Have you ever looked for a reliable plumber online?

When you turn the tap, drinkable water comes out, and when you flush your toilet it sends all your nasties far far away.

It just works! …until it doesn’t!

Then who you gonna call? (cue Ghostbusters theme)

If supernatural manifestations were your problem, a call to Colombia University’s paranormal research department would have Venkman, Stantz and Spengler in their Ectomobile and to you quicker than you can say parapsychology professor!

If only we could guarantee that kind enthusiasm and workmanship when trying to find someone to fix a burst tap or leaky roof!

As a Plumbing Association, it’s frustrating to hear about people doing the wrong thing and casting nasty shadows that muddy the waters of our otherwise amazing industry.

A quick Google search will reveal a pandora’s box of horror stories that detail the shocking experiences of consumers sourcing tradespeople to complete a range of work – everything from incomplete work and poor craftsmanship to disputes over payment and, heaven forbid, being fleeced altogether!

And anyone who has been in this situation knows that finding good help can be hard!

Most on-demand work platforms, while great for so much, have a lot to answer for when providing the right type of tradie for some jobs. Allowing the humble ‘handy-man’ and others in search of a quick buck to appear in searches for tasks that they aren’t qualified to carry out, putting the health and safety of the community at risk.

Just pick the ones with good reviews I hear you say?

Um, well…let’s just say that there’s a lot of ‘paranormal online activity’ that surrounds the authenticity of receiving reviews through many online platforms.

In December last year, the ACCC took tradie website ServiceSeeking to court for allowing users to provide misleading reviews, including a feature that allowed companies to pick their own ratings!

And when you consider that more than 90% of consumers say that online reviews do impact their purchasing decisions, it’s important that we have a system that we can trust.

And we’re not alone, this is happening around the world.

BBC Inside Out carried out an investigation into local platforms and was astounded at how quickly and easily it was able to establish itself as a handyman on Rated People and MyBuilder. No qualifications, just an email and a website!

It was also able to pretend to be its own customer and submitted glowing reviews for extra credibility.

“Too right old chap! Would you like a cup of tea with that?”

Wowzers!

So how do we find a plumber online?

With this information, feedback from our members and the wider community, we armed ourselves with proton packs and began blasting away at an online tool that would cut through the crap (pun intended) to connect consumers with reputable plumbers.

May I present, Find-a-plumber, the finder tool managed by the peak industry body, Master Plumbers. We’ve been around for 128 years representing, training and accrediting plumbing companies and working with governments and regulators to safeguard public health and protect consumers.

Find-a-plumber is a directory of Master Plumbers members monitored by Master Plumbers, where members are listed against their areas of expertise, and work they are qualified to complete.

Have peace of mind in the fact that:

1. plumbers are only eligible to apply for membership to Master Plumbers when they have provided a valid licence and registration;
2. members are then vetted by industry representatives to make sure they are of sound character and have a positive reputation amongst their peers;
3. Master Plumbers members must adhere to a strict code of conduct to maintain their membership; and
4. the reviews generated through the platform can only be completed by the consumer who requests the service and are monitored by a select Master Plumbers performance committee.

Found on the homepage of plumber.com.au, Find-a-plumber asks a few simple questions about the job you have before presenting you with Master Plumbers that are closest to you.

You can opt to call the plumber straight up or request a call back. Plumbers can have their hands full, be up a ladder or under a floor so the system initiates an SMS alert sequence to make sure your request is dealt with fast.

Don’t just take our word for it…try it for yourself! >> Find-a-plumber