Trust and safety guides

Read the middling reviews rather than the five-star ones, because that is where the recurring annoyances show up. A run of uniform five-star reviews created in a short window is a warning sign, and so is text that names nothing specific about the work. A review left after a completed booking carries more weight, because it cannot be added retrospectively.

Labour and materials itemised with quantities and unit prices, the deadline, the guarantee period and the payment schedule. Look separately at the call-out fee and at how extra work will be charged. A single total is not a quote.

Document it first: dated photographs of the fault, plus the quote, the agreement, the invoice and the message history. Then send a written complaint naming the fault, citing the guarantee, and setting a deadline for the repair. If there is no meaningful reply, an independent expert assessment is the basis for demanding a repair or a price reduction.

No invoice means no guarantee and nothing to fall back on when something goes wrong. The tax saved looks like a good deal right up until something breaks. On a large job it is the worst possible place to economise.