Common questions from Tradesmen

Invoices

› I've paid all my outstanding invoices. Why am I still restricted from using the site?

Depending on the type of payment method you used, there may be a delay in the restriction being lifted on your account. If your payment was submitted online, try logging out of your account and logging back in.

You should normally allow up to four working days for payments submitted via bank transfer and up to seven working days if you posted a cheque to us.

› What details should I include if I post a cheque to you?

To help us process cheque payments promptly, please ensure that you write the relevant invoice number(s) and your credit account number on the reverse of the cheque.

› My job hasn't started yet. Can you defer my invoice due date?

Unfortunately we cannot change the due dates on the invoices. Our payment terms are strictly 14 days and these are the terms that you agreed to when you registered on the site. We appreciate that larger jobs can create cash flow problems, which is why we cap our success fees at £250 for the largest jobs and allow you to use credit cards as a payment method.

In theory, it would be great if we could allow everyone to pay on completion of a job. The reason our payment terms are 14 days is because it is extremely difficult for us to keep track of when every job on the site has been completed.

› I won a job through the site but the job was then cancelled. Do I still need to pay?

No. We certainly don't expect you to pay for a job that you haven't done. Please contact us and we'll look in to it for you. Once we have confirmed that a job has been cancelled, we will cancel your invoice accordingly.

› I asked you to cancel an invoice after a job was cancelled. Why hasn't it been removed from my account?

Before we cancel an invoice we contact the customer to verify the job status. If the job has been cancelled, we will then cancel your invoice and, if applicable, issue a credit note to your account. It can sometimes take a little while to verify the status of a job so don't worry if your account hasn't been updated straight away!

› I have credit notes on my account - how can I use them?

We automatically allocate credit notes against any new or outstanding invoices.

› I won a job through the site and paid my invoice but the job was then cancelled. Do I get a refund?

Once we have confirmed that a job has been cancelled, we will cancel your invoice and issue a credit note to your account. We automatically use credit notes to pay any outstanding invoices on your account.

Success Fees

› Why do you charge a success fee?

We believe that charging a success fee for each job won through the site is fair and equitable. If you choose to advertise your business or buy leads from a lead generation website, there are no guarantees that this will generate any work for you. MyBuilder will only charge you a success fee once you have been hired for a job. We also have a money back guarantee if you don't do any of the work that you have been invoiced for.

Please keep in mind that the money we generate from success fees are ploughed back in to marketing and PR to create more work for you!

› How is the success fee calculated?

MyBuilder charges a success fee to tradesmen for work secured through the site.
The fee is calculated as 5% + VAT of the total value of the job, up to a maximum of £250 + VAT. Our success fee is calculated using the final agreed price, as confirmed by the customer.

If for some reason a job does not go ahead and you have paid the success fee, contact us and we will refund you once we have verified the job status.

› Is the success fee for both labour and materials?

We need to take a success fee that relates to the value of the work done through our site. This is so we don't have to charge on a per lead basis, which we think is unfair. MyBuilder was founded by a tradesman who knows what it's like to pay for advertising and get absolutely nothing in return.

In principle, it would be great if we could charge a percentage of the labour cost only. To make that work for us as a business however, we would have to bill at a higher percentage. We have also found that quotes submitted through our site often don't reflect the true breakdown of labour and materials. We would likely suffer if we did that, although we are always open to talking about alternative revenue models and ideas for the site.

As long as you are aware of the fee upfront, we hope that you can adjust your quotes accordingly.

› I hold a Pro Trade membership - do I still need to pay a success fee?

Yes. The success fee will still apply even if you hold a Pro Trade membership.

› When and how do I pay the success fee?

When your quote is accepted, an invoice is generated automatically. You then have 14 days to pay the success fee, which you can do in one of three ways:

1. through the site using your credit or debit card
2. a direct bank transfer
3. by sending us a cheque

Go to Invoices then select the invoice number. There you'll find instructions on how to pay - unfortunately we don't take payments via telephone.

Membership

› Does it cost anything to be a member?

Yes. The cost of Pro Trade membership is £40 + VAT per quarter (3 months). Pro Trade membership gives you unlimited free leads and full access to all jobs in your area.

We also charge a small success fee when you win a job through the site, which is 5% + VAT of the total job value up to a maximum of £250 + VAT. Use our success fee calculator if you would like to work out what the success fee for a particular job would be.

› How do I change the details on my WorldPay account?

Log in to WorldPay here to update your account details.

You'll have received an e-mail from WorldPay containing your login information when you first signed up. If you can't find this, please select "Forgot your password?" from your WorldPay profile and you will be sent a reminder.

To be sent a password reminder you'll need your agreement ID. You can find this through the site by selecting My Membership then update cancel my subscription.

You'll also need to enter the email address used to set up the initial agreement. If you've forgotten which email you used when creating your account please contact us.

› I use WorldPay to pay my membership. Do you send e-mail notifications before payments are taken?

Yes - we send an email one week prior to your payment being taken. Payments are taken automatically using the payment method specified when you signed up to WorldPay. You're able to change the payment method or cancel your agreement at any time.

› I received an email from Worldpay stating my membership payment has failed, what can I do?

Worldpay will attempt to take payment on three occasions over a period of 24 hours. If the third attempt is unsuccessful your membership agreement will expire. You will either need to contact your card provider or log in to Worldpay to update your details.

› How can I check when my next Pro Trade membership payment is due?

You can view information about your membership in the My Membership section of your profile.

› How can I cancel my Pro Trade membership?

If you pay for your membership using WorldPay, go to My Membership and select update or cancel my subscription and we will cancel your agreement for you. If you pay for your membership using another method, your membership will be automatically changed to Basic once your current agreement expires.

› What are the benefits of a Pro Trade membership?

In addition to customers being able to request a quote directly from you, Pro Trade membership allows you to quote freely for any job listed on the site within your working area.

› Can I sign up to the site as a Basic member?

No. Since our Pro Trade membership was introduced in April 2009, all users who wish to create a trade profile must sign up to Pro Trade.  Your membership will be changed to Basic if you don't wish to renew your subscription or if you allow your subscription to expire.

› I don't want to upgrade my membership to Pro Trade. Can I still use the site?

Yes. If you have Basic membership, customers are able to contact you directly and request a quote. You will receive an email automatically when you have been invited to quote for a job.

Feedback

› What is feedback?

Feedback is at the heart of the MyBuilder community. Quite simply, feedback is an evaluation of work carried out. Job posters can read previous feedback comments on each tradesperson's profile, before they hire.

More importantly, Job posters can add to a tradesperson's reputation and bring accountability to their project by posting feedback when the job is done.

› How does the feedback system work?

Genuine feedback has two important elements: the past and the future. Before customers decide who to hire, they look at your past feedback. After they hire you and the work is finished, they will add to that feedback, in either a positive or negative way. This future feedback rewards excellent service and punishes bad work.

You have a strong incentive to do your best in order to get feedback, which in turn increases your chances of getting more work (and being able to charge more for it), and more good feedback. You can get this virtuous circle started remarkably quickly through MyBuilder. Growing your business just got a lot easier!

We verify everyone who posts a feedback comment to ensure that the feedback is genuine.

› How do I get my first feedback?

We understand everyone has to start somewhere - if you're new to the site and don't have feedback, this could hinder your chance of winning work. To help get you started, we're happy to contact previous client references and post their comments to the site as positive feedback. References cost £7.50 + VAT each and you are allowed a maximum of two. Simply log in to your account and go to References to provide us with details.

› I've received negative feedback. What can I do?

You have the right to reply to negative feedback and tell your side of the story. Your response will be posted directly underneath the original feedback comment.

Our policy is that feedback should only be submitted if work has been carried out so if you have received negative feedback for work that you haven’t done, please contact us.

› Why has positive feedback been removed from my account?

All feedback comments undergo stringent technical and manual checks to ensure that they are genuine. Suspicious feedback is flagged and investigated thoroughly and we remove any feedback that fails our checks.

We will inform you by email if feedback has been removed from your account and the options available to you.

We reserve the right, in accordance with our terms and conditions, to remove any user from the site at our discretion and without notice who we believe to have breached our policies.

› I've completed a job but the customer still hasn't left feedback, what can I do?

You can use the Request Feedback button, which is located under the Jobs Secured section, and then click the In Progress link. Unfortunately we cannot ask customers to post feedback on your behalf.

Quotes

› Should quotes include both materials and labour?

The job posting should state if the customer wants you to supply the materials or not, or if they don't have a preference. Just make sure your quote reflects their preference and that you have entered the correct amount for both labour and materials.

› I submitted a quote for a job that has now ended. How do I know if I was successful?

If you win a job on the site, you will be notified via e-mail as soon as your quote has been accepted. You will also be notified if you weren't successful.

› How can I contact customers to quote for jobs?

To be able to quote freely and send messages to customers through the site you will need to upgrade or sign up to our Pro Trade Membership. Once registered, you will have access to all live jobs in your working area. You can then send messages to customers through our messaging facility in order to arrange site visits or to request more information about the job.

› I expressed interest in a job. How can I check the status?

You can check the status of a job by looking at the job listing in the Prospects section of your profile. Additionally, if the customer has chosen another tradesperson for the job, you will be notified via e-mail. If a job status hasn't changed for some time, it could be that the customer hasn't logged in to the site for a while. A customer's profile will indicate when they last logged in.

› Should I submit a quote without first viewing the job?

Sometimes a viewing might not be necessary. For instance, if a job description contains all the information you require. In many cases however, a viewing is essential in order to provide the customer with an accurate quote.

Request a viewing by using the built-in messaging facility. Customers may ask for an indicative quote ahead of a viewing to help shortlist potential tradespeople. Again, if you aren't able to provide a quote based on the information provided, use the messaging facility to communicate with customers and explain why you feel a viewing is the best way forward.

There is a good chance that if you don't have the information you need to provide a quote, other tradespeople will feel the same way. If you have an informative profile and good feedback, you'll have a great chance of viewing the site and winning the job!

› How often are job alerts sent out?

We send out job alerts once a day. Job alerts can be turned off in the Trading Details section of your profile. You will only receive a job alert if new jobs have been posted in your working area matching your skills and trades.

› I am VAT registered. Should I add VAT to my quotes or is it calculated automatically?

All quotes submitted to customers should be inclusive of VAT if a tradesman is VAT registered. MyBuilder does not verify VAT status.

› Do customers have access to my contact details?

Job posters have the option to swap telephone numbers with you. It works like this:

• We send a message to your mobile phone and a message through the site containing the job poster's number
• The job poster can access your phone numbers when they need them

To benefit from this service, you should have a valid UK phone number listed on your MyBuilder account.

Trade Profiles

› How can I increase my chances of winning work through MyBuilder?

We have posted some suggestions about how you can get the most out of working through MyBuilder in the Get More Work tab on your welcome page.

› How can I change the trades listed in my profile header?

Unfortunately, we are unable to change your profile header. Content is generated automatically based on your activity on the site, taking in to consideration:

• Jobs won
• Jobs quoted
• Skills and trades selected on your profile

We do this to give job posters an indication of the type of work you have done through the site.

To help refine the information displayed in your profile header:

• buy references. The trade category to which your references relate will impact the information displayed in your profile header.
• reduce the number of skills and trades selected in your profile. Select only those skills and trades that accurately describe your expertise and experience.

› Why can I only specify a maximum working distance of 75 miles?

In our experience, very few tradesmen get hired when they're based further than 75 miles from the job.

We also believe in promoting fair competition amongst local tradespeople and in presenting job posters with a manageable list of potential tradespeople to choose from.

› How can I change my username?

Please contact us and we'll add an option on your account to change your username.

› Why can't I include my contact details on the public parts of the website?

MyBuilder is an online market place, not a trade directory. We will remove any contact details found on your profile. Such behaviour undermines other tradespeople on the site who are using our service in good faith.  Please contact us should you notice anyone displaying their contact details.

› Can I have more than one account?

We only allow tradespeople to hold multiple accounts in exceptional circumstances. If you need to open multiple accounts please contact us.

General

› How do I reset my password?

Simply click here and enter your email address. We will automatically send you an email containing instructions about how to reset your password.

› Can I talk to you over the phone?

We support our Community primarily via email and the help section of our site. We currently don't offer full telephone support. If you need to talk us however, please send us a contact form including the following information:

• Your telephone number
• When you would prefer us to call you (during normal business hours)
• A brief description of your enquiry

We will endeavour to call at your preferred time, otherwise we will respond to your enquiry as soon as possible.

› Another user has sent me an abusive message through the site. What can I do about it?

MyBuilder is a community site that promotes mutual respect and friendly conduct amongst all users. We work hard to ensure that all content posted to the site is appropriate and in keeping with our policies.

Despite our best efforts, MyBuilder cannot guarantee that the site is entirely free from offensive or inappropriate content. If you happen to be subjected to or encounter such conduct or content, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will do our best to investigate reports of this nature and take appropriate action as necessary.

› I've enjoyed using your service. Do you accept testimonials?

Absolutely. We're very happy that you've had a good experience using MyBuilder. Send us a message with your comments and we'll post them on the site. Please let us know if you're happy for us to publish your name and/or company details along with the testimonial. Alternatively, if you'd like to tell us about your experience over the phone, include your number and the best time to call and let us contact you.

› Can I send you a suggestion for improving the site?

Certainly. We're constantly updating the site and always looking for new ways to improve our service. Send us a message with your suggestions. If you'd like to talk to us over the phone, include your number and the best time to call and let us contact you.