YOU ARE VIEWING ARTICLE - ID:20121211012

Title: Finding a tradesman you can trust this winter Author: DMBC  ID & Publication: 20121211012 ~ The-Villager.co.uk  Area: Doncaster  Subject: Community News

As many residents are turning their attention to ensuring their home is in tip-top condition for the cold and wet months ahead, Doncaster Council is reminding them that the TrustMark website is the best place to find local reputable tradesmen.

TrustMark is a not for profit organisation, licensed by Government and supported by consumer protection groups.
Councillor Cynthia Ransome, Cabinet Member for Communities; Street Scene; Environmental Protection; Waste and Recycling, said: ‘The TrustMark scheme is a good way to protect yourself from rogue tradesmen especially when you’re faced with an emergency winter repair such as a burst water pipe or leaking roof.

‘Don’t panic and hire the first firm you see in the telephone directory - look for a TrustMark registered firm or visit www.trustmark.org.uk which has an easy to use postcode search facility connected to the largest database of accredited tradesmen in the country.’

For confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues, or to report a rogue trader to the council’s Trading Standards team, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06.

TrustMark

1. TrustMark is the Government endorsed quality scheme that signposts people to reputable local tradesmen. It is a registered social enterprise, operated under licence from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
2. TrustMark's website has an easy to use UK wide postcode search facility, which provides details of more than 22,000 licenced trades and has the largest database of accredited tradesmen in the country.
3. All TrustMark firms' technical skills have been independently checked through on-site inspections to ensure a high quality of workmanship and trading practices. TrustMark is the only scheme that requires qualified inspectors to do these visits, so that technical competence is checked as well as business practices and customer satisfaction.
4. TrustMark firms work to Government endorsed standards and are able to offer insurance backed warranties and deposit protection, as well as operating a user-friendly complaints procedure.

5. TrustMark launched a new smartphone 'talk to your tradesman' app in June 2012 to help homeowners ask all the right questions and to have better conversations with a tradesman before they accept a quote for work to be done in or around their home. The app is free and currently available for iPhones, with other versions coming soon. To download the app, follow the link from www.trustmark.org.uk/apps. A paper copy of the questions and guidance is also available to download from www.trustmark.org.uk/apps/print/.

There are no pictures to accompany this article