10 Years of Edinburgh Trusted Trader 2015 - 2025
On 17 June 2015, the Edinburgh Trusted Trader scheme was officially launched at the Edinburgh City Chambers on the Royal Mile, with help from the City of Edinburgh Council, Trading Standards, Police Scotland and local businesses.
Regulatory Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, Cllr Neil Ross, said: “As Edinburgh Trusted Trader celebrates its 10th birthday, it’s a chance to reflect on a decade of dedication to consumer protection and support for local businesses. Now with over 300 members, the scheme’s mission remains unchanged – to offer residents a trusted list of vetted local businesses and tackle doorstep crime and rogue traders."
“Through the promotion of good practice, increasing consumer confidence, and ensuring a rigorous vetting process led by Edinburgh Trading Standards, the scheme continues to be a vital resource for residents. Whether you need work done on your home or in a communal area, Edinburgh Trusted Trader helps connect people with reliable and reputable traders.
“The Trusted Trader scheme is a benefit to the public as well as a fantastic platform for businesses to promote their credibility and access expert guidance. I’m confident that this scheme will help build on consumer confidence in trades across the city and look forward to seeing more businesses joining as Trusted Traders.”
Sean McFadden from Connell & McFadden Property Development Ltd stated, “It's remarkable to think that it has been a decade since the scheme was launched, and we are very proud to have been a part of it from the very beginning. I would estimate that, on average throughout the year, approximately 50% of our work comes directly from Trusted Trader, which has played a significant role in the growth of our business.”
Jason Staines from GW & JS Construction Ltd said, “We really liked the idea of a trustworthy scheme that our customers could get assurances from, which was backed by Trading Standards and supported by Police Scotland. It definitely has achieved what we wanted, and the scheme generates approximately 25% of new customers, who then become returning customers."
Andy Carral from Wee Critters Pest Control Services Limited said; “As a small, family run business, Wee Critters Pest Control Services has been with Edinburgh Trusted Trader from the very beginning, and we have been proud to be part of this scheme. For us, as a business of 16 years plus, establishing ourselves as an honest and reliable service has been crucial, and Trusted Trader has been a vital part of this success for 10 years.”
Growth of the scheme
Starting with 36 members, the Edinburgh Trusted Trader scheme has now expanded to a membership of 320 local businesses vetted by Trading Standards, and this week it reached a new milestone of 26,000 professionally moderated reviews left by Edinburgh residents.
Edinburgh Trusted Trader sits on the trustedtrader.scot platform, and within a few months of its launch, East Lothian Trusted Trader moved onto trustedtrader.scot, shortly followed by Fife Trusted Trader. Today, the platform is home to 16 Trusted Trader schemes across Scotland, allowing consumers to search for vetted businesses on neighbouring schemes, particularly those near Council boundaries, which allows more choice.
As with all the Trusted Trader schemes, the mission remains the same: to provide residents with a list of vetted and trustworthy local businesses and help combat doorstep crime and rogue traders.
Thank you for your support
The support and feedback we receive from both residents, consumers and business owners is overwhelmingly positive, and it is this word of mouth feedback that has been invaluable in establishing and sustaining the scheme. Here is a sample of some of the Google reviews left over the last few months.
So as we mark the 10-year anniversary of Edinburgh Trusted Trader, we would like to say a huge "thank you" to everyone who has used a Trusted Trader and left their feedback over the years, and an equally big "thank you" to the hard-working Edinburgh businesses that make up the scheme. We look forward to continuing to protect residents from rogue traders and doorstep sellers, encouraging more Edinburgh businesses to join the scheme, and helping it grow further.
The Trusted Trader Team