German Ingenuity Kicks the UK's Cowboy Builders Out of Town

Britain's callous, cowboy builders and devious, dodgy plumbers have been given their marching orders - thanks to a new website run with ruthless German efficiency and some clever technology.

eGenie.co.uk has been developed to allow Britain's professional, qualified workforce to auction its talents to the British Public. Its creators say its methods spell the end of the line for the overcharging chancer with a tatty white van, a set of iffy credentials and more front than Brighton.

The scheme will be welcomed by campaigners against the cowboy builders whose unscrupulous antics have been featured in a host of programmes recently like ITV's House of Horrors.

eGenie.co.uk uses ground breaking internet technology to create a marketplace which can supply almost any worker from a plasterer or a chap who will put your flat-pack Scandinavian furniture together to an Animal Pedicurist or a Zen Consultant.

‘Pretty much any skilled worker can auction themselves on the site,’ says Stefan Troester, one of the founders of eGenie. However, the company expects the majority of business done through its site will be for those vital traders like electricians, gardeners or plumbers.

It works like this: If you want a reliable, qualified person to do work in your house or garden you just log on to the website and tell it what work you need doing and when you want it done. The technology does the rest for you. Then all you need to do once you have put the job to auction is choose the best quote from your preferred professional.

eGenie.co.uk is also packed with checks and balances to make sure the best workers get noticed. Trades people can post their credentials online and the householders who use their services can rate them for everyone to see. Joining the eGenie community is free for householders and most of the extra services are also free to use for both the workers and their potential employers.

‘Although the idea is simple the engine which drives eGenie.co.uk took four years to develop,’ says Troester. It is already a runaway - award winning* - success in Germany with 100,000 registered users being served by 40,000 traders.

http://www.eGenie.co.uk is Europe's fastest growing online marketplace for householders who need the services of a professional. It claims its innovative system can find the right person for any job fast, effectively and with huge cost savings.