checkatrade format gone downhill

[Medarb]

Has anybody noticed checkatrade has recently got really shit?

Perhaps like me last year wasn't the busiest, but checkatrades format has changed from people organically finding you on their site, to them seemingly controlling how many leads trickle down to you, and therefore NOT trickling said leads unless you pay for a higher membership..

They've done me well over the years so I would prefer not to leave them, but they have me over a barrel to pay more, to hopefully receive the same number of leads I did before their changes!

[treevolution]

I left in August last year as I was getting no leads at all and the ones that did come were time wasters.

 

It's been taken over by a big corporation and they are just trying to get as much money from you as they can.

 

Completely rip off.

 

Real shame as a lot of my work use to come from checkatrade when I first started.

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, treevolution said:

Real shame as a lot of my work use to come from checkatrade when I first started.

I would have thought that is the only time you need to advertise, once you get established most work is from recommendation, or was in my case.

[shillo]

they were talking about it on radio 4 a couple of days ago, with reference to builders though. yes a load of rubbish was the conclusion

 

[green heart]

I wouldn't use checkatrade for anything, even if you paid me to, based on what I've heard about them over the last year or so -and as for paying them to advertise my work... er, no thanks! 

[Steve Bullman]

You’re not alone. I have a number of customers who have recently increased their seo spend as they are planning on leaving checkatrade 

[jose]

They jumped my monthly from about £80 to nearly £800! 

said no, had already agreed a slight increase with the salesman the month before (who conveniently had now left).

Settled on something like £90 pcm.

Next thing i know they closed my account!

Had to reopen a new one and subsequently lost about 7 years worth of positive feedback.

Now they estimate i should get a certain amount of lead per month, dont think i get anywhere near that and definitely doesnt translate into actual jobs!

Be leaving when my current contract is up as just not worth it. 

As others said i used to get loads of work through it, now barely anything.

and the apple on the cake is the login in is meant to be better, its worse! Having to get codes sent every time . its not the bank of England!

 

[doobin]

Checkatrade are basically like every other snake oil sales 'lead generator'. Pay attention greenhorns, this is how it works.

 

Salesman calls you , promises you the earth. More work than you can handle.

 

You sign the document he sends you.

 

They don't deliver. Either no calls or simply sending you the junk fake leads they send everyone.

 

You complain. Say 'salesman promised XYX'

 

They say- read the contract.

 

The salesman's verbal promises will not be in it. Worse, you are signed up for a year minium. Even worse- you cannot cancel as its business to business.

 

DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING AS A BUSINESS UNLESS YOU HAVE FULLY READ IT AND UNDERSTAND- CONSUMER PROTECTIONS DO NOT APPLY