Guides
Sourced, practical guidance for the decisions that come before and after you hire: checking a business, reading reviews, comparing quotes, paying safely and putting things right.
How to check a business is legitimate
Before you sign a contract or send a deposit, confirm that the business exists as a legal entity, holds the licence its work requires and is registered for tax where it says it is. Official registers in each market let you check.
How to spot fake reviews before you choose
Fake and manipulated reviews are now specifically prohibited in the United States and the United Kingdom, yet they still appear. Here are the signs you can check yourself, what each market's law covers and where to report a review you doubt.
How to compare quotes like for like
Three quotes only help if they price the same job. Set the scope in writing, ask each business to break its price down the same way, then compare the terms behind the totals: tax, payment stages, validity and how changes are priced.
How to pay deposits and staged payments safely
A deposit is the point of greatest risk in any service job: your money has gone and no work has been done. How you pay, how much you hand over and when decide what you can recover if the business does not deliver.
What to do when a service goes wrong
Start with a clear written complaint to the business. If that does not settle it, each market has routes to escalate, from ombudsmen and consumer authorities to small claims courts. This guide sets out what to do, and in which order.