Gas Safe Register v Checkatrade

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Essex
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I'm looking for a heating engineer to install a new boiler in our house.

I understand that the person installing the boiler should be on the gas register.

There are plenty of engineers on the gas register close to where I live, but I am unsure as to how I can work out who the best are?

I've had a look at checkatrade.com which gives an average ranking for people who install boilers. However, oddly, the majority of names on checkatrade don't come up on the gas register.

Conversely most of the people on the gas safety register do not appear to be on checkatrade or any reviews website for that matter.

Does this mean there are alot of people, alot of highly rated people according to checkatrade, that are not gas safety registered?
 
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Ask around for personal recommendations and, whoever you choose, from whatever source, ask to see the GasSafe card.
 
Ask around for personal recommendations and, whoever you choose, from whatever source, ask to see the GasSafe card.

Do you trust the review websites? Are they a good indicator of level of service?
 
I'm looking for a heating engineer to install a new boiler in our house.

I understand that the person installing the boiler should be on the gas register.

There are plenty of engineers on the gas register close to where I live, but I am unsure as to how I can work out who the best are?

I've had a look at checkatrade.com which gives an average ranking for people who install boilers. However, oddly, the majority of names on checkatrade don't come up on the gas register.

Conversely most of the people on the gas safety register do not appear to be on checkatrade or any reviews website for that matter.

Does this mean there are alot of people, alot of highly rated people according to checkatrade, that are not gas safety registered?

Take J Smith and Sons (London) Ltd for example, they appear on Checkatrade and on http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk as 'accredited installers' and yet their details don't seem to appear at all on the gas safety register.

http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/re...co.uk/about/the_gas_safe_register_scheme.aspx
 
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Checkatrade reviews are very easily manipulated. Companies get a friend/family member to ask for an imaginary job to be done on checkatrade, get them to leave a top review for the imaginary work and then pay them the fee and a bit more.

They will soon have a top rating doing this. And believe me, everyone on checkatrade does this.

Forget checkatrade. Get a few quotes and use your instinct, ask for references etc. ask friends or family for reccomendations as well. Decent, well established engineers will rely on word of mouth for a lot of their work. And therefore have no reason to be on checkatrade!
 
There's load in the CC on here that come highly recommended if you post the nearest town.
 
Hi Mick, I would be happy to provide you with a quote, I cover most of the essex area. I will send you a pm with my contact details should you wish to contact me.

Dean.
 
OP: The search facility on Gas Safe website is not brilliant with names, which is why you may be coming up with blanks. However, Checkatrade is simply a "paid for" advertising platform, so the majority of GS RGI's will NOT be there.

If you think you might want to use someone, but are not sure of their credentials, phone and ask for their GS reg no, and search with that. More often than not, there will be a photo, so you can positively ID them on arrival.
Frankly, if I advertised on CAT, I would show my number. (I assume you can?)
 
Some of us on here are on Checkatrade.

Some of us on here are decent engineers that do not like paying out to the likes of Rated people/ Yell.com / Servicemagic / Boiler guide / quotatis ETC.

I've only been registered with CAT for about two years now and realistically its by the far cheapest and most productive internet site that I've come across.
 
Some of us on here are on Checkatrade.

Some of us on here are decent engineers that do not like paying out to the likes of Rated people/ Yell.com / Servicemagic / Boiler guide / quotatis ETC.

I've only been registered with CAT for about two years now and realistically its by the far cheapest and most productive internet site that I've come across.

So you don't agree that most people are getting fictitious reviews posted to boost their scores?
 
Not at all, I do not agree about dodgy reviews, well not on CAT.

I'm pretty sure that if you do the job properly, charge a reasonable price etc.

My current client score is a perfect 10 out of 10 on the Guildford , Surrey, page one on CAT.
 
Frankly, if I advertised on CAT, I would show my number. (I assume you can?)
You can, and must - you can't be listed in the gas categories without one.

Thank-you! Yes, you are right, the number is not included on the first page, but is buried in the 'background checks' leaf/link.

For those who are interested, here's an example of what clicking on that leaf takes you through to.

http://www.checkatrade.com/HeatingHouse/Checks.aspx
 
Take J Smith and Sons (London) Ltd for example, they appear on Checkatrade and on http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk as 'accredited installers' and yet their details don't seem to appear at all on the gas safety register.

CAT showing GasSafe number: http://www.checkatrade.com/JSmithAndSonsChingfordLtd/Checks.aspx
Worcester showing the same GasSafe number: http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/ho...an-installer/installer-profile?installer=1771
Gas Safe website, search by number 4276 and the same details are shown: http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/registersearch/checkbusiness.aspx
 

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