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Buyer's Check List

Servicestart is founded on the conviction that the Internet will improve the transparency and efficiency of the market for services, that will benefit both buyers and sellers. Buying services will however remain more complex, compared to purchasing goods, and this is why it is important to be thorough in your choice of service provider and make sure you have a contract that regulates the affairs between you. Listed below are a few points to consider before entering into an agreement with a service provider.

Things to check before entering into an agreement

Verify details regarding the service provider:

Fiscal status - registered for corporate tax or not. In the case a provider is not registered for corporate tax it is the buyer who will be responsible for any tax payments.

Insurance - to what extent will they be able to cover any mistakes?

Licensing - In many industries there are established charters or licenses given to professional providers.

References - Alongside the ratings provided through Servicestart it is wise to ask for references from previous customers.

Verify details regarding the project:

Type of remuneration - fixed or variable
Time schedule
Guarantees
Post-project inspection

Sign a written contract

In most cases when buying a service it is wise to use some sort of written agreement. This reduces the risk of disputes and misunderstandings.

Are you a private individual and want to know about your consumer rights and how to handle any disputes? Contact Consumer Direct on tel. 08454 040506.

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About us

Servicestart is a leading intermediary for services. Since we launched in 2006 we have continuously added more features and tools to our system to the benefit of our ever expanding pool of users, now exceeding 300 000. Our ambition stays the same: To be your best starting point whenever you are looking to purchase or provide a service. >>

Servicestart can give you a good start when you need help in your home, at the office or in your neighbourhood. This is how it works:

It is free to post a request and there is no obligation to hire any of the companies offering you quotes. The providers pay a small fee to be able to contact you and spend time on sending you and offer. Hence, please use the service in a responsible manner and reply to their offer, even if you decide not to accept it for any reason.

Your information is secure. Your name and contact details are shown to a maximum of five providers and only after they confirm a serious interest in helping you. You receive an email from Servicestart as soon as a company wants to give you an offer. You are given the name and contact details of the company and access to the ratings and reviews from other users who hired the company previously. Your request is automatically closed when five companies have reported interest in providing you with their quote but you may close it before this at any time.

Questions? Or do you want assistance with filling our your request?
Please contact us, we would love to help.

Telephone : 020-8150 8085 (8am-5pm, mon-fri)
Email: support@servicestart.co.uk (all days)

More advice for a successful project

Please consider that a well-written request receives more and better quotes. Hence, try to write a clear project description. You may take use of the pre-defined questions to add as much information as possible about your job. In addition, please use the free-text box to give your own description.

Compare quotes, ratings and qualifications

Once you have been put in contact with interested providers you are able to compare them. You are given the company details and reviews from previous clients they have won through Servicestart. Make sure to ask the company for any additional qualifications needed such as professional licenses and certificates.

Book an appointment

A personal meeting will give you the chance to ask questions directly to the provider and to evaluate how suitable they would be for your job. The meeting will also allow the provider to better calibrate their offer and price estimate to you. Many providers cannot give an exact price quote unless given the chance to meet and evaluate the project on-site. Of course, this mainly applies to building projects.

Select your provider and sign a contract

Once you feel confident you have found the right provider it is important that the job is performed according to expectations. Make a detailed agreement with your provider to cover time schedule, type and level of remuneration, inspection and quality control and guarantees. Here are more tips

Good luck with your project!