I recently posted an ad on OneFlare for a painting task. I had 2 responses. One of the respondents replied “This app is fake just take money and there is no job”. I have ended up meeting this contractor. I have agood feeling about his integrity and accepted his quote. However his quote is not on the Oneflare website, it is only in text. He also doesn’t have the insurance badge. So what I would lke to know is how is this process supposed to work? Also we have not discussed any payment schedule. Should I do this ? Thanks Gina
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Does the person have insurance and trade licence?
In Australia, for work over a certain value, tradepersons must have a trade licence and insurances. If the works exceeds the threshold amount for such requirements (which is not minor work) and such information has not been provided on the quote, it rings alarm bells. In NSW, these are the legal requirements:
Feelings shouldn’t be used when trusting someone you don’t know. Feelings only come into place when every other factor associated with engaging a tradie is taken into account (price, licences, insurance, quality of work, work timing etc). Feeling can then be used as a final decider to whether one engages the person for the work - such as does one think they can work with the tradie, especially if there are changes to the scope of the proposed works or a problem.
This also rings alarm bells. Most online platforms warn about dealing with and engaging services outside the platforms, as ‘guarantees’ provided by the platforms become null and void. It also increases the risk of being scammed or engaging sham individuals.
Choice has covered these type of platforms here:
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I once tried to get a tradie via Hipages… zero interest. Since then I tend to go by word of mouth but only from those whose “word” I trust.
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I find local community groups via Facebook/Messenger are a great way of getting local suggestions and references. Seems to work well.
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I also once tried a tradie from HiPages, just pre-Covid. Asked him to come and quote on a job. Arrived within a couple of hours, was rude, pushie, patronising, etc. Refused to provide a quote, as it “was only a little job” - it involved painting a very deteriorated exterior weatherboard house wall (unearthed after removing creeper, ivy & other vegetation), plus guttering, eaves etc, (same wall, but different colours) - said he’d bring his own paint, as it would only need one coat (!! when the weatherboards were down to bare timber in places!!), and he had plenty … And that he could do the whole thing on a weekend afternoon, and so on.
Needless to say, I didn’t bother to take it further, and got quotes from people/firms advertising in the local paper.
I’ve since heard similar stories from friends. I now wouldn’t even bother looking at HiPages. I’ve yet to hear someone who has had a positive experience via them.
These days I ask friends or neighbours, contact advertisers in the local paper, and very occasionally look at local FB posts. Not going to bother with services such as AirTasker, HiPages etc any more - and several people I know in person are in the same boat. Not worth the trouble!
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