Community Guidelines

At TradesLink, we are building a trusted marketplace where customers and tradespeople can connect with confidence.

These Community Guidelines explain the standards of behaviour expected from everyone using the TradesLink platform. They apply to all users, including customers, tradespeople, businesses and anyone interacting with TradesLink.

Failure to follow these Guidelines may result in warnings, suspension or permanent removal from the platform.

1. Treat Everyone with Respect

All users must communicate respectfully and professionally. You must not:

• threaten, intimidate or harass others
• discriminate against any person
• use abusive, hateful or offensive language
• bully or deliberately provoke other users

Professional disagreements are acceptable. Personal attacks are not.

2. Be Honest

Trust is essential to the TradesLink community. Users must:

• provide accurate information
• accurately describe jobs and services
• use genuine photographs where applicable
• provide truthful qualifications and experience
• communicate honestly throughout every transaction

False information may result in account suspension or permanent removal.

3. Respect the Payment Process

TradesLink's payment system exists to protect both customers and tradespeople. Users must not:

• request payment outside the platform
• encourage others to avoid TradesLink's commission
• manipulate payment amounts
• submit fraudulent payment information

Attempts to circumvent the payment system are considered a serious breach of these Guidelines.

4. Respect Property

Tradespeople should:

• treat customer property with care
• avoid unnecessary damage
• clean up work areas where reasonably practical
• report accidental damage honestly and promptly

Customers should:

• provide safe and reasonable access to the work site
• respect the tradesperson's tools, equipment and personal property

5. Safety

Safety should always come first. Users should comply with applicable health and safety requirements relevant to the work being performed.

TradesLink encourages users to stop work immediately if continuing would create an unreasonable safety risk.

6. Keep Communication Professional

Platform-related communication should remain respectful and relevant to the job. Users should avoid:

• abusive messages
• repeated unwanted contact
• spam
• misleading statements
• offensive content

7. Reviews

Reviews help maintain trust within the community. Reviews should:

• reflect genuine experiences
• be accurate and fair
• focus on the completed transaction
• avoid personal attacks

TradesLink may remove reviews that violate these Guidelines or other platform policies.

8. Fraud and Dishonesty

TradesLink has zero tolerance for fraud. Examples include:

• identity fraud
• forged qualifications
• manipulated evidence
• fake reviews
• false payment claims
• knowingly false dispute reports
• account impersonation

Fraud may result in immediate account termination and referral to the relevant authorities where appropriate.

9. Protect Privacy

Users should respect each other's privacy. Personal information obtained through TradesLink should only be used for legitimate platform-related purposes. Users must not:

• publish another person's personal information without permission
• misuse contact details
• use platform information for unlawful purposes

10. Illegal Activities

TradesLink may not be used for unlawful or fraudulent activities. Users must not use the platform to facilitate:

• criminal conduct
• fraud
• money laundering
• theft
• unlawful discrimination
• any activity prohibited under applicable South African law

11. Reporting Concerns

If you become aware of behaviour that may violate these Guidelines, you should notify TradesLink as soon as reasonably possible. Where appropriate, please provide supporting information such as:

• photographs
• videos
• screenshots
• WhatsApp communications
• other relevant evidence

12. Enforcement

Depending on the seriousness of a breach, TradesLink may:

• provide guidance or a warning
• remove content
• remove reviews
• temporarily suspend an account
• permanently terminate an account
• delay or withhold payments while investigating
• report suspected unlawful conduct to the appropriate authorities where required

TradesLink will generally seek to act fairly, reasonably and in good faith when enforcing these Guidelines.

13. Changes to these Guidelines

TradesLink may update these Community Guidelines from time to time. Updated versions will be published on the TradesLink website. Continued use of the platform after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Guidelines where permitted by law.

14. Contact

Questions regarding these Community Guidelines may be directed to: