When a tradie's phone number doesn't match their own website

Short answer

A listed phone number that differs from the one on the business's own website usually means one of three things: the listing is stale, the business uses call tracking, or a lead-generation service sits between you and the tradesperson. Across 20,703 Australian trade businesses, 5.5% — 1,139 businesses — have this mismatch.

This is a small number and a specific one, which is exactly why it is worth knowing about. We are not counting businesses with no phone number, or ones we could not check. These are businesses whose public listing gives one number while their own website gives another.

Three explanations, in rough order of likelihood

  1. The listing is stale. Numbers change, directory entries do not. Harmless, and the most common answer.
  2. Call tracking. Some businesses use a different number per advertising channel to measure what works. Also harmless.
  3. A lead reseller. You ring the number, a call centre answers, and your job is sold to whichever tradesperson buys it. This is the one worth knowing about.

Why the third one costs you money

When a job is sold as a lead, the cost of buying it is inside your quote. You are also not choosing a tradesperson — you are choosing a broker, who chooses for you, based on who paid. The business you thought you researched may never have been involved.

It is not illegal and it is not always bad. But it is different from what most people think they are doing when they ring a number on a directory, and you should get to decide knowingly.

How to tell in ten seconds

  • Go to the business's own website and compare the number there against the one you were about to ring.
  • If they differ, ring the one on their website.
  • When someone answers, ask 'is this [business name]?' A broker will hedge.

Common questions

Why would a tradie's phone number be different in a directory?
Usually a stale listing or call tracking, both harmless. Sometimes a lead-generation service sits between you and the tradesperson, in which case the cost of buying your job is inside your quote and you are not choosing who turns up.
How many Australian tradies have a mismatched phone number?
5.5% — 1,139 of the 20,703 trade businesses in this directory list a number that contradicts the one on their own website.

Read next