FAQs for Consumers

Which? Trusted Traders is an endorsement scheme that recognises reputable traders in the home improvement and motor industries. We also endorse traders from a variety of other service areas such as computer repairs.

The aim of Which? Trusted Traders is to raise the standard of the trade industry for consumers, by setting a benchmark we expect all traders to meet before they can become endorsed. All traders who successfully pass our assessment process become a Which? Trusted trader and can use the icon on their branding and promotional material.

Businesses wishing to become endorsed as a Which? Trusted trader must undergo a rigorous assessment process. This includes credit and customer reference checks, and a visit from a Which? Trusted Traders trading standards professional assessor. The visit includes an assessment of various aspects of the business such as administrative processes, documentation and complaints procedures.

Only traders who satisfy this assessment process are awarded Which? Trusted trader status.

Yes, all traders found on the website are endorsed and assessed.

Once traders are endorsed, they are reassessed on an ongoing basis.  Traders endorsed with Which? Trusted Traders are not tied into a contract so we are able to assess them at any point during their endorsement.  We carry out various ongoing checks, including checking for up to date insurance and regular financial health checks. 

Which? Trusted Traders must comply with the terms of our Code of Conduct and What is Expected of You guidance. This means a Which? Trusted Trader agrees to address any complaint. Consumers also have obligations. The action or actions causing the complaint must have taken place whilst the trader was/is an endorsed Which? Trusted trader. Additionally, the problem must be reported within twelve months of discovery.  Thereafter, customers must write to the trader outlining the complaint. The trader then has 28 days to acknowledge the complaint and either provide a resolution or a letter of deadlock.

If you feel the trader has not met the standards of the scheme please call us so we can log your complaint. Although we are unable to mediate please rest assured that all of our complaints are audited and used as compliance checks against the trader. If it is deemed that the trader has not acted in accordance with our guidelines we will take appropriate action

The trader has 8 weeks to agree a resolution with the consumer. If the trader does not respond within this period, or if a letter of deadlock has already been sent, the consumer at this stage needs to notify Which? Trusted Traders to assess if the process has been followed and can therefore supply the case reference number to refer to Dispute Resolution Ombudsman.  

Dispute Resolution Ombudsman is a not-for-profit company that provides an independent dispute resolution service to Which? Trusted Traders and their customers.

We focus solely on bringing reputable and trustworthy traders to consumers without compromising on quality. Our vetting procedure is thorough. Not only do we check our traders by examining references and qualifications, but businesses are also visited by an experienced Which? Trusted Traders assessor who ensures that each business or trader meets the Which? Trusted Traders standard.

Additionally, as a consumer champion, we go the extra mile to ensure that should any dispute arise, there are procedures in place to resolve this. We provide this service free of charge for any customer of a Which? Trusted Trader.

We welcome both positive and negative feedback on the traders who we endorse and we pride ourselves on moderating 100 percent of our reviews to make sure they comply with our terms and conditions. This can involve checking IP addresses, speaking to the reviewer on the phone and requesting documents relating to the work, such as proof of purchase. While no system is fail proof, we will always seek to reject and hide reviews if we don’t believe they are authentic. We are constantly looking for ways to streamline our processes to enhance our moderation process further.

Which? Trusted Traders is completely free and open to the public.

Yes. If you know, or have recently used, an excellent trader then please fill out some details on the recommend a trader page.

Its easy to leave a review online. Just find the trader's profile on our website and click the 'Leave a review' button. Fill in the online form and click submit. Your review will then be sent to our moderation team before it goes live on the trader's profile. Check our terms and conditions for reviews. If you need more help, read our explanation of how to review a Trusted Trader.

Yes. Please email us with the details on trustedtraders@which.co.uk or call us on 029 2267 0040 and we can help.

Yes, you can. Your review will still be moderated and you should make sure that your review complies with our Terms and Conditions. Our Privacy Notice explains how we handle your personal data.

If you notice that a review breaches our Terms and conditions, please let us know by clicking on “Report as inappropriate” next to the offending review or by emailing trustedtraders@which.co.uk.

As part of a trader's assessment process we take references from previous customers. These customers have the option of turning their reference into a review on the trader's profile page which we mark as an Assessment Reference

We pride ourselves on moderating 100 percent of our reviews to make sure they comply with our terms and conditions. This can involve checking IP addresses, speaking to the reviewer on the phone and requesting documents relating to the work, such as proof of purchase. While no system is fail proof, we will always seek to reject and hide reviews if we don’t believe they are authentic.

We are constantly looking for ways to streamline our processes to enhance our moderation process further. If you think any review looks suspicious or, if you have any further questions or queries which are not covered here, please feel free to contact us by email on trustedtraders@which.co.uk

Which? Local was a site for Which? Members to recommend any business.  As this was a member managed site, any business recommended had not been assessed by a  Which? Trusted Traders assessor or vetted in any way. As the site was not regulated, the decision was made to close it in early 2018.  

If you know of a trader you would like to recommend we would love to hear about them. Please see the details on our recommend a trader page.

Which? has partnered with Hertfordshire and Islington trading standards to create a joint endorsement scheme. Every 'Which? Trusted trader' has been assessed and checked by Which? trading standards professionals, additionally traders in the joint scheme have a DBS check and are subject to a Trading Standards intelligence check.

We can be contacted on 029 2267 0040. Or if you would like to get in touch via email, send your queries through to trustedtraders@which.co.uk. You can also contact us on Facebook or Twitter