fraction of what it would cost to advertise in newspapers and magazines. You should also take into account that you waste money by advertising in this way because you have only a single advert and cannot control who sees it. With our service, not only do you benefit from pinpoint accuracy for your target audience, there are extra features like searching for jobs, getting email notification of new jobs, having your details sent to people who are looking for your trade category, etc.
Feedback
Q. I've been given negative feedback. What can I do?
A. No evaluation is uploaded onto our system until it has been reviewed by a member of our team. However, after confirming with the homeowner that they clearly understand our Terms & Conditions we must accept their ratings. We suggest that you resolve this matter urgently by talking with the homeowner and understand exactly what the issues are and try and agree a resolution. We are unable to get involved in disputes and draw your attention to the relevant extract of our Terms & Conditions below:
Extract
You understand and agree that this service is not liable for and you will not hold this service liable for any ratings given by your customers found through this service.
You understand and agree that any dissatisfaction with any work/job/project done by you may only be taken up by the customer and is a matter between you and the customer only. Any dissatisfaction/complaint will not be resolved through this service, its’ officers nor employees.
Q. I've received the required number of contacts, what do I do now?
A. You can either
- Wait for them to contact you, which they have already promised they will do,
- Call them and take the initiative and say that you have been told they have promised to contact you and wanted to get the ball rolling or
- If they have already contacted you and supplied estimates, then use the guidelines 'How to select a company' found in the logged in area of our site to choose a company or
- If you have not received a favourable estimate and would like more, repost you job and include the information that the estimates you have had to date were not satisfactory (too expensive, not detailed / thorough enough etc)
Our policy is that feedback can only be submitted if work has been carried out so if you have received negative feedback but haven't done the work, please get in touch with us.
Q. I have just joined, how can I increase my chances without any ratings yet?
A. We have provided you with a head start on your feedback score with the facility to add references from your previous customers. The references need to be actual clients (we will verify this), you can add them to your advert after you have been approved.
Q. How does the rating system work?
A. Before homeowners decide who to hire, they look at your feedback and judge your suitability on how well you have previously been rated. After they hire you and the work is finished, they will add to that feedback, giving their rating on several factors and will reward excellent service. It is in your best interest provide quality work and get great feedback, which increases your chances of getting more work and more good feedback.
General
Q. Can I change my advert?
A. Yes, you can change almost all elements of your advert.
Q. Should the estimates include both materials and labour?
A. In the job description it will state whether the customer wants you to supply the materials or not (or are open to suggestion). Make sure your estimate reflects their preference.
Q. I submitted an estimate for a job - how will I know if I was successful?
A. Once estimates have been submitted, the homeowner will contact you directly. We have no involvement once that process has begun and intentionally detach ourselves in order to ensure we do not influence any decisions made.
Q. I can't submit a quote without first visiting the site.
A. The homeowner may want a quote without you first visiting. If this is not possible because of the type of job, you must ensure you communicate correctly with the homeowner, explaining why a visit is necessary. If you have a good profile with good feedback and are local to the homeowner, you will have a better chance of getting a viewing and maybe getting the job too.
Q. Can tradespeople post jobs?
A. Yes they can. The facility has recently been added and now makes it simple for tradespeople to post a job they need help with.
