User guide
Finding your way around the guide
To navigate between pages, click or tap the arrows to go forwards to the next page or backwards to the previous one. The arrows can be found either side of the page and at the bottom, too (circled in green, below).
Menu/table of contents
Click or tap on the three horizontal lines in the top-right of your screen to open the main menu/table of contents. This icon is always visible whether you're using a computer, tablet or smartphone. The menu will open on top of the page you’re on. Click on any section title to visit that section. Click the cross at any time to close the table of contents.
Text size
On a computer, you'll see three different sized letter 'A's in the top-right of your screen. On a smartphone or tablet these are visible when you open the menu (see above). If you’re having trouble reading the guide, click or tap on each of the different 'A's to change the size of the text to suit you.
Pictures
On some images you'll see a blue double-ended arrow icon. Clicking or tapping on this will expand the picture so you can see more detail. Click or tap on the blue cross to close the expanded image.
Where we think a group of images will be most useful to you, we've grouped them together in an image gallery. Simply use the blue left and right arrows to scroll through the carousel of pictures.
Links
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Jargon
If you see a word or phrase underlined, click or tap on the word and small window will pop up with a short explanation. Close this pop-up by clicking or tapping the cross in the corner.
Help
On a computer, you'll see a question mark icon in the top-right of your screen. On a smartphone or tablet this is visible when you open the menu (see above).
Clicking or tapping on the question mark will open this user guide. It opens on top of the page you're on and you can close it any time by clicking or tapping the cross in the top-right corner.
Bringing in a professional
Discover how to find a great local trader and what you can do to ensure your household project runs smoothly from beginning to end.
Hiring a trader
When the problem is something you can't fix yourself, it's time to bring in a qualified professional.
Which? Trusted Traders is our scheme that recognises reputable businesses who successfully pass an assessment process carried out by our trading standards professionals. Here’s what we do:
- Credit report – We validate the financial health of the business.
- Customer satisfaction – We contact a selection of customers from the company's most recent work.
- Business procedures – We examine the business and administrative procedures to ensure the company has consumer interests in mind.
- Interview and assessment – A Which? trading standards professional visits and interviews the applicant to understand all aspects of how the business is run.
- Report – The business receives our assessment report. Our assessors give advice and feedback to ensure they meet our high standards before joining the scheme.
- Endorse – We only endorse businesses that pass our rigorous assessment, agree to abide by our terms and conditions and code of conduct, and pay our ongoing membership fees.
Rigorously assessed local tradesmen and tradeswomen. Which? Trusted Traders helps you to choose the right trader for your needs and gives good traders the recognition they deserve.
Make your repairs run smoothly
We've spoken to some of our Trusted Traders to find out what customers can do to make repairs and big projects go as planned. Here's what they said:
Whether it’s a boiler engineer, a plumber or just general handyperson that you need, hiring the right company, and communicating what’s important to both you and them will help to make the process smooth and stress-free. Here’s how to go about it.
Before the work starts
- Getting quotes – Think about what’s most important. If getting the repair done in the quickest possible time is your top priority, then a trader who has more staff could be a better option than a one-man-band – but it might also be a bit pricier.
- Check key dates – Do you have any particular deadlines that you’ll need the trader to meet?
- Get an itemised cost breakdown – This will help you to see if cheaper quotes are cutting corners.
- Is a deposit necessary? – You should get a firm quote for the full cost of the work, and deposits may be needed for them to buy materials.
- Check the trader is insured sufficiently – At a minimum they need public liability insurance cover in case there’s damage to your property, and cover for if they go out of business.
- Read the contract – Basics include price and agreed start and finish dates. Check that any damage as a result of the work will be fixed at their expense.
During the work
- Materials – If you’re providing any materials, be sure they are purchased and delivered in good time.
- Communication – Establish how and when you will communicate with your trader. To minimise disruption, be sure you know who will be around to let them in.
- Something not right? – Raise concerns as soon as you have them and agree any additional work or costs in writing.
At the end
- Payment – It should be clear at the end of the job exactly how much you owe, but it’s also a good idea to ask for updates throughout the project to spare yourself any surprises. Your trader will send you an itemised invoice that you should check carefully. When it comes to making a payment, BACS transfers are now a much more popular payment method than cheques. If you do a payment in cash, it’s best to count through the money together.
- Something still not right? – If your concerns aren’t addressed by the trader, you can contact the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman to log a complaint (info@disputeresolutionombudsman.org). All businesses on our Which? Trusted Traders site belong to this organisation.
If you’ve run into trouble when having a product repaired or replaced and would like help from our legal experts, get in touch with Which? Legal. We can supply step-by-step tailored guidance to solve your legal issues. We charge a set monthly fee with no cap on calls and no hidden costs.