Checking Before You Commit: A Simple Way to Vet a Tradesperson or Supplier Online
Richard had three quotes for his extension. All three builders had glowing five-star reviews on their own websites. All three seemed confident, friendly, professional.
He nearly went with the cheapest. Then his daughter asked one simple question: "Have you actually checked any of this?"
He hadn't. So they spent twenty minutes together one evening, and what they found changed his mind completely. Here's what they did — and what you can do too, in about the time it takes to make a cup of tea.
CHECK COMPANIES HOUSE (IT'S FREE)
If a business is a limited company, you can look it up for free at gov.uk and search "Companies House." It tells you how long the company has genuinely existed. A "5-star, trusted, established" business that was only set up three months ago is worth a second look. It also shows if a company has been dissolved and restarted under a new name — more common than you'd think.
DON'T STOP AT THE FIRST REVIEW SITE
Reviews on a company's own website can be handpicked. Cross-check against Google Reviews and, where relevant, Checkatrade or Trustpilot. If the star rating is wildly different from one site to the next, that's worth noting.
REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH THE PHOTOS
Right-click any "before and after" job photo, or a headshot, and search it on Google Images. Takes seconds — and it's a surprisingly common way to catch a business using someone else's finished work, or a stock photo, as their own.
ASK FOR PROOF, NOT JUST PROMISES
A genuine tradesperson won't mind you asking to see their insurance certificate or trade body membership — Gas Safe, NICEIC, FMB, and so on. Most of these bodies let you check membership numbers directly on their own website, rather than just trusting a badge on an email signature.
TRUST THE PATTERN, NOT THE ONE REVIEW
One bad review happens to good businesses. A cluster of very similar complaints — same wording, same issue, submitted close together — is a far stronger signal than any single star rating.
Richard ended up going with the second-cheapest quote. Companies House showed the cheapest firm had been dissolved and re-registered twice in four years under slightly different names.
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