Consumer Protection Agency !!!!
- Thread starter Hoga
- Start date
If you are saying this scheme is all about building trust then that is fine, but there are cheaper and better ways of doing this i.e. use a local Council scheme
The Office of Fair Trading: Network members
The Medway Council one is £139 per year compared to £500, plus you may also get referrals from the Council.
Medway Council - Fair Trader scheme
The Office of Fair Trading: Network members
The Medway Council one is £139 per year compared to £500, plus you may also get referrals from the Council.
Medway Council - Fair Trader scheme
what makes you think that using a council scheme is any better??, Medway scheme is for traders in kent , its not national, my brother in law uses it and says most of his customers have never heard or it, in addition have you ever tried to get through to your local council to check someone out, one of his customers did and she was told no one could help her because they were all at lunch, thats why it cheap!
Dont agree with you Tony, i'm happy with UK CPA,but i get the impression you're not.
Dont agree with you Tony, i'm happy with UK CPA,but i get the impression you're not.
If traders want to build trust then a local OFT approved code is cheaper and more widely recognised (The Office of Fair Trading: Network members) The OFT spends a fortune on promoting its codes how much does the Consumer Protection Agency spend. I have never heard of them till this thread was started.
This organisation is going to have its work cut out as more and more councils look to approved traders schemes as a source of income.
I don't have a problem with CPA I am just stating fact.
This organisation is going to have its work cut out as more and more councils look to approved traders schemes as a source of income.
I don't have a problem with CPA I am just stating fact.
You say that OFT spend a lot money promoting their scheme, well i havent seen it, You are quite correct that local councils will want to raise revenue by promoting a trader scheme, however it doesnt mean they will have the funds to kep it in the public eye, nor does it mean they will do it well.I dont want to pay my local council any more money, i pay them enough.Companies like UK CPA have the resources to promote it consitently like on the internet, councils have limited budgets.My customers have phoned UK CPA in the evening and the weekends, i dont think any council scheme will do that.do you know for certain that councils schemes are better, as you stated Tony, remember cheaper isn't necessarily better, the important thing to remember that it works for both parties.
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I don't know for certain that a local scheme is better, but it is logical that a local scheme will give more trust than the UK Consumer Protection Agency, as they are backed by two big brands i.e. local government and the OFT rather than a limited company. They are also cheaper, so from a trust perspective they are better value for money.
I can't comment on leads, but you did say in a previous post that you should not join for leads.
Tony
I can't comment on leads, but you did say in a previous post that you should not join for leads.
The Consumer Protection Agency does advertise using Google Adwords for terms such as "plumber" and "find a plumber" so it might lead to some business, but I still think that you will get more trust with a local scheme. Remember, the two are not mutually exclusive.
Tony
You are quite right Tony, UK CPA is not a lead generation service, but it dont pretend to be, the fact that you have found them yourself on google, says that traders will benefit, i think the local authority schemes have their place, but i dont think that they can compete with a commercial enterprise, simply bcause their business isn't soley providing a trader scheme, you shouldn't assume that a ltd company is any less capable or percieved less trustworthy than a goverment dept, there are 'companies' that do a good job for traders and their customers, councils get their funding cut all the time, rogue traders aint their priority.
well you never know Tony, the saying small acorns spring to mind..yes i agree, we are in broad agreement, but thats the greatness of places like this, the oportunity to have an opinion and share it
Hi It's me again I was to busy to check how this thread is growing up .
For explanation to anyone concern .
One day I applied on the website UKCPA .
After few hours representative contacted me and showed me website facilities .
I gave them all my details over the phone .
NEVER EVER PROVIDED any detials of my trade qualification
- existing customer references
- My company is not registered as any builder trade
I ignored emails what they send to me in next few days .
But actually I applied for a membership as a plumber,electrician carpenter etc... for designated areas .
I never read small prints in received emails
PAPERLESS DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT WILL BE COLLECTED FROM YOUR INSTRUCTED BANK/SOCIETY WITHIN 28 DAYS OF YOUR APPLICATION DATE IF APPROVED (forthcoming 15th day of the calendar month), UNLESS WE NOTIFY IN WRITING THAT IT HAS BEEN REFUSED (NORMALLY WITHIN 10 DAYS OF APPLICATION DATE). ANY CANCELLATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY US WITHIN 7 WORKING DAYS IN WRITING FROM THE APPLICATION DATE, FULL TERMS ATTACHED & AVAILABLE AT OUR WEBSITE.
Finaly after few weeks I become trusted member with out providing any details apart from company name and bank account .
Belive me I become a member for 500 pounds .
When customer is reading name Consumer Protection Agency is thinking it's something trustworthy with government controled body like DVLA or any other agency etc...
But actually it's not, it's commercial Limited company and they don't care who and how become a member the only thing what are they worried for is - money for membership .
What trader is getting for his membership is set of stickers and certificate with number for naive people looking for fair trade also number of new customers comming in is nearly zero , free ad in gumtree returns more phone calls and jobs then this "AGENCY" .
I've noticed when I went through all the posts in this thread -
mostly every positive feedback is from members registered after my thread was posted and it sounds like someone from UKCPA office is trying to make a good PR .
I appologise every fair trader registered with UKCPA .
I wish a lot of luck for customer using this website to find a trader .
Sorry for my post it's far to long .
hoga
For explanation to anyone concern .
One day I applied on the website UKCPA .
After few hours representative contacted me and showed me website facilities .
I gave them all my details over the phone .
NEVER EVER PROVIDED any detials of my trade qualification
- existing customer references
- My company is not registered as any builder trade
I ignored emails what they send to me in next few days .
But actually I applied for a membership as a plumber,electrician carpenter etc... for designated areas .
I never read small prints in received emails
PAPERLESS DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT WILL BE COLLECTED FROM YOUR INSTRUCTED BANK/SOCIETY WITHIN 28 DAYS OF YOUR APPLICATION DATE IF APPROVED (forthcoming 15th day of the calendar month), UNLESS WE NOTIFY IN WRITING THAT IT HAS BEEN REFUSED (NORMALLY WITHIN 10 DAYS OF APPLICATION DATE). ANY CANCELLATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY US WITHIN 7 WORKING DAYS IN WRITING FROM THE APPLICATION DATE, FULL TERMS ATTACHED & AVAILABLE AT OUR WEBSITE.
Finaly after few weeks I become trusted member with out providing any details apart from company name and bank account .
Belive me I become a member for 500 pounds .
When customer is reading name Consumer Protection Agency is thinking it's something trustworthy with government controled body like DVLA or any other agency etc...
But actually it's not, it's commercial Limited company and they don't care who and how become a member the only thing what are they worried for is - money for membership .
What trader is getting for his membership is set of stickers and certificate with number for naive people looking for fair trade also number of new customers comming in is nearly zero , free ad in gumtree returns more phone calls and jobs then this "AGENCY" .
I've noticed when I went through all the posts in this thread -
mostly every positive feedback is from members registered after my thread was posted and it sounds like someone from UKCPA office is trying to make a good PR .
I appologise every fair trader registered with UKCPA .
I wish a lot of luck for customer using this website to find a trader .
Sorry for my post it's far to long .
hoga
Sounds to me Hoga, you havent understood what you signed upto, its not their fault you didnt read their emails.
At the end of the day, you shouldn't join something you don't understand or want. Just because some people on here are happy doesnt mean we are working with them.
At the end of the day, you shouldn't join something you don't understand or want. Just because some people on here are happy doesnt mean we are working with them.
Absolutely not worth £500+ pounds, Trading standards, an actuall government run body run a similar scheme, currently for FREE in some areas and £100-200 in other areas. Trading standards approved sounds a hell of a lot better than UKCPA. UKCPA actually do very little, you get a nice big sticker, some paper work to fill out and thats it, they're £500+ better off. I was part of the scheme and had no contact at all from customers for the whole year. So that was one hugely expensive sticker!! I was never vetted for my work quality, asked for any qualifications or even if i had the correct insurance or the correct knowledge on consumer rights. As a body supposidly protecting consumers, these surely should be the first questions and items checked. Also watch they're "automatic renewals" this really just shows their intent as it's very rare to find a company that does this these days. Trust me you'll hear more from them then, than throughout the whole year. I would seriosly avoid. As to you UKCPA PR in this thread I will keep posting this to help other people not fall in your trap. AVOID AT ALL COST!! There are plenty of other bad reviews also on the net, once you get past the endless pages of UKCPA listed pages. Check it out. Eg. Ciao .co. uk
Thanks
Thanks
Re: Consumer Protection Agency
maybe lottie your a friend of Hoga,
what are you complaing about?
maybe lottie your a friend of Hoga,
what are you complaing about?
I run an organisation very similar to UKCPA. I'm not going to mention it here because i dont want you thinking i'm promoting myself. I'm just here to stick my nose in and give you guys my opinion (for what its worth) 
.
Companies like UKCPA, Guild of Mastercraftsmen, Fairtrades are all very similar and at the bottom end of our industry (although i'm sure the owners of these respective businesses would have lots of great reasons why their company is great.) They all offer "Accreditation" of some variety for about £300-£500 per annum. They all claim to offer loads of "services" and they all claim to get you work. Despite Dave The Trades rather absurd "dont join for work" outlook the UKCPA heavily advertises job leads on their site as a reason for joining. As an ex-tradesman i wouldnt join an organisation unless i was ging to get something tangeble back in return (not just some stickers and "customer piece of mind" which can be generate simply by being friendly!)
With the UKCPA the vetting prcedure is very very flimsy, just some simple financial checks that anyone with an internet connection could do. They do claim to check customer references but to be honest they can be faked very easily.
Another negative thing anout the UKCPA, GMC and Fairtrades is they dont offer any resolution services. As a National trade association (which is what they claim to be) they should be helping customers and tradesmen work together, not helping to reinforce the "us and them" culture of the construction industry. They should have very transparent complaints procedures published clearly on the website so that customers know if they are using one of their members and it goes wrong they have recourse.
Ultimately the UKCPA and it bretheren are just money making machines, why would you charge someone OVER £300pa become a member of something then charge them for the services and job leads that come with membership? As a business model it is floored and doesnt make any sense.
There are some fantastic companies out there. I'm not going to mention mine but here are some companies that you can go to as a consumer and be safe and you can join as a tradesman and see returns.
www.checkatrade.com
FMB - used to be rubbish but has improved dramatically over the past couple of years
Also check to see if your local trading standards is runnign some sort of "buy with confidence" style scheme.
.Companies like UKCPA, Guild of Mastercraftsmen, Fairtrades are all very similar and at the bottom end of our industry (although i'm sure the owners of these respective businesses would have lots of great reasons why their company is great.) They all offer "Accreditation" of some variety for about £300-£500 per annum. They all claim to offer loads of "services" and they all claim to get you work. Despite Dave The Trades rather absurd "dont join for work" outlook the UKCPA heavily advertises job leads on their site as a reason for joining. As an ex-tradesman i wouldnt join an organisation unless i was ging to get something tangeble back in return (not just some stickers and "customer piece of mind" which can be generate simply by being friendly!)
With the UKCPA the vetting prcedure is very very flimsy, just some simple financial checks that anyone with an internet connection could do. They do claim to check customer references but to be honest they can be faked very easily.
Another negative thing anout the UKCPA, GMC and Fairtrades is they dont offer any resolution services. As a National trade association (which is what they claim to be) they should be helping customers and tradesmen work together, not helping to reinforce the "us and them" culture of the construction industry. They should have very transparent complaints procedures published clearly on the website so that customers know if they are using one of their members and it goes wrong they have recourse.
Ultimately the UKCPA and it bretheren are just money making machines, why would you charge someone OVER £300pa become a member of something then charge them for the services and job leads that come with membership? As a business model it is floored and doesnt make any sense.
There are some fantastic companies out there. I'm not going to mention mine but here are some companies that you can go to as a consumer and be safe and you can join as a tradesman and see returns.
www.checkatrade.com
FMB - used to be rubbish but has improved dramatically over the past couple of years
Also check to see if your local trading standards is runnign some sort of "buy with confidence" style scheme.
Anyone who's really confident wouldnt have the need to slate others, can i ask do you charge members to join? or are you a charitable organisation? and make no profit from your members?
Hi Dave
Thanks for your reply.
We are not a charitable organisation we are a profit making business guided by some very simple principles that ensure our integrity, but i'm not here to talk about my organisation, the only reason i mentioned it was to provide some background for my point of view.
I have simply laid out in this thread an overveiw of some companies that i feel with my industry knowledge are extremely poor value for money and as the other people in this thread also feel like this it obviously strengthens my point.. To add balance to my argument i also inlcuded some links to some reputable companies that are nothing to do with me.
I fail to see any balance in your argument, you are vehemently defending UKCPA, can i ask if you have any relationship with that organisation (apart form your membership).
Thanks for your reply.
We are not a charitable organisation we are a profit making business guided by some very simple principles that ensure our integrity, but i'm not here to talk about my organisation, the only reason i mentioned it was to provide some background for my point of view.
I have simply laid out in this thread an overveiw of some companies that i feel with my industry knowledge are extremely poor value for money and as the other people in this thread also feel like this it obviously strengthens my point.
. To add balance to my argument i also inlcuded some links to some reputable companies that are nothing to do with me. I fail to see any balance in your argument, you are vehemently defending UKCPA, can i ask if you have any relationship with that organisation (apart form your membership).
sorry , but i think you need to read the thread a little more is evreyone slating it?
No i'm just a member, who believe it or not is happy and so are my customers, i think my customers who have checked me out, out of hours wouldnt agree with your view that a friendly smile seals the deal.I think im quite a friendly guy, but that wasnt enough.
I think you are underestimating customers.Im sure there are rogue traders who smile just as nicely.
For someone who is simply giving his opinion you seem to have a lot of knowledge about UK CPA, GMC, Fairtrades and the flaws in their system so to speak.
Like i said, if you're happy with your lot, theres no need to knock others, i thibk you should try it before you knock it
No i'm just a member, who believe it or not is happy and so are my customers, i think my customers who have checked me out, out of hours wouldnt agree with your view that a friendly smile seals the deal.I think im quite a friendly guy, but that wasnt enough.
I think you are underestimating customers.Im sure there are rogue traders who smile just as nicely.
For someone who is simply giving his opinion you seem to have a lot of knowledge about UK CPA, GMC, Fairtrades and the flaws in their system so to speak.
Like i said, if you're happy with your lot, theres no need to knock others, i thibk you should try it before you knock it
DO NOT TOUCH THE UK CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY WITH A LONG POLE,THEY DO NOT CHECK YOUR REFERANCES ,OR YOUR WORK & THEY ARE ONLY AFTER THE £557 PER YEAR ,THEY QUOTE THEY CHECK YOU ONLY FOR CCJ & TRADING STANDERS BUT I DOUBT THEY EVEN CAN BE BOTHERED TO DO THAT,ALSO IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOU HAVE TO CANCEL IT IN WRITING,OR THEY WILL JUST KEEP ON TACKING THE £557 WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY.
IT WILL TAKE ONLY ONE BAD COWBOY & THE UK PC WONT BE WORTH THE PAPER ITS WRITEN ON.
BETTER TO SEND YOUR MONEY ON YELLOW PAGES!!!!!!!
tHEY SAID WE WOULD GET JOB LEADS TO GET US TO JOIN WELL ITS BEEN A YEAR & NO LEADS TODATE FUNNY WHEN YOU PHONE THEM THEY SAY WE "DONT GIVE OUT LEADS" WTF AM I PAYING £557 PER YEAR THEN ,
WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY.
IT WILL TAKE ONLY ONE BAD COWBOY & THE UK PC WONT BE WORTH THE PAPER ITS WRITEN ON.
BETTER TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON YELLOW PAGES!!!!!!!