FAQs
What is Tradie Portal?
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What is TradiePortal.com.au?
TradiePortal.com.au is Australia’s trusted tradie services marketplace that provides a simple way to connect End Users (Service Seekers) with Tradies (Service Providers). Covering a wide range of services from simple tasks such as home cleaning and garden maintenance to complex projects such as renovations and new builds.
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How does TradiePortal.com.au work for End Users?
User Profile Setup: to post a project on TradiePortal.com.au, you need to sign up and set up an end user profile, a process that takes just a few seconds.
Project Setup: once your user profile is up and running, define and post your project. TradiePortal.com.au does not limit the number of bids you are able to receive from Tradies.
Bid Analysis: bid analysis is easy with tools available for (a) filtering bids based on price, schedule and tradie reviews, (b) public and private communication with tradies, and (c) shortlisting preferred tradies.
Project Award: once you identify your preferred tradie, award your project and get the job done. Our Internal Messaging Service is available for your private communication with the tradie.
Tradie Reviews: once your project is complete, provide a review and rate the tradie to help other TradiePortal.com.au users know what it was like to work with the tradie.
Please refer to the User Guide for more information and helpful insights.
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How does TradiePortal.com.au work for Tradies?
Tradie Microsite Setup: to bid on a project on TradiePortal.com.au, you need to set up a tradie profile and microsite, a process that takes just a few minutes.
Project Bid: once your tradie profile and microsite are up and running, search and bid on a project. Each tradie has a limited number of free bids per month as outlined in our Membership Plans page.
Project Execution: once a project is award to you, proceed to get the job done. Our Internal Messaging Service is available for your private communication with the project owner.
Customer Reviews: once your project is complete, provide a review and rate the project owner to help other TradiePortal.com.au tradies know what it was like to work with the project owner.
Tradie Fees: Our Membership and Service Fees are as detailed in Fees & Charges Policy, Membership Plans and Banner Advertisements. We may amend these Membership and Service Fees from time to time, without notice, which will become effective upon being published on the Website. We may choose to temporarily amend the Membership and Service Fees for promotional events, such as discounts on Membership Plans, Banner Advertisements or new services, with such temporary amendments becoming effective upon being published on the Website and as notified through promotional correspondence. Unless otherwise stated, all fees are quoted in Australian Dollars.
Please refer to the Tradie Guide for more information and helpful insights.
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How is TradiePortal.com.au different?
TradiePortal.com.au provides the End Users with full control of the Tradie hiring and project implementation process. The marketplace provides Tradies with full feature microsites and full control of the project bidding process. In addition to the project massage board and internal messaging services, End Users and Tradies have access to the full feature Tradie Portal Forum enabling interactive discussions on any topics adheing to TradiePortal.com.au Forum Terms and Conditions.
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What does it cost to use TradiePortal.com.au?
End User Fees and Charges
There are no fees and charges applicable to End Users, meaning:
- free sign up
- free profile set up
- post unlimited number of projects for free
- receive unlimited number of bids for free
- communicate with Tradies and other End Users for free through the Project Message Board and Internal Messaging Service
- gain free access to the TradiePortal.com.au discussion forum
- absolutely no project commissions charged
Tradie Fees and Charges
Our Membership and Service Fees are as detailed in Fees & Charges Policy, Membership Plans and Banner Advertisements. We may amend these Membership and Service Fees from time to time, without notice, which will become effective upon being published on the Website. We may choose to temporarily amend the Membership and Service Fees for promotional events, such as discounts on Membership Plans, Banner Advertisements or new services, with such temporary amendments becoming effective upon being published on the Website and as notified through promotional correspondence. Unless otherwise stated, all fees are quoted in Australian Dollars. Tradie Benefits include:
- free sign up
- tradie directory listing and microsite set up for free
- receive unlimited number of project leads for free
- place bids for free (each tradie has a limited number of free bids per month as outlined in our Membership Plans page)
- communicate with End Users and other Tradies for free through the Project Message Board and Internal Messaging Service
- gain free access to TradiePortal.com.au discussion forum
- absolutely no project commissions charged
How It Works For End Users
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How do I set up a User Profile?
The User Profile Setup Guide provides an easy step by step end user sign up and profile setup process. Signing up for a free end user account provides you with various benefits including a free microsite, ability to post unlimited projects, unrestricted project bids, internal messaging service and absolutely no project commissions or hidden charges.
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How do I set up a project?
The Project Setup Guide provides an easy step by step project setup process.
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How do I analyse my bids?
The Bid Analysis Guide provides quick tips on how to analyse your bids.
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How do I award my project?
The Project Award Guide provides quick tips on how to award your project to your preferred bidder.
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How do I communicate with tradies?
The Cummunications Guide provides quick tips on how to communicate with tradies. -
How do I submit tradie reviews?
The Tradie Reviews Guide outlines an easy step by step project completion and tradie review process.
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How much does it cost to use TradiePortal.com.au?
There are no fees and charges applicable to End Users, meaning:
- free sign up
- free profile set up
- post unlimited number of projects for free
- receive unlimited number of bids for free
- communicate with Tradies and other End Users for free through the Project Message Board and Internal Messaging Service
- gain free access to the TradiePortal.com.au discussion forum
- absolutely no project commissions charged
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How do user referrals work?
End Users (Referrers) who refer new Users (Referees) that do not have existing User Accounts on the Website and who sign up via the respective Referral URLs and create new User Accounts, will be rewarded with a free Featured Project for each successfully signed up Referee.
Each End User Referee who successfully signs up via a Referral URL and creates a new User Account and posts a project before creating a Tradie Profile, will be rewarded with a free Featured Project.
The User Referrals Guide provides more information on how user referrals work.
How It Works For Tradies
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How do I activate my tradie profile?
The Become a Tradie Guide provides information on how to start creating your Tradie Profile and Microsite.
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How do I setup my microsite?
The Microsite Setup provides information on how to create your Tradie Profile and setup your Microsite.
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What information is required for Tradie Verification?
We encourage tradies to provide all the required Business and Contact Details to ensure completeness of their Tradie Profiles. The Tradie Verification Guide provides details of the business information that TradiePortal.com.au collects for Tradie Verification.
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How do I submit a bid?
The How to Bid Guide provides information on how to submit your bid.
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How do I communicate with end users and other tradies?
The Messaging Services Guide provides quick tips on how to communicate with the Project Owners and other Tradies.
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How do I submit customer reviews?
The Customer Reviews Guide outlines an easy step by step Customer Review process.
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How much does it cost to use TradiePortal.com.au?
Our Membership and Service Fees are as detailed in Fees & Charges Policy, Membership Plans and Banner Advertisements. We may amend these Membership and Service Fees from time to time, without notice, which will become effective upon being published on the Website. We may choose to temporarily amend the Membership and Service Fees for promotional events, such as discounts on Membership Plans, Banner Advertisements or new services, with such temporary amendments becoming effective upon being published on the Website and as notified through promotional correspondence. Unless otherwise stated, all fees are quoted in Australian Dollars. Tradie Benefits include:
- free sign up
- tradie directory listing and microsite set up for free
- receive unlimited number of project leads for free
- place bids for free (each tradie has a limited number of free bids per month as outlined in our Membership Plans page)
- communicate with End Users and other Tradies for free through the Project Message Board and Internal Messaging Service
- gain free access to TradiePortal.com.au discussion forum
- absolutely no project commissions charged
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What are the available payment methods?
Payments relating to Projects and any other Services between Users
We do not administer any payments relating to projects or any other services between Users. End Users and Tradies are fully responsible for making their own payment arrangements. Without limiting Clause 4 (Using the Website), as a condition of use, you acknowledge that you must not (a) fail to deliver payment for services delivered to you, and (b) fail to deliver Tradie Services for which you were hired to deliver.
You agree to indemnify TradiePortal.com.au against any and all claims against it for any failure to deliver payment for Services delivered to you or failure to deliver Services for which you were hired to deliver.
Payments relating to our membership and services fees
All your data, including personal information and passwords, is protected using the highest commercially available 256-bit SSL encryption technology. We make every effort to ensure that your information will not be intercepted or compromised.
TradiePortal.com.au only accepts payments relating to our membership and services fees via PayPal. We do not collect credit card information. PayPal automatically encrypts all sensitive credit card information sent between your computer and PayPal's servers and does not share this information with TradiePortal.com.au. To find out more about how PayPal protects buyers, visit www.paypal.com.
Additional Security Steps
It is imperative that all web browsers installed on your computer are properly and securely configured. You can configure your web browsers to (a) disable web browser features that can cause computer vulnerabilities, (b) tell you when your details are being sent, and (c) warn you if your details are not being sent in a secure way.
To securely configure each of the browsers installed on your computer, we recommend that you follow the detailed and comprehensive instructions available here. Additional information on ‘How to Clear Your Browser’s Cookies’ can be found here.
Online security is constantly evolving. We therefore recommend that you ensure your browsers and security configuration are always up-to-date.
Please note that TradiePortal.com.au is not responsible for the secure configuration of your browsers or the content of external websites. As such, it is your responsibility to complete the necessary due diligence to ensure that you have the latest versions of the browsers installed on your computer and to ensure that those browsers are properly configured for maximum security.
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What is the right membership plan for me?
Please refer to the Membership Plans page where you can review and choose the right plan based on your requirements. Do not hesitate to contact our Customer Support Team if you have any questions.
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How do tradie referrals work?
Tradies (Referrers) who refer new Users (Referees) that do not have existing User Accounts on the Website and who sign up via the respective Referral URLs and create new User Accounts, will be rewarded with 10 free projects bids for each successfully signed up Referee.
Each Tradie Referee who successfully signs up via a Referral URL and create a new User Account and a new Tradie Profile before posting a project will be rewarded with 10 free projects bids.
The Tradie Referrals Guide provides more information on how tradie referrals work.
Tradie Portal Forum
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What is Tradie Portal Forum?
Tradie Portal Forum is an online discussion forum where our members (end users and tradies) can have interactive discussions on Services and any other topics that do not violate the Forum Terms and Conditions and User Agreement.
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How do the forums work?
Tradie Portal Forum is made up of a number of forum categories. Each forum category has a name, for example ‘Building, Renovation and Maintenance’ and contains several forums such as ‘Bathroom Ideas’, 'Owner Builder Forum', 'Heating, Ventilation & Air-Conditioning', ‘Landscaping, Gardening & Outdoors’, 'Kitchen Corner', etc. The forum categories and forums are set-up by the Tradie Portal Forum team. Within the forums, you can create ‘topics’ for discussion. Other members can read through topics and ‘post’ their own replies.
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What is a 'topic'?
A topic is a subject for discussion within a forum, for example ‘Open Plan Kitchen Layouts’. There can be many topics in a forum. Within each topic, members can read and post their own replies. Or members can start their own new topics to start a new discussion. It is important that the title of a topic is clear and descriptive. This will help members understand what a particular topic is about.
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What is a 'post'?
A post is a message which has been submitted to a topic. When you post to any forum, your post is public and can be read by other members and the general public.
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What does the information on the forum home page mean?
Tradie Portal Forum home page provides you with with the following main menu items:
- Forum home
- Active topics
- Popular topics
- Browse all Forums
- Your posts
- Members you are following
- Topics you are following
The Forum home page also includes the following sections:
- Featured Topics: TradiePortal.com.au features a select number of topics on the Forum home page based on content and popularity in order to enhance user experience.
- Top Contributors: this section lists the most active Forum members. Other members can easily identify top contributors that normally discuss topics they are interested in.
- Popular Forum Topics: this helps members browse the most discussed topics making it easy to find answers to their questions thereby enhancing user experience.
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How do I read posts and topics on the public forum?
From the Forum menu:
- click Active topics and then select a topic of your interest;
- click Popular topics and then select a topic of your interest;
- click Browse all Forums, select a forum, and then select a topic of your interest;
- click My Posts and then select a topic of your interest;
- click Members that you are following, and then select a member or a topic; or
- click Topics that you are following and then select a topic of your interest.
You can also select posts and topics from other sections of the Forum home page as follows:
- from the Featured Topics section, select a topic of your interest;
- from the Top Contributors section, select a top contributor, and then select a topic of your interest;
- from the Popular Forum section, select a topic of your interest.
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How do I get started posting and replying to topics?
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How do I start a new topic?
To start a new topic, you first need to be Sign In to TradiePortal.com.au. Click Browse to access the forum categories and list of forums under each category. Select the forum you are interesting in and then click the ‘Start New Topic’ button which appears at the top of every forum page to post a new topic. It is important that the title of a topic is clear and descriptive. This will help members understand what a particular topic is about.
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How do I reply to a post in a particular?
To reply to an existing post in a particular topic, simply select the topic that you wish to reply to and click the ‘Reply’ button. You will then see the "Post a Replay" box where you can type in your message. Be sure to check the "Notify me via email when someone posts in this topic" checkbox before clicking the "Post Reply" button. With the notifications enabled, you will receive mail notification when replies are posted to this topic. This can be turned off by editing your post and unchecking the "Notify me via email when someone posts in this topic" checkbox. The threads you have subscribed to are then listed under Topics (My Topics) in your main menu. The My Posts option in this area also lists all of the posts that you have made to date.
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What other functions are available when creating or replying to a post?
You will notice a few other buttons that you may find useful:
- Quote: this copies the text from the post that you are replying to and includes it in your post as a quote.
- Post Reply: this is the final step when posting a message to the forum.
- Emoticons: you can add emoticons to your posts, which can help to convey the tone of your message.
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How do I keep track of my posts and the replies?
When you start a new post or reply to a topic you have the option of checking the "Notify me via email when someone posts in this topic" checkbox before clicking the "Post Reply" button. With the notifications enabled, you will receive mail notification when replies are posted to this topic. This can be turned off by editing your post and unchecking the "Notify me via email when someone posts in this topic" checkbox. The threads you have subscribed to are then listed under Topics (My Topics) in your main menu. The My Posts option in this area also lists all of the posts that you have made to date.
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How do I choose a forum username?
Your Tradie Portal Forum Username is the Username you entered on the Tradie Portal Sign Up form. This is the Username that other members identify you by and is able to be viewed publicly once you have posted on the Forum. Your Username should not contain your email address or personal contact information.
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Do I have to accept cookies?
Yes. Cookies are used to track which posts you have read for your current session. Without accepting cookies some functions of the Tradie Portal Forum will not work properly.
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Why is a title of a topic so important?
It is important that the title of a topic is clear and descriptive. This will help members understand what a particular topic is about.
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Can I start my own forum?
No. Forums can only be started by the Tradie Portal Forum Moderators. If you have a suggestion for a new forum, please use the Help Us Improve function to send us your suggestions.
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Can I start my own topics?
Yes... However, we suggest searching for the subject topic using the search field to ensure there is no other topic with the same or similar name in the forum before starting a new topic.
To start a new topic, you first need to be Sign In to TradiePortal.com.au. Click Browse to access the forum categories and list of forums under each category. Select the forum you are interesting in and then click the ‘Start New Topic’ button which appears at the top of every forum page to post a new topic. It is important that the title of a topic is clear and descriptive. This will help members understand what a particular topic is about.
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What is a Featured Post?
TradiePortal.com.au features a select number of topics on the Forum home page based on content and popularity in order to enhance user experience.
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Can I search the forums?
Yes, simply type your search terms (e.g. title of a topic) into the search field (search field appears on the right hand side of the forum main menu) and click the search button.
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Can I close my membership and what happens when I do this?
Please note that when you close your User Account, you will no longer have access to not only the Tradie Portal Forum, but also the Website.
You may close your Tradie Profile or delete your User Account at any time. The options are located under Tradie Settings and My Account respectively.
Closing a Tradie Profile is subject to:
- not having any work in progress (running projects) on the Website; and
- resolving any outstanding matters (such as a suspension or restriction on your Account).
Deleting a User Account is subject to:
- not having any running projects on the Website; and
- resolving any outstanding matters (such as a suspension or restriction on your Account).
We may retain some of your personal information to satisfy regulatory requirements and our own external obligations. Closing your Tradie Profile or delete your User Account does not necessarily delete or remove all the information we hold.
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How do I sign in to use the forum?
Simply enter your user credentials on the Sign In page.
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How do I gain access to the forum if I have forgotten my password?
Simply click the "Forgot Password" link the Sign In page and a dialogue box will pop up. Enter your email address and click the "Continue" button. A password recover email will sent to your register email address from where you should be able to create a new email and regain access to the forum.
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How do I sign out of the forum?
Simply click your Username at the top right hand corner of the Website and select "Logout" at the bottom of the menu.
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How do I use the Report function?
Select the ‘Report’ option (exclaimation mark) at the top right hand corner of any post. A dialogue box will appear with the question "Are you sure you want to report this post?". Select "Yes" or "No" as appropriate.
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Why would I use the Report function?
We encourage all of our members to use the Report function if they ever feel the Forum Terms and Conditions and User Agreement have been breached, or if they are concerned about the content of a post or the behaviour of a member. It is impossible for the moderators to read every post so we appreciate the assistance of our members in bringing anything of concern (no matter how small) to our attention.
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Is the Report function confidential?
When you use the Report function the moderators are alerted to your username and email address, but this is never shared with other members or publicly.
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How do I manage my Account Settings?
Sign in to TradiePortal.com.au using your user credentials and use these links to manage your Tradie Settings and User Account Settings.