Day January 13, 2026

You're standing in your kitchen looking at a quote for £8,000 to rewire your house. The electrician has a Checkatrade badge, 147 five-star reviews, and a profile that says "fully vetted and approved." You feel reassured. You shouldn't. UK homeowners lose approximately £4 billion annually to rogue traders and substandard work, despite the existence of multiple trade directories promising vetted, trusted, reliable tradespeople. According to industry surveys, 87% of homeowners fear hiring trades due to trust concerns. The directories exist specifically to solve this problem. So why does the problem persist?