It really is just a gamble out there, it's crazy. I feel like sites like checkatrade, mybuilder etc just attract that sort of talent as it's so easy to get jobs & make money and obviously for most consumers those sites are their first thought when looking for tradesmen. Admittedly I found my 'builder' off checkatrade who had tons of 5 star reviews, never again.
Another problem is that customers have no idea what a decent job should look like.
One day, she wot scowls at me when I get home, decided to use MyBuilder to find a decorator, to repaint our hallway (I am a decorator- one that provides a high quality of finish).
They guy she found had 5 star reviews, and lived 6 houses away from us.
I had previously decorated it to a decent standard. All the guy had to do as prep was key the woodwork.
The day he finished, she sheepishly asked me to repaint the hallway (same colours). I ended up having to sand the emulsion given that he left a shocking high degree of orange peel. I also had to re-sand the paintwork flat because of the amount of crud in the paint and massive tramlines.
The other guy she used on MyBuilder did little jobs (
acceptably well) and when she mentioned that she was planning to redo the downstairs bathroom, he convinced her that tiling was his "forte". He took 4 grand to buy the fittings and tiles, whilst waiting for the items to be delivered he then did some work for my stepson. Toby Smith of Hatfield (his family, on Facebook, like horse drawn caravans and brag about being able to fake clothing logos) stole the 4K and did a really, really rubbish tiling job for my stepson.
I ended up having to unblock my stepson's bathroom waste because the chuffin muppet was obviously washing his grout sponges in the basin. I then noticed that he forgot to use solvent weld on some of the pipe work.
I picked up his tools and took them to my home, she what scowls at me asked me to calculate the value of the tools. She was hoping to use them as a bargaining tool. IMO they were worth less than £300. The only item that wasn't budget c.r.ap was a Hilti cordless drill. It had a scratched out serial number though.
She asked her bank to recoup the 4K. When he found out, he went ape and started threatening her and demanded the return of his tools. She had previously spoken to the old bill, they said that her holding on to the tools was a civil matter and that they would not act upon it.
After the threats, which I knew nothing about previously, she asked me to return the tools the place that he texted her to return them to. Turns out that it was his brother's house, a plumber that doesn't seem to have a dodgy reputation. I paid one of my Irish mates, that is built like a s.... house to give me a lift. I turned up on the doorstep, the brother was rather confrontational, until he saw the size of my mate. The tools were dropped off, she was 4K out of pocket, and I was £50 out of pocket after paying my mate for a lift.
Note to mods: Under UK law, my post is "fair comment". AFAIK, I am allowed to malign given websites so long as I am being honest and truthful.
If the person mentioned asks for the post to be deleted, I will provide documented evidence.
Sorry, end of rant. I hate scumbags.