COMPLAINTS

How to make a complaint

We take great pride in the products and services we offer both trades and consumers.  However, we understand that sometimes issues arise, and we’re here to help if they do.

We value all feedback - as it helps us improve your experience. So, whether you’re a trade or consumer and you need to make a complaint, here’s what you need to know:

How to make a complaint

On our website: Using the Raise a Dispute form

Write to us at: Bushbury House, 435 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4AF

Call us on: 0161 533 1112

Email us at: complaints@rateatrade.co.uk

Information for consumers making a complaint

Tradespeople on the Rate A Trade platform are expected to handle complaints professionally and responsibly – and we recommend you contact them directly to try and resolve your issue first.

If you're unable to resolve the issue directly with the tradesperson, please contact us using the ‘How to make a complaint’ section above and we’ll look into it. 

We can’t force a trade to act, but we can investigate and decide whether they continue to meet our standards for remaining on our platform. All complaints are reviewed in line with our complaints handling procedure – depending on the seriousness of the complaint. We may contact both the trade and consumer to request supporting evidence such as quotes, invoices, proof of payment and photos to assess the trade's compliance with our standards. We could then:

-          Provide guidance to trades.

-          Restrict or, in serious cases, remove them from Rate A Trade

-          Limit the trade’s activity on our platform during the investigation.  

Our dedicated dispute resolution team will be available Monday – Friday 09:00 – 17:00, emails sent out of hours will be responded to on the next working day, to assist you with resolving any disputes that may arise from work placed through our platform. Please note, that we are unable to assist with disputes on work performed by any of our member Tradespeople if that work was placed directly with them, or through a platform other than the Rate A Trade platform. We encourage consumers and trades to talk to each other directly, giving each side the chance to explain, clarify, or resolve any misunderstandings. In our experience, most issues can be worked out when both parties are willing to listen and engage constructively. While we’re not here to take sides, we do believe in fostering a fair and balanced space where everyone’s voice can be heard — and that starts with open conversation.

Further support

If your issue remains unresolved, you could look at the following options:

Consider leaving a review of the trade that follows our guidelines to share your experience with other consumers.

Speak to the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 or visit citizensadvice.org.uk and they can support with free legal advice.

Contact your bank or insurance provider to see if they can support you with retrieving funds in the event of fraud or faulty work.

Report a trade to Trading Standards if you believe a trade has broken the law or acted unfairly. Trading Standards work in partnership with Citizens Advice – and they aim to investigate unfair or illegal business activity and stop them operating.

Report them to or contact their governing body or provider of accreditation service – such as Gas Safe or NAPIT.  

Make a claim on their Public Liability Insurance if you think this may be an option available to you – we can help you with those details or you can request them from the tradesperson directly.

Report them to the police. Bad practice may mean fraud or theft, so it's worth reporting this if you believe they have acted illegally or you’re feeling unsafe. For more details on fraud, visit Action Fraud. 

Consider Making a Money Claim online via HM Courts & Tribunals Service for small claims. 

Contact your bank or insurance provider to see if they can support you with retrieving funds in the event of fraud or faulty work.

If you need urgent help, contact the Financial Ombudsman Service. They can support if you’re vulnerable or in with financial difficulty.