Frequently Asked Questions

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.

To be able to apply, you’ll need to:

• be based in the UK and be eligible to work in the country
• work as a trader in:
  • the consumer home improvement industry
  • the motor servicing or motor repairs industries
  • the repair or installation of white goods and ovens
  • the repair of portable electrical equipment.

You can’t apply if:

• your business has been operating for less than six months
• you sell door-to-door
• you have an active County Court Judgement – or one that is less than two years old
• anyone involved in running the business:
  • has any unspent criminal convictions
  • has ever been declared bankrupt
  • has ever run a business that has become insolvent in the past 3 years or have had a number of companies that have become insolvent
  • has a history of dissolving multiple companies
• we discover anything in the public domain that we would consider a risk to the reputation of our brand.

No. A Which? Trusted Traders endorsement is given to businesses that provide an excellent service. So we only endorse the service provided to the consumer – not individual products or retailers.

Once you’ve applied and paid the assessment fee, within 48 hours you’ll need to send us:

• Your full public liability insurance policy schedule
• An example quote – with customer details removed
• An example invoice – with customer details removed
• A copy of your photo ID
• A utility bill that shows your address – you can either send an online bill, or a photo or a scanned copy of a paper bill
• Any terms and conditions, if you have them.
• A Valid DBS certificate for the Controlling Mind of the business or confirmation that you will apply for one as part of the application.

NOTE - A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, was previously known as theCRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check.

Once we’ve got these, we’ll set up a date and time for your business assessment. The type of assessment you’ll get depends on the size and type of your business. The target deadline from application to endorsement is 30 working days.

Unlike other schemes, we do more than just check references and qualifications. Every business that applies is interviewed by an experienced trading standards professional  to make sure that they meet our high standards. So, when customers see the Which? Trusted Traders logo, they know they’re using a trader that they can count on.

Once a trader is accepted onto the scheme, their Which? Trusted Traders endorsement is a rolling contract with no set end date. We regularly reassess traders to make sure they continue meet our high standards.  If we identify any issues at any point during their endorsement, we will offer further assessments with our trading standards professionals to establish if the business is still right for the scheme.   All businesses endorsed are subject to our terms and conditions.

A team of moderators use a range of resources to make sure that the reviews meet the user-generated content terms and conditions. You can read these here. If we have any concerns about the review, we will make additional checks. This may involve contacting you, your customer or both parties.

We may need to re-visit your business, should this happen there may be a fee of £200 plus VAT. For further information on re-visits, scroll down to 'The Assessment Process'

Prices valid for applications from 1 August 2023.

Prices include one online profile. If you have more than one branch and wish to have more than one profile, there is an additional monthly fee per branch profile. For more information and costs please speak to your account manager during your application. 

Pricing bands correspond to the total number of people involved in the trader's business activities. This includes backroom staff, sales representatives and all those directly customer facing, even when these people are not directly employed by the company (i.e. subcontractors).

For companies with more than 19 employees and franchises, a higher rate applies please call 029 2267 0040 for more information.

If the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman service is used and the ruling is in favour of the consumer, a fee of £240 plus VAT will be charged.

No. After you’ve passed the assessment and decided to join Which? Trusted Traders, you can set up a different method for paying the scheme fees. You can either pay in full for the year, or set up a monthly Direct Debit.

Our standard assessment process includes a credit report, customer reference checks and a visit from a Which? Trusted Traders trading standards professional. The assessor will come to your premises to interview you. It usually takes about 90 minutes. During the visit, you’ll be assessed on your business processes, documents, staff, and complaints procedures. Your assessor will make sure you understand and commit to our code of conduct. We will also seek feedback from a selection of your most recent customers, from whom you will need to gain permission.

Your assessor will usually give you some actions, which you’ll need to complete before you join the scheme. This might include things like amending your paperwork, adding our complaints procedure to your website, and sending us any subcontractor information.

We regularly monitor our traders to ensure they continue to meet the requirements and high standards of the scheme.

One of our assessors may need to re-visit your premises. If we need to do so (other than as part of our regular re-assessment process) for reasons such as a failure to continue to comply with the requirements of the scheme, including the Code of Conduct; changes to your business including a change to or expansion of your services or a change of ownership; or you are not replying to our correspondence, we may charge you a fee for such visit. The current fee for such visits is set out under the costs section of these FAQ's

The assessment needs to take place at the premises where you conduct your business activities.

If you trade as an electrician and you’re a member of NICEIC or Elecsa, we’ll interview you over the phone instead of in person. This is because you would have already undergone a thorough assessment in order to join the NICEIC or Elecsa. They’ll give us your most recent assessment report, which tells us a lot of what we need to know. We will then call you to get the rest of the details we require. This telephone interview lasts for about 30 minutes.Because it’s a shorter assessment process, we won’t charge you an assessment fee.If you’re a member of NICEIC or Elecsa, you’ll need to phone us to apply.

If your business has more than 19 employees, is a franchise or is a large retail brand, the assessment process is the same but on a larger scale.If you’re part of a franchise, every business within it would need to apply to be a Which? Trusted Trader. We ask franchises to do this so that customers don’t get confused by which business is endorsed and which isn’t. The franchisor will be interviewed by our assessor. They’ll also manage the process. So if you’re not the franchisor, you’ll need to talk to them before you start the application process.

If your company has more than 19 employees, is a franchise, or a large retail brand, you’ll pay more.

We aim to get you endorsed within 30 days of applying to join the scheme. But this depends on how quickly you can send us the documents we need, and the dates you’re available for our assessor to visit you.

We will help you every step of the way.  Get in touch with your account manager – they’ll send you some guidance as well as any forms that might be helpful and talk you through it over the phone.

If an endorsed trader fails to meet our standards, we’ll either suspend their endorsement, or remove them from the scheme altogether. This is because once a trader gets endorsed, they’ve got a duty to continue to meet our standards. We carry out checks throughout the year to make sure this happens.

We’ve partnered with Hertfordshire and Islington Trading Standards to create a joint endorsement scheme. Which? Trusted traders in Hertfordshire have been assessed by one of our trading standards professionals, just like Which? Trusted traders in any other part of the country. But they’ve also passed a DBS check and a Trading Standards intelligence check.

The process is the same, but with some extra checks. You’ll be asked to complete a DBS check, and anyone else who’s involved in running the business will need to complete one too. Hertfordshire / Islington Trading Standards will also need to check your business against their database. So you’ll need to agree that your details can be shared with them.

Our code of conduct sets out what we expect from the traders we endorse, and helps to protect consumers. All the traders on the scheme sign up to our code of conduct. You can read it here. 

If you’ve got a dispute with a customer, there are a few things you should do. First, follow your own complaints process. Make sure you’ve complied with the terms of our Code of Conduct, and our What’s Expected of You guidance.

If the dispute can’t be resolved by using your own process, traders can use an Alternative Dispute Resolution service. It’s an independent, not-for-profit service to help traders and customers resolve any problems. You can read more about it here. If you need any more guidance, your account manager will be able to help.

If the dispute resolution  service is used and the ruling is in favour of the consumer, a fee of £240 plus VAT will be charged.

As a Which Trusted trdaer you must comply with all requirements, procedural or otherwise, relating to the Dispute Resolution Provider, as more specifically set out below

DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROVIDER

1. Referral to the Dispute Resolution Provider

a) Where the Trader has complied in all respects with the Complaints Policy but a complaint cannot be resolved between the Trader and the customer, the Trader shall promptly notify the customer that they should contact the Dispute Resolution Provider if the customer wishes

to pursue the matter further. The Trader shall provide all relevant details relating to the Dispute Resolution Provider to the customer in order for the customer to do so.

b) The Trader shall give all due and reasonable consideration to any request by the customer for written consent to abandon, stay or suspend any court proceedings, arbitration or other dispute resolution procedures in order for the Dispute Resolution Provider to accept jurisdiction to consider and/or investigate the complaint further.

2. Procedural Requirements

a) In the event that the Dispute Resolution Provider accepts jurisdiction to investigate the complaint, the Dispute Resolution Provider shall inform the Trader and the Trader shall disclose all documents and information that the Dispute Resolution Provider

may lawfully and reasonably request in relation to its investigation and consideration of the complaint.

b) The Dispute Resolution Provider will then seek to achieve a mutually acceptable settlement (“Settlement“) which may include telephone negotiation between the Trader and the customer. The Trader must be available for such telephone negotiation upon notification from the

Dispute Resolution Provider and actively participate in the negotiation. If both parties accept the proposed Settlement this becomes binding on the Trader.

c) If a Settlement cannot be achieved by telephone negotiation, the Dispute Resolution Provider will conduct a formal investigation of the complaint.

d) When conducting a formal investigation, the Dispute Resolution Provider will consider the evidence submitted by the parties involved in the complaint.  The procedure for the conduct of an investigation will be such as the Dispute Resolution Provider considers appropriate, acting reasonably, in the particular circumstances of the case. The

Trader shall provide all reasonable assistance as the Dispute Resolution Provider considers appropriate (including in relation to access, information and submissions) and disclose

all documents and information that the Dispute Resolution Provider may lawfully and reasonably request in relation to its investigation and consideration of the complaint.

e) Where a formal investigation has been conducted, and usually within forty two (42) days of receiving the complaint, the Dispute Resolution Provider will issue to all parties to the complaint a proposed resolution of the complaint (a “Proposed Resolution”), together with the reasons for such Proposed Resolution and an invitation to accept it or to request a review, as a result of error(s) or new evidence becoming available. Where the Proposed Resolution is not challenged by either party and is accepted by the customer, it shall become a binding on the Trader.

f) Where either (or both) parties request a review within fourteen (14) days of a Proposed Resolution, the Dispute Resolution Provider shall take into account all of the material (existing or new) provided for the investigation.

g) Where the Proposed Resolution has not been accepted by either party, or within ten (10) days of receiving the request for a review, the Ombudsman will issue an Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision (“Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision“) and will state the remedies to be provided and a summary of the reasons for reaching the Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision. Such remedies may include (i) a written apology or explanation to the customer; (ii) compensation (currently up to £25,000); and/or (iii) some other practical action to the benefit of the customer.

h) The Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision shall, if accepted by the customer, become binding on the Trader. The Trader shall comply with any Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision, including, the provision of any remedies to the customer. If the Trader fails to provide any prescribed remedies to the customer within 28 days of the Dispute Resolution Provider’s notification, the Dispute Resolution Provider may refer the matter to Which? for further action as Which? considers appropriate. For the avoidance of doubt, breach of this clause by the Trader shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement.

i) If the customer does not reply to the Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision within 10 days (or such longer period as the Ombudsman may, acting reasonably, consider appropriate) or chooses not to accept the Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision then the Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision will not be binding on the Trader. The Dispute Resolution Provider will notify the Trader and Which? that the Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision is not binding.

j) If, after investigation, the Dispute Resolution Provider considers that the Trader is already offering (and continues to offer) a fair and reasonable settlement (even if it is not acceptable to the customer), or if the Dispute Resolution Provider considers that no Settlement, Proposed Resolution or Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision is required, the Dispute Resolution Provider may exercise discretion to terminate consideration of the complaint and shall notify the customer accordingly.

k) In the event that the Dispute Resolution Provider is in favour of the customer, Which? reserves the right to charge the Trader (and the Trader shall pay) a case fee as set out in the price list within fourteen (14) days of the Settlement, Proposed Resolution or Dispute Resolution Provider’s Decision.

If a business passes our assessment process and joins the scheme, they can use our logo (subject to our terms and conditions and user regulations). It can only be used by traders who are currently members of the scheme. So if a trader doesn’t pass their reassessment, or decides not to renew their membership, they have to stop using the logo.

You’re free to use the logo on any of your business assets, like clothing, vehicles, invoices and business cards, provided you comply with our terms and conditions for doing so. And you can use it on any of your promotional materials, including your website, leaflets and brochures. If you join the scheme, we’ll give you more information to help you use the logo in the best way. If you need more guidance, please speak to your account manager.

Just:

• Use The Community
• Give us a call on 0117 456 6032
• Email trustedtraders@which.co.uk
• Or, get in touch via Live Chat on our website.

If you do decide to cancel, you’ll need to give us three months’ notice. Please get in touch with your account manager and they’ll take it from there.

To make an official complaint, please email your account manager. They’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Every trader in our scheme is eligible for Which? Trusted trader of the Month. Here’s what you need to do to be considered:

• Make sure your business is fully compliant with the scheme - you can check with your account manager if you have any outstanding actions on your account that need to be completed before you can be considered.
• Encourage your customers to write a review – we’ll look at online reviews and feedback cards written during the month. We’ll look for reviews that show how you’ve gone the extra mile and provided a great service.
• Share examples of your work on social media – post a photo on Facebook or Twitter of a recent job. It doesn’t need to be glamorous – we’ll be looking at the story behind the picture. Make sure you use the hashtag #WhichTOTM so we can find it.
• Show us how you’ve used the Trusted Trader logo – publish a post on Facebook or Twitter to show how you’ve used the logo. We’ll be looking for unusual and innovative ways of putting it to use. You don’t need to post a standalone image – it could be a link to your website for example. Again, use the hashtag #WhichTOTM.

For more information, read this article.

Click here to recommend a trader to us. For every trader you recommend that passes the assessment and becomes endorsed, you’ll both get a free month from your endorsement fees.

A member of the team can reset this for you. Call us on 029 2267 0040 and we’ll get it sorted.

It’s really easy. Ask them to log onto https://trustedtraders.which.co.uk and search for your business. Once they’ve found your profile, they’ll need to follow these steps:

1. Click on the blue “Leave a Review” button
2. Give the review a title
3. Write the review in the box
4. Give a star rating for customer service, quality, and value
5. Tick the “Recommend trader” box – if they do
6. Post the review

Just log in to the website, go to the review you’d like to reply to, and click “Reply”. 

We don’t remove reviews simply because they’re negative, however traders are given the opportunity to give their side of the story. For advice about dealing with negative reviews, read this article.

We are refreshing our brand to support positioning Which? as the go-to destination for advice and information. As part of this, we are launching new endorsement logos and the Trusted Trader logo is one of them. 

The new logo is the same oval shape as our Best Buy and Recommended Provider logos, which are already recognised and trusted by millions of UK consumers – you’ll have seen them stamped on ads from brands whose products or services we’ve endorsed. 

All newly endorsed traders will receive the new oval logo. Currently endorsed Trusted Traders will be using it from 3rd April 2023. It may take a little while for all traders to make the change but the new logo should be used by all traders by 3rd October 2023.  In the meantime you may see some traders with the new oval logo and some with the old chevron logo.

The helplines are a free benefit included for all standard Which? Trusted Trader members (it is not available to members of a franchise or Approved Service). The legal helpline provides phone advice on UK tax issues, and on UK and EU legal issues, that affect your business. The wellness helpline also offers confidential support and advice from qualified counsellors to traders and their family members. Read more about the helplines.

If you're an endorsed Trusted Trader and want to access the helplines, contact your account manager on 029 2267 0040.

Legal and counselling services will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Tax advice is available from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm (except bank holidays).