Is it just me?

Try getting hold of a decent plumber any time of the year.

Early this year our central heating went wrong.
I phoned many plumbers and only one turned up. He gave me lengthy quotes for this and that.
I never saw him again.
I tried various recommended plumbers, but they all too busy.
Eventually, I got what I thought was a very nice chap, but he ended up breaking the ballcock in the loft and just as my partner was in the bath, water gushed through the ceiling onto the electric light switch, thus shattering glass all over him. This happened twice. So called plumber couldn’t get the heating to circulate, radiators stone cold. In the end he said there’s nothing more I can do, you need a new boiler and rads.
He could have fixed it, but. Chose not to. Wanted to sell us a new boiler. There are a few charlatan tradespeople out there, you have to take pot luck.
We did eventually get a decent chap to get our old system working and of course, it incurred extra expense.
Just glad to have some heat after a couple of chilly weeks.
There is more, but I won’t bore you with it. Just so so disappointed with the work he had already bodged up.

No- it is not just you!
My son is senior project manager for a large construction firm & deals with all sorts of workmen on a daily basis. They are having a large extension on their home at the moment & he is having exact;y the same problems with his tradesmen. If the people he uses for his work projects acted like this they would be out of work very quickly but his local workmen seem to be running several jobs at the same time & trying to do a bit of 2 or 3 jobs a day rather than just concentrating on one job at a time & doing it properly.
It has been a real eye opener for him.

After several attempts to find an electrician who would actually turn up to carry out some electrical work, we used the John Lewis home solutions service. Have used them again for other work. Tradespeople were reliable, and did the work to a good standard. I would recommend it.

It's a constant puzzle to me , why tradesmen pay all that money to advertise in local magazines, then never reply to a phone call or if they do visit, then never get back with a price.

I've had the same issues.
I used a site where you outline the work you want done, and tradesmen contact you.

Out of five, one came and had a lovely chat, went away to work out an estimate and disappeared into the ether.
Three never bothered to turn up at all after arranging times to suit, but thankfully the last one, just when I was losing hope, was true to his word.

I found an all-purpose handyman via Nextdoor and he’s excellent: being a freelance TV cameraman he is always very clear about his availability and actually prefers small jobs that fit round his ither work.

You could try: trustedtraders.which.co.uk/

also, join the nextdoor.co.uk/news_feed/ local community website and ask for recommendations there.

When we had our kitchen done we used a kitchen designer (didn't cost much more) who booked the tradesmen herself and they knew they'd get more work from her (or not, if they failed us!).

NB Also be wary of tradesmen who put in a ridiculous quote. It means they don't really want the work and are chancing their luck that you might still accept and they can coin it!

I’ve bought expensive kitchen stuff from BnQ and the plumber’s let us down. Hopefully a new one will start in 3 weeks but what if I need to return anything like boxes of tiles???

be assured it is nothing personal - just what tradesmen do. Take on too many jobs and cannor fulfil their promises.

I always check MumsNet now before calling tradesman. I don't have to very often because I am a tenant but they have been brilliant.
I had to get an old sofa removed and the first company did not turn up so I called someone recommended on MumsNet. They gave me an estimate by telephone but the men that came charged less. They were very quick and polite. I had taken cash out the bank for them but they said they weren't allowed to take cash and the company would invoice me.
The second was a washing machine repairman. I thought it was the pump but it turned out to be a blocked pipe and he just charged me a call out fee. He came out within a couple of hours of calling him and I would definitely use him again. He was an ex fireman who had been made redundant.
Our Council also sends out lists of recommended local tradesmen.

Also, check Trustpilot or other online review sites and leave a bad review for any that don't turn up (or a good one if they do).

I don’t think you being on your own has anything to do with it though, we tend to go by recommendations from other ppl. Yes we have had to wait on occasions for couple of weeks but they have always done a good job, and yes I’ve supplied tea and kept out of their way

I was a young mother with DH and two children when we bought our first house thinking it needed a new sink.. It needed new floors new walls, new ceilings and a new roof.... We used a highly recommended local building father and son firm. On nice days they were off doing outdoor jobs for others and in bad weather they were off doing indoor jobs for others, leaving us with various jobs started but half done. We had actually moved out twice to let the builders 'get on' but came back to nothing done the first time and unfinished jobs all over the place the second time. I had to phone and bawl my eyes out to the wife/mother of the builders after my husband fell through the ceiling of our living room and chunks of old plaster fell around our two children sleeping on the floor below as the floors of their rooms above had been taken up. Fortunately the debris missed the children and my husband didn't fall all the way through. The builders finished the work quickly after that. So no it's not because you are an older woman on your own.

Yorkshiregirl
Your comment 'say you will discuss it with your husband' made me smile thinking of the time when my now late DH and self were considering replacing our seen better days conservatory. Although not present when the sales person called DH was most amused and his only comment was 'as if ' on learning I was asked 'do you wish to discuss this with your husband? '

Unfortunately we've experienced exactly the same! Even with Trustatrader.com (only able to leave a review if they actually completed a job for you, so the fact we were let down several times doesn't count!)
I our opinion they're able to cherry pick the best jobs. It made DH quite ill tbh

It’s sadly the way the ‘building trade’ works. If a better job comes along, their previous promises mean nothing. I’ve tried using recommended tradespeople, those who advertise, just numbers from their vans nearby - they’ll all the same. Part of the problem is the number of new-builds going on. They can pick up jobs there as well. Good luck!

It's not you, it's them!

When I lived alone I found it easy to get plumbers electricians etc to come out but I do feel that the standard of the work was poorer because of my single status.
Im sure they thought I wouldnt notice or be less likely to complain.
I had a kitchen fitter who totally ripped me off and a plumber who left me with a leaking shower cubicle.
Other thing not done to a good standard.

About four years ago I decided to have my back garden paved over (my ex partner had left it in a bit of a mess and it was too much for me to sort out). I wanted it as shades of brown and buff and I told the man who did it - no grey. I had to go away and leave him to finish - when I came back guess what I found - yes, lots of grey. I believed then (and still do), if I hadn't been a woman on my own, it would have been done as I asked. His excuse was that he believed I was on a tight budget. I was but he didn't even ask me if it was OK to use grey. It still makes me cross even now.

That could be me Chewbaccaat , I always seem to pick the worst ones. I have just had a few odd jobs done in my kitchen, all minor, and then decorated. It is a small kitchen and when I got a quote of £250 I though it would probably take 2 days with a couple of coats of emulsion etc, but no, they came at 8.30, vanished at 11.30, came back at 3.30 for second coat of emulsion and were finished by 5.00, totally rushed it, ended up with patchy walls, gloss paint running down the pantry door, and paint splashed everywhere, even though they used a dustsheet. So the £250 was for 1 day, totally ripped off. I often think myself is it just because I am old and on my own. It makes you think

Camelotclub I got this person from the Nextdoor site, it has made me very wary of getting someone else off that site, which is shame because there are probably some brilliant tradesmen on there

I am new to Gransnet, and haven`t posted till now, but have been reading all the comments, I can't stop laughing, you are all so funny!! Don't get me wrong I am not laughing at your dilemmas far from it., but if I feel miserable or depressed some of your comments make me laugh so much, I immediately feel better, thanks to all of you, you are great!

I once asked a Joiner to give me a quote for installing a dishwasher and moving some cupboards in my kitchen. He laughed and told me it wasnt a big enough job for him to quote on. My dishwasher has still not been installed.

Happilyretired.
Thankyou for the tip about John Lewis.