Before you say yes: check the quote for red flags
Some features of a quote are officially listed warning signs, and some are just how the trade works. Describe the quote you were given and see what the Consumer Protection Act, overseen by the National Consumer Commission actually says about each part, with the source, verified 2026-07-17. It checks the quote, not the business: that check comes after, by name.
Describe the quote in your hand
Answer what applies. Each answer is read against what the Consumer Protection Act, overseen by the National Consumer Commission actually says, with the source. Skip anything you are unsure about.
Answer any question to see what the official guidance says about it.
Then check the business itself
A clean quote from the wrong business is still the wrong business. Check the business by name on the public evidence, line your quotes up side by side, or see the exact deposit rules where you are. Or browse tradespeople with public evidence.
Common questions
Is a big deposit a red flag?
At 50 percent up front, most of the money would move before any work. The Consumer Protection Act speaks of a reasonable deposit for advance bookings and a reasonable cancellation charge, not a blank cheque, and the Commission's guidance is a written estimate with a clear cost breakdown before you agree to anything.
The tradesperson knocked on my door. What are my rights?
Uninvited direct marketing, including doorstep selling, has its own section of the Consumer Protection Act precisely because the channel invites pressure: the 5 business day cooling off right below is the statutory answer. A sale that resulted from direct marketing, which covers uninvited doorstep selling, can be cancelled without reason or penalty by written notice within 5 business days of the agreement or of delivery, whichever is later, and the supplier must return any payment within 15 business days and may not try to collect payment on a cancelled transaction. That is section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act.
They only take cash. Is that a problem?
The Act's protections assume a payment trail: cancelled direct marketing transactions must be refunded within 15 business days, and estimates and costs are meant to be disclosed in writing. A trader who will only take cash sits outside that trail and outside your bank's protections.
Is a discount for cash a red flag?
A discount for cash is not in itself against the rules. The pattern to watch is cash ONLY, with no paper trail behind the payment.
This is guidance from the public rules and official consumer guidance, not legal advice. It describes the features of a quote as you entered them; it says nothing about any named business. Rules change and cooling off rights carry exclusions, so check the cited official page before you rely on any single rule.
More ways to check who to trust
Free, independent checks. No ads, no paid placement.
- Cowboy Checker
Spot the warning signs of a dishonest business before you hire.
- Compare Quotes
Enter the names from your quotes and line them up on the public evidence.
- Company Health Check
Check whether the company behind a business is active, dissolved, or in liquidation.
- Certifications
The certifications, licences and registrations we have found in public sources, and what each one means.
- Property Certificates
The compliance certificates a property sale needs, who may issue each, and how to check them.
- Rating Reality Check
Where a rating and review count really sit against the market's full distribution.
- Check Before You Hire
The official registers that cover each trade here, with the public entries we have found for each.
- Licence Check
A licence number from a van or quote, checked against every public register included here in one search.
- Emergency: Who to Call
Gas smell, power cut, burst pipe: the official number to call first, from the official pages.