Which? Trusted Trader of the Month process

What are the benefits of winning?

Being the Which? Trusted Trader of the Month means you’ve been highlighted as a great ambassador for the scheme, which is good PR for you and your business.

You’ll receive a winner’s logo that you can use to promote your award over the next 12 months. We’ll publish an article celebrating your win on the Which? Trusted Traders website and share it in our monthly newsletter and on the Which? social media channels.

Winning traders are also put on the longlist for the annual Trader of the Year award, presented as part of the annual Which? Awards in London. This high profile ceremony recognises the UK’s very best companies across a number of categories, as judged by our experts, Which? members and the general public.

How do I apply for Trusted Trader of the Month?

Provided you’ve been endorsed as a Which? Trusted Trader for six months, you can apply for the competition as long as you meet the essential qualifying criteria (see more below).

Simply contact your account manager to request an application form, fill it in and send it back to us before the 5th of each month. Your Account Manager will carry out an eligibility checklist on your account at the same time.

You’ll need to complete three sections on the application form:

• Why should you win? Tell us what you have done to be a contender for the award (only give examples from the last three months).
• How are you using the Which? Trusted Trader logo? Please provide your most creative and innovative examples (eg on vehicles or social media) and send us photographs or links to online examples.
• Additional reasons This can include detailed testimonials, examples of charity work or helping your local community, compelling stories of going the extra mile to help consumers or demonstrating Which? ethics.

Essential criteria to qualify

You may enter Which? Trusted Trader of the Month if you are currently endorsed as a Which? Trusted Trader who:

• has been a members of the scheme for a minimum of six months
• is up to date with all membership payments to Which? Trusted Traders and
• is fully compliant with our Which? Trusted Traders Code of Conduct and What is Expected of You document

You may not enter if you:

• you have won a Which? Trusted Trader of the Month competition in the previous 12 months
• you are not a consumer-facing entity or you do not deal directly with consumers.

Head office and branches/franchisor and franchisees are eligible to apply - as long as they work directly with customers.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply, please contact your account manager or email us on trustedtraders@which.co.uk

What can I do to increase my chances of winning?

We’ll be looking for a trader who can be a great ambassador for Which? Trusted Traders, who really embraces the scheme and all that it means, and who communicates that well to their customers.

We’ll also be looking for the ‘wow’ factor – something that makes you stand out from the rest. This could take a number of different forms and will be different for every winner, but we’ve given some examples below.

Positive reviews that go ‘above and beyond’ what’s expected
It’s not just about the numbers – we’ll also look at the quality of your reviews for evidence that you’ve gone the extra mile for customers, provided excellent customer service or just done an incredible job. For example:

‘I can’t recommend Fictional Traders Ltd enough. Their quality and efficiency was only surpassed by the effort they made to work around us; spending time clearing up at the end of every day and communicating clearly with us so we knew what was coming next and could plan our lives around the work. I’ll definitely use them again.’

Evidence that you’ve used the scheme creatively within your business
We’re looking out for interesting and unusual ways that you use the Which? Trusted Traders scheme within your business, such as handing out the Code of Conduct to all your customers. Or perhaps you’ve used the logo in a creative way to market your business, or promoted Which? Trusted Traders via a social-media campaign. It’s up to you – just let us know what you’re up to.

Evidence of community engagement or working to improve industry standards
Past winners have impressed the judging panel by participating in charity work and fundraising. Another way you can set yourself apart is by showing us how you’re working to improve industry standards.

Bear in mind that these are only desirable criteria: there may be something else that provides the ‘wow’ factor required to make your business the Which? Trusted Trader of the Month.

When can I apply to be Which? Trusted Trader of the Month?

You may submit an application to become Which? Trusted Trader of the Month at any point however we would not start the assessment process until the 5th of each month. If you would apply please do contact your Account Manager on 029 2267 0040.

Who picks the winner, and when do they find out?

The winner will be selected by a panel of staff from across the Which? team. The panel will also include at least one independent judge from within Which? who is not part of the Which? Trusted Traders operation.

The winner will be contacted after the closing date, but before the first of the winning month. We'll also be in touch to interview the winner for a news article.

Terms and conditions

1. Which? Trusted Traders Trader of the Month runs continuously each month and closes at 5pm on the 5th of every month (or closest weekday) (the 'Closing Date'), (the 'Competition').

2. To enter the Competition you must:

• a) contact your account manager directly or via trustedtraders@which.co.uk to request an application form;
• b) complete all relevant information on the application form; and
• c) submit the completed form directly to your account manager or via trustedtraders@which.co.uk before the 10th of the month.

3. Entry to the Competition is free and is open to all residents of the United Kingdom aged 18 and over (proof of age may be required) who are currently endorsed Which? Trusted Traders who:

• a) have been members of the scheme for a minimum of six (6) months;
• b) are up to date with all membership payments to Which? Trusted Traders; and
• c) are fully compliant with our Which? Trusted Traders Code of Conduct and What is Expected of You document.

4. You may not enter the Competition if:

• a) you are an employee of Which? Limited, Which? Financial Services Limited or the Consumers’ Association;
• b) you are a non-employee working at Which? Limited, Which? Financial Services Limited or the Consumers’ Association, their immediate family or are living in an employee or non-employee’s household;
• c) you are one of our Retail Brand Partners;
• d) you are a Head Office or Franchisor; and/or
• e) you have won a Which? Trusted Trader of the Month competition in the previous twelve (12) months.

5. Entry into the Competition is limited to one (1) application per business or sole trader. If you attempt to enter the Competition multiple times, you may be disqualified.

6. By completing the steps described at clause 2 above, you will be deemed to have understood and accepted to be bound by these terms and conditions.

7. The winning trader will have an article written about them and their business published on the Which? Trusted Traders website and featured in our monthly newsletter, and receive a license to use the Which? Trusted Trader of the Month logo for a period of 12 months (subject to compliance with the associated guidance) (the ‘Prize’). Which? reserves the right to substitute the Prize (or any part of it) for an alternative prize of equivalent or greater value if this is necessary for reasons beyond its reasonable control.

8. There will be one Prize winner (the “Winner”). The Winner will be selected by a panel of at least four staff across Which? (the “Panel”) from all eligible entries received on or after the Closing Date. The Panel will include one (1) independent person who is not a member of the Which? Trusted Traders team.

9. In the event that there are insufficient eligible entries for the Competition in a given month, we may consider applications from the previous months competition. If you would not like to be considered in these circumstances, please contact your account manager directly or email us via trustedtraders@which.co.uk.

10. We will inform the Winner directly via phone or email that they have won the Competition within one working week of the Closing Date.

11. As well as contacting the Winner directly, we will generally announce the Winner on the Which? Trusted Traders’ website (trustedtraders.which.co.uk/articles/category/trader-of-the-month/) at midnight on the 1st day of each month (save for January where this will be on the 2nd day) and on the Which? Trusted Traders social media pages at 12 pm on the same day (the “Announcement Date”). You agree that if you are selected as the Winner, we may disclose your name, business name and link to your Which? Trusted Traders profile and your website (if applicable) for this purpose.

12. If we have not heard from the Winner, or if the Winner fails to correspond with us for the purposes of the Prize within 30 days of the Announcement Date, we reserve the right, at our absolute discretion, to consider the Winner to have forfeited the Prize and to withdraw the Prize entitlement of that person.

13. Any personal data that we collect in connection with this Competition will be processed in accordance with the European Regulation 2016/679 (the General Data Protection Regulation), Directive 2002/58/EC (Directive on privacy and electronic communications), the Data Protection Act 2018 and any additional applicable laws (including national implementing laws, regulations and secondary legislation), and our privacy policy and will only be used to administer this promotion.

14. Which? reserves the right to withdraw or amend either the Competition or these terms and conditions at any time, without notice if this is necessary for reasons beyond its reasonable control.

15. The decision of Which? is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Entries that do not comply in full with these terms and conditions will be invalid and disqualified.

16. You agree that if you are the Winner, Which? may feature your name in promotional activities following the Competition. This may include the use of photos, your name and reference to any supporting material used in the application.

17. By submitting an image you grant a perpetual, royalty-free licence to the Consumers' Association and its subsidiaries to feature any or all of the submitted images on the Which? Trusted Traders website (the ‘Website’) and/or in any promotional materials in connection with the Website. You acknowledge and agree that:

• a) you are the lawful owner and/or licensor of those images
• b) you have the right to submit the images to us for the purposes highlighted above
• c) you are not infringing the copyright of any third party or any laws
• d) we may edit, reuse, resize and create derivative work from all submitted images.

18. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and any disputes arising from these terms and conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.

19. The promoter of the competition is Which? Limited, a company registered in England & Wales (company number 00677665) whose registered office is at 2 Marylebone Road, London NW1 4DF (‘Which?’), trading as Which? Trusted Traders.