Homeowner: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Tradespeople
Q. Are the tradespeople on your site legally registered?
A. We make multiple checks on all trade joiners and they must satisfy these investigations to be registered with us. We do this to help ensure, as far as we possibly can, that the tradesperson is genuine and legally entitled to work in the country they advertise their services.
We take security extremely seriously and even though we validate trade members when they join, we strongly recommend you validate a company's additional information e.g. associations, references, qualifications, certifications and ensure they have the necessary up to date insurances. Please note that we recommend that you, (depending on the size/importance/risk of the work/job), at a minimum, check their insurance documents and preferably (especially for larger jobs) check out their references.
Q. I emailed one of your trades 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 tradesperson would want to ignore the very request they have asked to receive, so give them the benefit of the doubt and keep trying.
Q. Does your service provide online estimates?
A. No, we do not provide estimates. The person or company who is vying for your work should provide you with a detailed estimate and you can specify how you would like to receive it. If you are happy doing it, you can even provide them with enough information by phone or email for them to provide a reasonable estimate without a visit but a visit is usually better. This can often happen with smaller jobs like replacing a lock or repairing a roof tile etc. – the choice is entirely yours.
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. You can rate and comment on their work afterwards and of course you can review previous ratings, references etc before deciding who to use.
Q. Who are the tradespeople/builders that will receive my request?
A. We carefully select tradespeople/builders on the basis of your needs, their trade categories and the geographical area that they work in – and if it is important to you, based on how far you are happy for them to travel. The more information you can give us about the work you want done, the easier it will be for us to find the right tradespeople/builder for you. We also use other criteria including their ratings and how comprehensive their additional information is.
Q. How many tradespeople will contact me?
A. You tell us. You can ask for 2, 3 or 4 contacts. Once the number you selected has been reached, no-one else will contact you. We will notify you when a company promises to contact you. We do this so you can expect their contact and view their details. You then arrange a time to suit you for them to visit and provide you with an estimate.
Q. How long must I wait for contact from tradespeople?
A. When you post your job, you tell us how quickly you need a reply. When that time limit is reached we will contact you and ask if you would like to extend the time if you have not yet received sufficient contacts. If the number of contacts you requested is reached before that time limit, your job will be automatically archived.
Q. How long must I wait from the time you tell me someone has promised to contact me to the time they actually contact me?
A. Most tradespeople will contact you immediately but we ask that you give them at least 1 day and allow them to quote for the work once they do. It is to your advantage to receive multiple quotes and be wary of anyone suggesting that you remove your job early.
Q. How will I be contacted?
A. Most tradespeople tend to use the phone (job postings with no phone number will be accepted but are likely to not receive as much attention from tradespeople compared to those with a contact phone number). We give you the chance to specify your availability, to make sure they call at a time that is convenient. Some tradespeople make an initial contact by email before phoning you or arranging an appointment.
Q. Do the tradespeople come out to give their quote?
A. That is generally what happens, but it is left up to you and them to agree if that is necessary. You may be able to provide them with enough information by phone or email for them to provide a reasonable estimate without a visit
Q. Will my contact details be posted on the web?
A. No, your contact details will only ever be passed on to a maximum of 4 companies or tradesmen at the most, depending on how many estimates/contacts you requested and will never be published on our website.
Q. If I post a job on the site, am I obliged to choose any of your tradesmen?
A. Not at all, who you choose is entirely up to you. We hope we can help you find the best builder/company/tradespeople, if not, you can either repost your job and try different people or simply remove your job from the site.
Posting jobs
Q. Why should I use your site?
A. Because we are unique in what we do. Forget Yellow Pages. we make your life easier because you don't need to spend hours on the phone searching for quality tradespeople - they contact you. You stay in control because you decide how many estimates you want. Your estimates are from local, qualified and rated companies. All you get with search pages is a listing, no reviews, no chance to rate them afterwards.
You can post a job for free right away and let us do the work of finding the right tradespeople for you, or, if you prefer, you can search our database and contact them yourself.
Q. How do I post my job?
A. There are links from all pages to the 'Post a Job page. Complete the simple form with as much information as possible about the job to give the tradesmen a better idea of the work needing to be done.
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 tradespeople about to contact you, validate your joining details, send you reminders to rate the tradesperson afterwards etc. We never sell or give your contact details to any other group, body or organisations. The only people who will see it are the 2, 3 or 4 tradespeople who have agreed to provide you with a free quote.
Q. Do I have to give a telephone number?
A. No but you are more likely to get interest in your job posting if you do. Many tradespeople use their phones when at work and may take a lot longer to contact you if they have to write an email.
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 posted a job but cannot see it online
A. Your job must be approved before it can be seen online. We do this by checking things like the validity of your details, the types of trade categories you require, the length of the job, etc. We do this to ensure that tradespeople are able to contact you and that your job will be seen by as many relevant trades as possible.
Rating Tradespeople
Q. How does the rating system work?
A. Before you decide who to hire, look at the feedback for the tradespeople who are quoting for your work and judge your suitability on how well they have previously been rated. After you hire them and the work is finished, you will add to that feedback, giving your rating on several factors important to you and reward excellent service. It is in the trades best interest to provide quality work and get great feedback, which increases their chances of getting more work. We use a system called success criteria that you can specify when you post your job. Tell us and the tradespeople what criteria you will use to select a company and how you will rate them when the work is completed and they can use that to build actions into their plans to ensure they meet your criteria. It helps no-one if the criteria comes as a surprise at the end. Our unique system of selecting and evaluating against criteria is aimed at keeping everyone happy.
Q. How do I leave feedback?
A. You should only rate a tradesperson if they carried out work for the job you posted. When rating a trade please remember to provide a balanced view. When logged in, go to 'Manage my Jobs', select the appropriate job and click on 'Rate this Trade'. All ratings are moderated.
Using our service
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” (KEY) 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. I've received the required number of contacts, what do I do now?
A. Nothing other than go through the quoting and selection process.
Q. Is my personal information safe?
A. Yes, completely safe. We do not display any of your contact details on the site.... and never give it to anyone else with the exception of the 2,3 or 4 companies you have requested to contact you.
Q. Is your service completely free?
A. Yes, our service is totally free of charge for homeowners and we take no commission on the work done. Our income comes from a small fee paid by tradespeople who are looking for work.
Q. I forgot my username/password
A. Go to any page and click on the “Forgot” (KEY) 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.
Didn't find your question? Contact us for more information - member-support@findatrade.com
Q. Are the tradespeople on your site legally registered?
A. We make multiple checks on all trade joiners and they must satisfy these investigations to be registered with us. We do this to help ensure, as far as we possibly can, that the tradesperson is genuine and legally entitled to work in the country they advertise their services.
We take security extremely seriously and even though we validate trade members when they join, we strongly recommend you validate a company's additional information e.g. associations, references, qualifications, certifications and ensure they have the necessary up to date insurances. Please note that we recommend that you, (depending on the size/importance/risk of the work/job), at a minimum, check their insurance documents and preferably (especially for larger jobs) check out their references.
Q. I emailed one of your trades 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 tradesperson would want to ignore the very request they have asked to receive, so give them the benefit of the doubt and keep trying.
Q. Does your service provide online estimates?
A. No, we do not provide estimates. The person or company who is vying for your work should provide you with a detailed estimate and you can specify how you would like to receive it. If you are happy doing it, you can even provide them with enough information by phone or email for them to provide a reasonable estimate without a visit but a visit is usually better. This can often happen with smaller jobs like replacing a lock or repairing a roof tile etc. – the choice is entirely yours.
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. You can rate and comment on their work afterwards and of course you can review previous ratings, references etc before deciding who to use.
Q. Who are the tradespeople/builders that will receive my request?
A. We carefully select tradespeople/builders on the basis of your needs, their trade categories and the geographical area that they work in – and if it is important to you, based on how far you are happy for them to travel. The more information you can give us about the work you want done, the easier it will be for us to find the right tradespeople/builder for you. We also use other criteria including their ratings and how comprehensive their additional information is.
Q. How many tradespeople will contact me?
A. You tell us. You can ask for 2, 3 or 4 contacts. Once the number you selected has been reached, no-one else will contact you. We will notify you when a company promises to contact you. We do this so you can expect their contact and view their details. You then arrange a time to suit you for them to visit and provide you with an estimate.
Q. How long must I wait for contact from tradespeople?
A. When you post your job, you tell us how quickly you need a reply. When that time limit is reached we will contact you and ask if you would like to extend the time if you have not yet received sufficient contacts. If the number of contacts you requested is reached before that time limit, your job will be automatically archived.
Q. How long must I wait from the time you tell me someone has promised to contact me to the time they actually contact me?
A. Most tradespeople will contact you immediately but we ask that you give them at least 1 day and allow them to quote for the work once they do. It is to your advantage to receive multiple quotes and be wary of anyone suggesting that you remove your job early.
Q. How will I be contacted?
A. Most tradespeople tend to use the phone (job postings with no phone number will be accepted but are likely to not receive as much attention from tradespeople compared to those with a contact phone number). We give you the chance to specify your availability, to make sure they call at a time that is convenient. Some tradespeople make an initial contact by email before phoning you or arranging an appointment.
Q. Do the tradespeople come out to give their quote?
A. That is generally what happens, but it is left up to you and them to agree if that is necessary. You may be able to provide them with enough information by phone or email for them to provide a reasonable estimate without a visit
Q. Will my contact details be posted on the web?
A. No, your contact details will only ever be passed on to a maximum of 4 companies or tradesmen at the most, depending on how many estimates/contacts you requested and will never be published on our website.
Q. If I post a job on the site, am I obliged to choose any of your tradesmen?
A. Not at all, who you choose is entirely up to you. We hope we can help you find the best builder/company/tradespeople, if not, you can either repost your job and try different people or simply remove your job from the site.
Posting jobs
Q. Why should I use your site?
A. Because we are unique in what we do. Forget Yellow Pages. we make your life easier because you don't need to spend hours on the phone searching for quality tradespeople - they contact you. You stay in control because you decide how many estimates you want. Your estimates are from local, qualified and rated companies. All you get with search pages is a listing, no reviews, no chance to rate them afterwards.
You can post a job for free right away and let us do the work of finding the right tradespeople for you, or, if you prefer, you can search our database and contact them yourself.
Q. How do I post my job?
A. There are links from all pages to the 'Post a Job page. Complete the simple form with as much information as possible about the job to give the tradesmen a better idea of the work needing to be done.
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 tradespeople about to contact you, validate your joining details, send you reminders to rate the tradesperson afterwards etc. We never sell or give your contact details to any other group, body or organisations. The only people who will see it are the 2, 3 or 4 tradespeople who have agreed to provide you with a free quote.
Q. Do I have to give a telephone number?
A. No but you are more likely to get interest in your job posting if you do. Many tradespeople use their phones when at work and may take a lot longer to contact you if they have to write an email.
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 posted a job but cannot see it online
A. Your job must be approved before it can be seen online. We do this by checking things like the validity of your details, the types of trade categories you require, the length of the job, etc. We do this to ensure that tradespeople are able to contact you and that your job will be seen by as many relevant trades as possible.
Rating Tradespeople
Q. How does the rating system work?
A. Before you decide who to hire, look at the feedback for the tradespeople who are quoting for your work and judge your suitability on how well they have previously been rated. After you hire them and the work is finished, you will add to that feedback, giving your rating on several factors important to you and reward excellent service. It is in the trades best interest to provide quality work and get great feedback, which increases their chances of getting more work. We use a system called success criteria that you can specify when you post your job. Tell us and the tradespeople what criteria you will use to select a company and how you will rate them when the work is completed and they can use that to build actions into their plans to ensure they meet your criteria. It helps no-one if the criteria comes as a surprise at the end. Our unique system of selecting and evaluating against criteria is aimed at keeping everyone happy.
Q. How do I leave feedback?
A. You should only rate a tradesperson if they carried out work for the job you posted. When rating a trade please remember to provide a balanced view. When logged in, go to 'Manage my Jobs', select the appropriate job and click on 'Rate this Trade'. All ratings are moderated.
Using our service
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” (KEY) 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. I've received the required number of contacts, what do I do now?
A. Nothing other than go through the quoting and selection process.
Q. Is my personal information safe?
A. Yes, completely safe. We do not display any of your contact details on the site.... and never give it to anyone else with the exception of the 2,3 or 4 companies you have requested to contact you.
Q. Is your service completely free?
A. Yes, our service is totally free of charge for homeowners and we take no commission on the work done. Our income comes from a small fee paid by tradespeople who are looking for work.
Q. I forgot my username/password
A. Go to any page and click on the “Forgot” (KEY) 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.
Didn't find your question? Contact us for more information - member-support@findatrade.com