This week is Trusted Trader Week, running across every Trusted Trader scheme in Scotland. It comes down to one thing: knowing who a tradesperson is before you let them into your home.
Most tradespeople are honest, skilled and do a good job. The problem is that rogue traders can be very convincing, with uniforms, leaflets and vans with company logos. So how do you tell the difference?
A Trusted Trader will not cold call
Trading Standards vetted members do not cold call. Those signed up to Trusted Trader schemes agree to a Code of Practice, which includes not turning up unannounced on a doorstep.
Don't feel obliged to deal with a trader who knocks on your door and says they've spotted a problem with your roof or any other part of your property, or that they have a special deal which is only valid today.
Even when you are expecting a tradesperson, if anything makes you feel unsure about the person on your doorstep, you are entitled to check their identity. A genuine business will not mind waiting while you do this.
Six things worth doing before any work starts
- Never agree to work on the doorstep, however reasonable the person seems.
- Use a scheme where somebody has actually checked the business, rather than a directory anyone can pay to join.
- Always try and get more than one quote, and get each one in writing.
- Get the full business name and an address you can check, not just a first name and a mobile number.
- Be wary of any price that expires today, and of any request for money up front for materials.
- Read the reviews, and check they are verified reviews from real customers.
What Trading Standards vetting actually means
Every member of a Trusted Trader scheme has been through a thorough series of checks and then been approved by their local Trading Standards service before being allowed on to the scheme.
These checks include the business and the people behind it: who they are, their insurances, their terms of business, their complaints history and more. Currently around around a third of applications are rejected for a variety of reasons, so unlike commercial schemes, you cannot just pay a fee and join.
Trading Standards vet the business and its owners. They cannot and do not inspect or approve individual jobs, so the standard of the work itself is judged where it should be, in the verified customer reviews on each trader's own profile.
Where to find a Trading Standards vetted trader
If you are looking for a Trading Standards vetted trader anywhere in Scotland, start at approvedtrader.scot. It is the national portal, run on behalf of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland, and it searches every local authority approved trader scheme in the country in one place. That includes the sixteen schemes hosted on trustedtrader.scot, and other council schemes hosted and managed elsewhere.
If you already know your local Trusted Trader scheme, you can go straight to it at trustedtrader.scot and search by trade and by town. Every member has been vetted by their own council's Trading Standards service, and the schemes are supported by Police Scotland.
If your area does not have an official Trading Standards scheme of its own, you are still covered. The SCOTSS Approved Trader scheme takes members from anywhere in Scotland.
General Advice on Avoiding Scams
- Advice Direct Scotland: www.consumeradvice.scot/knowledge-centre or call 0808 164 6000
- Citizens Advice Scotland: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/consumer
- Police Scotland: www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/scams-and-frauds
- Financial Conduct Authority: www.fca.org.uk/consumers/protect-yourself-scams
- Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alerts: www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk
- Which?: www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/scams
- Age Scotland: www.ageuk.org.uk/scotland/information-advice/money-matters/scams/
- Friends Against Scams: www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk