Before you say yes: check the quote for red flags
Some features of a quote are officially listed warning signs, and some are just how the trade works. Describe the quote you were given and see what the ACCC actually says about each part, with the source, verified 2026-07-17. It checks the quote, not the business: that check comes after, by name.
Describe the quote in your hand
Answer what applies. Each answer is read against what the ACCC actually says, with the source. Skip anything you are unsure about.
Answer any question to see what the official guidance says about it.
Then check the business itself
A clean quote from the wrong business is still the wrong business. Check the business by name on the public evidence, line your quotes up side by side, or see the exact deposit rules where you are. Or browse tradespeople with public evidence.
Common questions
Is a big deposit a red flag?
At 50 percent, the deposit is above the statutory cap in every state we cover for residential building work above the state thresholds: New South Wales caps deposits at 10 percent, and Victoria and Queensland at 5 percent for larger jobs. Check your state's exact rule at your job value before anything moves.
The tradesperson knocked on my door. What are my rights?
Uninvited door to door selling has its own consumer law regime for a reason: permitted visiting hours, mandatory identity and address disclosure, and the cooling off right below all exist because this channel goes wrong often. An unsolicited consumer agreement (a sale from an uninvited visit or call) carries a 10 business day cooling off period, counted from the day after you signed or received the agreement. The agreement must state the right and include a cancellation form, and the period stretches to 3 months if the salesperson visited outside permitted hours or did not give their name and address.
They only take cash. Is that a problem?
A trader who will only take cash leaves no payment trail and sits outside the card and bank protections. Combined with a big upfront ask it is the classic pattern state fair trading bodies warn about.
Is a discount for cash a red flag?
A discount for cash is not in itself unlawful. The pattern to watch is cash ONLY, especially alongside a large upfront ask.
This is guidance from the public rules and official consumer guidance, not legal advice. It describes the features of a quote as you entered them; it says nothing about any named business. Rules change and cooling off rights carry exclusions, so check the cited official page before you rely on any single rule.
More ways to check who to trust
Free, independent checks. No ads, no paid placement.
- Cowboy Checker
Spot the warning signs of a dishonest business before you hire.
- Compare Quotes
Enter the names from your quotes and line them up on the public evidence.
- Company Health Check
Check whether the company behind a business is active, dissolved, or in liquidation.
- Certifications
The certifications, licences and registrations we have found in public sources, and what each one means.
- Before You Pay a Deposit
The legal deposit cap and licence rules in your state, before any money moves.
- Rating Reality Check
Where a rating and review count really sit against the market's full distribution.
- Check Before You Hire
The official registers that cover each trade here, with the public entries we have found for each.
- Licence Check
A licence number from a van or quote, checked against every public register included here in one search.
- Can I Do It Myself
DIY electrical work is an offence here. What the law actually allows, state by state.
- Emergency: Who to Call
Gas smell, power cut, burst pipe: the official number to call first, from the official pages.