But I Know a Man Who Can.....

When something needs repairing or replacing  we always hope for recommendations from friends or family. When this isn't possible there's always Yellow Pages, classifieds in the Gazette or  tradesman who advertise in our excellent community magazines.

If all else fails, where can you go to find a tradesman  you can trust?

Well, help is at hand.

The Safe Trader  scheme offered by Help Direct is available to help the residents of Wyre  find reliable, local traders and support local businesses. The scheme is funded by Lancashire County Council and managed by the Lancashire Trading Standards Service. The services available can range from aerial and roofing services to plumbing, building and electrical.



All tradesmen who are part of the scheme have shown they are committed to treating their customers honestly and fairly by committing to a code of practice. Traders also agree to work with Trading Standards to resolve problems if they should occur.

By using a member firm, consumers can minimise the risk of dispute and be assured that if there are problems Trading Standards will assist in resolving them.

To ensure the credibility of the scheme  businesses are asked to commit to the code of practice, hold appropriate insurance, provide references and agree to work with Trading Standards and other agencies to resolve customer disputes. As part of the application process checks are also made on the applicant's previous trading history.

Members of the scheme must actively encourage their customers to give feedback on their experience of the business.

All feedback received from customers is liable to an assessment by Lancashire Trading Standards to ensure that it is genuine. In addition, the pattern of feedback is monitored to ensure that any anomalies are identified and investigated.

In the event of any issue or dispute arising, traders have all pledged to work with Trading Standards and other agencies to resolve customer disputes. The first step is always to contact the trader concerned. If the issue cannot be resolved by negotiation consumers can complete the “Make a Complaint” section of on the website. This will then be passed to the Trading Standards Service.



To access this list of Safe Traders, you can go their to website at www.traderregister.org.uk  type in your post code and the trade you want, and  all the nearest traders will be listed. You will then be able to read how other customers have rated them and all the comments they have made about the quality of their work.

If you don't have  access to a computer then just ring Help Direct on 0303 333 11 11, ask for Safe Traders and they will send you a list of the tradesmen you are interested in.

It couldn't be simpler.