The Trader Register platform is a secure on-line application where Consumers can search for Local Traders that have been vetted by their Local Trading Standards department. Businesses registered meet each areas minimum standards and have all demonstrated their commitment to fair and honest trading practices and delivering good customer service.

There are currently 17 Trader Schemes on the platform, run by 16 Trading Standards Departments and 1 Social Services Department who provide their Consumers and Traders with an on-line, fully branded and locally recognised Trader Scheme.

You can view any of the Trader schemes on the platform by clicking on the Council's link below:

St. Helen's Council - St. Helen's Trader Register

Staffordshire County Council - Staffordshire Mobility Register

Herefordshire Council - Herefordshire Trader Register

Lancashire County Council - Help Direct Safe Trader Scheme

London Borough of Bexley - Bexley What Tradesman Scheme

London Borough of Bromley - Safer Bromley Trader Register

London Borough of Greenwich - Greenwich What Trader Scheme

North Tyneside Council - North Tyneside Trader Register

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council - Tradewell in Sandwell Scheme

Shropshire Council - Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Trader Register

Each area chooses a configuration that meets their exact criteria and the 17 registers currently use 5 different configurations: -

'The Home Improvement Trader Register' - was developed 3 Years ago in Staffordshire and encourages Membership from all Home Improvement Businesses and aims to reassure consumers, provide advice and information on employing a trader and work together to get things right first time. Businesses registered with the scheme have all demonstrated their commitment to fair and honest trading practices and delivering good customer service. Stoke-on-Trent, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Sandwell, North Tyneside and Walsall have set up their own areas version of the Trader Register and all use the same configuration as Staffordshire, now more than 1,500 Traders are registered across their authorities. Each area uses the same Terms and Conditions for Membership, the same Feedback and Complaint system and the same Partner Agency interface, but is branded to their own requirements.

'The Help Direct - Safe Trader Scheme' - is funded by Lancashire County Council and managed by Lancashire Trading Standards Service. The aims of the scheme are to help consumers find a reliable trader and support local businesses. All members of the scheme have shown they are committed to treating their customers honestly and fairly. Consumers can see for themselves how other people have rated them by looking at the number of gold stars they've been awarded. Traders on the scheme can advertise their membership by displaying the Safe Trader hallmark and for more vulnerable consumers there are traders who undergo additional checks and are clearly marked as Advanced Traders.

'The Good Trader Scheme' - was designed and commissioned by Wigan Trading Standards and aims to take the stress and worry out of picking a reliable trader. When a Consumer searches for a trader they see how other customers have rated them by looking at how many Gold stars they've been awarded. Consumers are asked to rate the traders work by awarding them up to 5 gold stars for their overall performance, their Customer Service, Time Taken and Quality of work, this is then totalled to form an overall picture of a trader's customer satisfaction levels.

'What Tradesman' - was designed and commissioned by Bexley Council Trading Standards and it aims to help take the headache out of finding a reliable tradesman by quickly and easily allowing potential customers to identify tradesmen who have been rated by previous customers. Advanced Interactive flowcharts show the Traders rating for Customer Service, Time Taken and Quality of work and participating tradesmen benefit, as the scheme gives them the opportunity to have the quality of their work recognised.

'The Trader Scheme' - is an initiative of Wirral Council's Trading Standards Service, which is supported nationally by the Local Authority Trading Standards Services and the Office of Fair Trading. Wirral Trader Scheme members are vetted by Trading Standards' officers who are confident that traders on the Scheme are honest, trustworthy and reliable, will deal fairly with their customers and strive to deliver quality products and services every time. Wirral's scheme uses the same 5 Gold Star Rating System as Wigan but also allows Consumer's Comments to be used to assist consumers in deciding which Trader to choose, this maintains quality and helps Traders make continuous improvements.

For more information please contact Pete Juniper: -

Tel: 0121 288 8980

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Text: Trader Register (plus your Name and msg) and send to 60003

Text: Pete Juniper (plus your Name and msg) and send to 60003

or

go to www.traderregister.org.uk