Are you unsure of the difference between a Which? trusted trader, and a council-endorsed trader? Or which you should really care about?
Well, the first thing I want to clear up is that no; a Which? trusted trader is not the same as a council-endorsed trader. However, a heating engineer (or any trader for that matter) can be both things at the same time.
As an experienced heating engineer, I’m going to explain the main differences between a Which? trusted trader, and a council-endorsed trader, below.
Which? trusted traders vs council-endorsed traders
What I have found is that Which? is the champion for the average household consumer. This ensures they follow certain procedures regarding complaints, written quotations, being transparent on price, invoicing, and overall customer care. In contrast, most traders who are endorsed by your local council is mainly down to the fact they carry out work for council tenants, or on behalf of the council.
TIP: For more information on Which? trusted traders, read my blog entitled: ‘Is it Worth it to Choose a Which? Trusted Trader?’.
We’re currently endorsed as a Which? trusted trader. However, I’ve never felt the need to be a council-endorsed trader. My main reason being that they don’t seem to carry out the same checks, or monitor standards the same as Which? do.
Advice from an experienced heating engineer
If you’re feeling wary, or have had trouble with tradesmen in the past, it’s always best to double check. The main thing with the council is that they’re able to make checks on rogue traders, or give details of companies that have been in trouble with trading standards.
Most of my customers who are looking for a Which? trusted trader have come through to us as they were reading up about Which? ‘Best Buy’ boilers. I’ve had a few customers who were doing their due diligence and checked us out through trading standards, or the council, to see if there was anything untoward flagging up.
Finally, as I always say (and why I write these blogs), if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Especially if they want money up front. Never rush into making a decision, and always get three fixed price quotations. Never proceed with work until you’ve received this in writing.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, and I hope I’ve helped clear up the differences between a Which? trusted trader, and a council-endorsed trader. Especially when investing in a new boiler, it’s reassuring to know that the installer you hire is going to do a good job. By contacting the council, you can check if any red flags show up.
However, Which? is the champion of the UK consumer, so I’d highly recommend choosing one of their trusted traders. Whereas local council-endorsed traders are exactly as stated – it just means they carry out work for the council.
If you have any questions on this subject, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. I’ll be happy to help!
