Referenceline

Experienced

Referenceline was founded in 1997, at a time when you had to dial up to connect to the internet and the service was slow and expensive. We began with advertisements in the newspaper, promoting our phone number 0870 870 1000. 

Back in those days, a printed freepost form was the only way to collect reviews, so we gave each business a pack of freepost forms which customers posted to our freepost address. 

 

We scanned their replies, including the ratings and handwritten reviews, which we then printed and posted to consumers who contacted us: 

The internet has made all of that much simpler, but some things haven't changed and even today our freepost forms remain the very popular with some clients. 

 

Approved by Trading Standards

We helped to establish the Trading Standards Buy with Confidence scheme, we created and operated its first website and we have remained approved members since 1999.  

We have since provided the websites and reviews for various local authority Trading Standards good trader schemes since 2005.

 

Working with Consumer Organisations

In 2000, the National Consumer Council gave us the highest rating of any comparable scheme in their Trading Information report. This was a long time ago and much has changed since then.  Two decades on, we would welcome a similar independent review.

 

Working with Trade Bodies and the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme

Referenceline's reports and reviews have been used as monitoring for the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme established by the Office of Fair Trading and now operated by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. 

We monitor Customer Satisfaction 

 

and Standards

We supported the Property Ombudsman for 10 years from 2003 to 2013 and the British Association of Removers since 2006.

 

Independent

Over 98% of the feedback we receive is positive, recommending the firm concerned, but you can read the complaints as well, even if the firm doesn't agree with the customer.

• We publish every review, unless subject to review by a higher authority such as the Court, Trading Standards, an Ombudsman or a CTSI-approved ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) provider.
• Organisations such as The Property Ombudsman, The British Association of Removers and many Trading Standards schemes want to demonstrate that their members have high standards. They understand that consumers might not believe what they say about their own members, so it makes sense to ask someone independent to keep a record of all the reviews.