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Received news yesterday that Surrey CC are to close their section of the "Buy With Confidence" scheme following a review over recent months.

The SurreyCC BWC scheme will close on 2nd Feb 2015, with members given several choices;

- leave scheme and discontinue use of logo's etc

- take advantage of a special 6 month trail membership of CheckaTrade @ £80+vat/6months

If the latter option is taken, trial members will be given further options in August 2015;

- exclusive "BWC" affiliate membership level (with no listings on web seraches via CheckaTrade !) - £275+vat pa

- website membership - £699+vat pa

- website & directory membership - £935+vat pa

All rates are caveated with a statement "all fees are subject to annual inflationary increases' - take that as mandatory prices rises - it must be a very expensive commercial scheme to run.

To feature in websearches you effectively have to pay at least another £400+vat (ie take out a £699+vat membership option, which suggests it's purely commercial/profit decision)

Jury's out for me as I don't believe the commercial schemes deliver value for money or deliver the 'impartial' nature of the Local Authority schemes.

While SCC are putting a 'positive' spin on this, it's a massive increase and I wonder how many will move over and if financial budget cuts are the real cause?

Is it fair to assume other Local Authorities BWC schemes will follow ?

 

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  • im with the wscc one. they tried to bring this in before and didn't get anywhere with it, but im sure it will happen. I have to say when I first joined it I was very impressed, but there was a change in personnel running it and I really don't know what its worth is any longer, apart from the peace of mind for customers with the logo. It seems to have become confused as to what its purpose really is. What I the point of me leaving buy with confidence feedback cards with customers if no one ever gets to see them published anywhere. Ive been a member of checkatrade for two years and from my point of view it has been absolutely worth every penny as an advertising medium, its bought us in so much more work and exposure that its allowed us to expand. To a certain extent it does give customers a kind of peace of mind, and in this day and age people want to be able to read reviews online, whether its to go to a restaurant, book a holiday or buy a camera, so this industry is no different.

    I dont think any scheme can give people total peace of mind, it still comes down to making an informed choice.

    • PRO

      It's a real shame as the global BWC website was totally revamped in Oct/November offering access to client reviews (they uploaded the historical ones back to June 2014) thus 'competing' with the commercial schemes.

      Surrey CC polled it's members as to it's future earlier in the year, but strongly suggest that budget cut backs caused a review of their future direction.

      A tree surgeon business I know under WSCC's BWE scheme has not heard any news for their scheme.

      One (hidden) option may be is to transfer to an adjacent scheme (ie for us  Hants CC), especially as we work across the borders,

      Are your CheckaTrade scheme prices similar to above ?

      • i think they will. the website information was so poor. we get so few leads from anyone using the checkatrade. about the only contact we get is asking us to pay the subscription, pay for publishing or an infrequent email telling us there is a photo shoot or another company has joined. we used to get lots of updates on new legislation etc

        I think we pay about 500 to 600 for the checkatrade membership. for us it is extremely good value. the additional work it has bought in from leads directly from there has allowed us to expand the business in the last year. I was looking the other day at our year on year leads and they've gone up by about 30% since we joined and still rising. You do get a good back up with them with a dedicated contact who deals with stuff for you and they do sort out problems. it might bot be everyone's cup of tea, but down this way a lot of customers like it and use it, and its been the most effective paid for advertising we've used. at the end of the day it is advertising, but they do follow up infringements. ive had a couple of instances where companies have used the logo they aren't entitled to and they have taken action over it.

        • PRO

          The effectiveness of BWC recently does seem very, very LA dependant.

          At SCC, they had a regular newsletter called "TS Alert !" with all manner of information including legisalative news (I often posted from it). It would detrimental if that ceased as well :( )

          This represents the new tie up :

          3314777085?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

          Is there a similar CheckaTrade newsletter ?

  • PRO

    Now that is really disappointing and explains a lot! We are with West Sussex trading standards buy with confidence scheme and asked to also apply for membership to Surrey or even transfer over our membership. We only got the answer from them that their membership was full. Now I understand why they are not taking on new members. 

    Our contact Gavin at WSCC has not given us any indication that the WSCC scheme will cease or change. 

    • how long have you been with west sussex and what is your opinion of the scheme now?

      • PRO

        We have been a member for 1 year and other than a few calls at the beginning, we have not tracked any work that has come directly through their website. Help the aged do use BWC and so we do get calls from here but often these customers have wanted quite reduced rates and suit a one man band.

        I did a client questionnaire and most of our clients thought it was a good idea from their point of view - for client peace of mind. Our contact from WSCC is very friendly but the truth is apart from stickers we get very little out of it and I don't think that BWC know much about business law. 

        We are thinking of joining Checkatrade - sounds like it has been good for you?

  • The problem is  the BWC scheme is run by trading standards  which is based in council offices and run by the council. Many councils have A) reduced levels of staffing and made redundant most of the people with the best experience and kept on cheaper people or  others who are more difficult to get rid of and moved them into jobs they know nothing about. B) Trading standards isnt really equipped and ready to deal with reccomendations and current legislation.

    A couple of cases in point.

    I had to eject a lady from trading standards who was  reviewing my company because she demanded to see my CRB certificates of my staff. Only after talking with her bosses and informing them of legislation contained in the rehabilitation of offenders and data protection acts no one but myself and a designated person are allowed to review the documents or thier contents.

    One of my new vehicles was stopped towing a big kubota 3680 by the police and trading standrads to check what they where doing and what customers they had been to  it was only the second vehicle they had stopped that day. Even though we where one of the largest companies on the BWC scheme in our area  she had no idea that we actually wher on it and we just had not been sent the stickers for the new van

    We had to eneter arbitration with one of our clients who was particularly difficult. After takeing 30 samples around to her house  she chose a selection of slabs and we  put them down for her. She then refused to pay because they had an uneven surface even though it was a natural sandstone. Trading standards demanded we ripped up half of the patio and relay it even though the puddling was due to the riven surface and nothing to do with the falls on the patio. We then found out she had done this with an electrician and a soffit and fascia guy through the same scheme and with this we told trading standards we would take them to court as well as here and claim damages if they didnt relent. Which they did but they should have used common sensne and realised there was a pattern forming rather than taking the clients side ( guilty until prove innocent) We are still members of the BWC scheme but really there is nothing coming from it in Bucks and its seems just lipservice and merchandising rather than protecting both client and contractor. I hope it changes. AJ

  • PRO

    It would seem there is now a formal backlash from SurreyCC BWC members who feel their views (requested formally by SurreyCC a couple of months ago) have been ignored/overuled by a truly  'commercial' decision.

    Many state they wish no association with CheckaTrade. I assume this implies many believe that a money making scheme by a commercial operation does not carry the same standing with the general public and/or CheckaTrade is viewed with some scepticism.

    Many also state they have and continue to have a good referral / conversion rate from BWC, especially with the new revamped website, allied to the fact more LA's are joining.

    It has been pointed out that maintain a like for like membership/benefit level, joining Checkatrade will require nearly an eye-watering 575% increase in the membership costs, theorectically netting CheckaTrade £250,000 +vat.. It is unclear if there is any split of that money between the two parties.

    At the moment it would seem SurreyCC will continue with it's plan, but HampshireCC TS (who originally started the scheme) would be happy for SurreyCC members to transfer over as the new BWC website is now countrywide.

    It is fair to assume many will transfer over or just not continue with any scheme - not sure who wins or loses in that case.

  • PRO

    Just a brief update;

    We are tranferring our membership (currently underway) to the Hants CC scheme and run under the wider nationwide scheme being administered by a central team, rather than go the way Surrey TS is effectively pushing its members; ie to join CheckaTrade at increased costs.

    SurreyCC closed its scheme on Modany the 2nd and it would seems many have decided that the commercial CheckaTrade scheme is not one they wish to particpate in - for many reasons.

    I am not sure where this leaves the commercial tie up between SurreyCC and CheckaTrade and whether it will continue in the promoted guise.

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