Rated People Closed: What Tradespeople Should Do Now

Quick answer: Rated People Limited went into Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation on 16 September 2026 and every tradesperson membership was closed that day. On 17 September, Checkatrade Group bought the Rated People brand and website, but not the memberships. The site still takes jobs from homeowners, but from 18 September those jobs go to Checkatrade members. Nothing transferred over automatically.

If Rated People was where some of your work came from, that's a gap in your diary you didn't plan for. Below is what happened, what it means for your account, data and reviews, and a practical plan to replace those leads in the next 30 days, ideally with something you own this time.

What happened to Rated People?

Here is the timeline, based on Rated People's own announcement and two independent write-ups that checked the public statements and Companies House records:

Date	What happened
16 September 2026	Rated People Limited entered Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation. All tradesperson accounts and memberships were closed the same day.
17 September 2026	Checkatrade Group announced it had bought selected Rated People assets, including the brand and the website. The memberships were not part of the deal.
18 September 2026 onwards	Jobs posted by homeowners on Rated People are matched with Checkatrade members. Homeowners who posted a job before 18 September have to post it again.

Rated People's own post says Checkatrade Group "has completed the acquisition of selected Rated People assets, including the brand and website" and that "Rated People memberships ended before the brand and website changed hands" (Rated People, 17 September 2026). The liquidation date, the closure of trade accounts on 16 September and the 18 September cut-off are confirmed by MyJobQuote and Book a Builder UK. Both are competing platforms, so we've only repeated what they and Rated People agree on.

Is Rated People still working?

For homeowners, yes. The website is still live, and people can still post a job and get quotes. For tradespeople, no, not in the old way. Your Rated People account is closed, and the only way to receive jobs posted on the Rated People site now is through a Checkatrade membership.

So if a customer tells you "I found you on Rated People" next month, they probably found you before the change. New Rated People jobs go to Checkatrade members.

What it means if you were a Rated People member

Your membership has ended

Every trade membership closed on 16 September. Nothing moved across to Checkatrade automatically. If you want Rated People jobs again, you'd need to sign up with Checkatrade as a new member. Rated People's post says Checkatrade membership "starts at £30 per month", and Checkatrade's own pricing page shows Growth plans (the ones built around sending you enquiries) from £59/month, with Fixed Plan memberships running for 12 months (Checkatrade pricing, checked October 2026). Check the current price for your trade and postcode before you sign.

Your old jobs, contacts and invoices

Your past leads are no longer visible in the Rated People website or app. Rated People's announcement links to a form for getting your previous data, including jobs, contacts and invoices. Do this soon: those contacts are past customers and quotes you may want to follow up.

Your reviews

Your reviews stay on the Rated People site by default. MyJobQuote and Book a Builder UK both report that Checkatrade has said former members will be able to import their Rated People reviews at some point, with no date given. Until that happens, treat those reviews as something you can't take with you.

Refunds and questions about your membership

Questions about your past membership go to the liquidators, S&W, at [email protected] (as listed in Rated People's announcement). At the time of writing, none of the sources we checked had any confirmation on whether members will get money back for unused subscription time.

The real lesson: rented leads can switch off overnight

This isn't about whether Rated People was good or bad for you. It's about what happens when your work depends on one platform. Your profile, your reviews and your lead history all lived on someone else's website. When that company stopped trading, all three went with it, with no notice period.

Directories can still be worth paying for. But it makes sense to run them next to things you own: your Google Business Profile, your own website, your phone number, your customer list and your Google reviews. If a directory closes, raises its prices or changes its rules, those keep working.

Rated People alternatives: your options now

1. Another directory or lead site

The obvious step is joining another platform. The main UK options charge in different ways: Checkatrade is a monthly membership, MyBuilder charges a fee each time you're shortlisted, Bark sells credits that you spend to contact a customer, and TrustATrader charges a yearly membership. Other platforms, including MyJobQuote and Book a Builder UK, are actively inviting former Rated People members. Compare on how they charge, how long you're tied in and how many other trades see the same job. We've put them side by side in our guide to Checkatrade alternatives.

2. Your Google Business Profile

This is the free one, and for most trades it's the most important. Google says creating a Business Profile and listing your business is free, and you can set a service area even if you don't have a shopfront (Google Business Profile). Google also says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, that reviews count toward prominence, and that there's no way to pay for a better local ranking (Google Business Profile Help).

In practice: verify the profile, pick the right primary category, list every service, set your service area, add real job photos and reply to every review. Our guide on how to rank higher on Google Maps goes step by step.

3. Your own website

A directory profile sits on someone else's site. Your own website is the address you give out on the van, on quotes and on your Google profile. It doesn't have to be big. It needs a page for each main job you want more of (say "boiler repair" or "flat roof repair"), the towns you cover, real photos, your reviews, tap-to-call on every page and a short quote form. Enquiries from your own site go to you alone.

4. Faster replies to every enquiry

On a lead site, you were probably used to racing other trades to the customer. That doesn't change when the enquiry comes from Google or your website. People ring the next business when nobody picks up. If you're on the tools all day, set up an automatic text for missed calls so the caller gets a reply in seconds and you can carry on by text when your hands are free. Here's how missed call text back works.

5. Reviews that stay yours

If you had a strong review count on Rated People, it hurts to start again. The upside: reviews on your Google Business Profile stay with your business whatever platform you use next. Ask every customer after every job, with a direct link to your Google review page, and send a reminder if they forget.

6. Past customers

Download your old Rated People data, add those customers to your own list, and get back in touch with the ones you did work for, especially those who've said they're happy to hear from you. A short "we're still here, here's our direct number" text is often all it takes. Seasonal work, like a boiler service, gutter clear or electrical check, gives you a natural reason to get in touch.

Your first 30 days after Rated People

Here's a realistic order to work in if you're a one to ten person business:

When	What to do
Days 1-3	Request your old Rated People data through the form in Rated People's announcement. Email S&W if you have questions about your membership or unused fees. Save the customer contacts somewhere you control.
Days 4-7	Claim or tidy up your Google Business Profile: category, services, service area, hours, 10 recent job photos. Update your listings so your business name, phone number and address match everywhere.
Week 2	Decide whether you need a directory right now. If you do, compare two or three on pricing model, contract length and how many trades see each job before you sign anything.
Week 2	Turn on an automatic text for missed calls and an instant reply for website enquiries.
Week 3	Start asking every customer for a Google review straight after the job. Reply to every existing review.
Week 3-4	Get a simple website live, or fix the one you have: a page for each main service, areas covered, photos, reviews, tap-to-call and a short quote form.
Week 4	Send a friendly message to past customers who've agreed to hear from you. Start a simple sheet tracking where each job came from and what it cost.

None of this stops you joining a directory. It just means that next time a platform changes, you don't start from zero.

How WebScaling can help

WebScaling is a web agency for small businesses in Morocco and around the world. We start with your website and the 5-service pack: a website that turns visitors into calls and messages, your Google Business Profile and reviews, SEO, visibility in AI answers (GEO) and a client dashboard. When your business is ready, we add premium services such as Google & Meta Ads, AI agents, automations and dashboards.

Book a free call: you get a clear plan and a fixed quote, with no hidden fees.

FAQ

Has Rated People closed down?

Rated People Limited went into Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation on 16 September 2026, and every tradesperson membership closed that day. The website and brand still exist because Checkatrade Group bought them, so homeowners can still post jobs there.

Is Rated People still working for tradespeople?

Not as before. Old trade accounts are closed and weren't moved anywhere. Jobs posted on Rated People from 18 September 2026 go to Checkatrade members, so you'd need a Checkatrade membership to receive them.

Who owns Rated People now?

Checkatrade Group owns the Rated People brand and website. It bought them on 17 September 2026 through the liquidation. The trade memberships weren't part of the sale.

Will I get a refund on my Rated People membership?

At the time of writing, there's no public confirmation either way. Contact the liquidators, S&W, at [email protected] with any questions about your membership or fees.

Can I move my Rated People reviews?

Not automatically. Checkatrade has reportedly said former members will be able to import Rated People reviews in future, but no date has been given. Building reviews on your Google Business Profile means they stay with you whatever happens.

What is the best Rated People alternative?

It depends on your trade, area and job size. Many trades use a mix: one directory (Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Bark or TrustATrader, for example) plus a Google Business Profile and their own website. Compare how each one charges in our Checkatrade alternatives guide.