TRUST & SAFETY
Trust & Safety at HandyHub
Finding a professional you can trust shouldn't be a guessing game. Here's exactly how we verify professionals, protect your information, and handle problems when they come up — no vague promises, just how it actually works.
What "Verified" Actually Means
Every professional who earns the "Verified ✓" badge on HandyHub has gone through a real review by our team — not just an automated form submission. Here's what that process checks:
Confirmed automatically by SMS code at signup, for every user.
Professionals upload a valid national ID, passport, or driver's license. Our team reviews it against their profile photo and name.
Professionals must upload real photos of past work. Our team checks these are genuine, not stock images pulled from the internet.
Company accounts must upload a valid business registration certificate, reviewed before granting a "Business Verified" badge.
Trade certificates or licenses can be uploaded and displayed on a professional's profile when provided.
Our verification is a human review process, done by our own team here in Liberia — it is not a government identity check or a criminal background check. We say "Verified by HandyHub team," not "Government Verified," because that's an honest description of what actually happens.
For categories involving in-home or unsupervised access, we're exploring an optional police clearance certificate upload as an additional trust signal — not required today.
Reviews You Can Actually Trust
Fake reviews are a real problem on a lot of platforms. Here's how we prevent it:
- You can only review a job you actually posted and completed. Every review is tied directly to a real job — there's no way to leave a review for a professional you never actually hired through the platform.
- Lower-rated reviews get a second look. Any review under 3 stars is checked by our team before it goes live — not to hide criticism, but to make sure it follows our content guidelines.
- Professionals can respond once. A single public response gives both sides of the story without turning it into a back-and-forth argument.
- Report anything that looks wrong. Every review has a "Report" link, feeding the same moderation queue our team checks daily.
When Something Goes Wrong
Most jobs on HandyHub go smoothly. When they don't, here's what happens:
Either side can open a dispute
Customer or professional, directly from their dashboard, tied to the specific job in question.
A real person on our team reviews it
The full message history between both parties, the job details, and any evidence provided.
We may reach out to both sides
For more information before making a call.
We work toward a fair resolution
Documented clearly, so both parties know exactly what was decided and why.
HandyHub doesn't hold payment in escrow at this stage — most jobs are still paid directly between customer and professional, in cash, on completion. That means we can mediate a dispute and take action on an account, but we can't force a refund on a cash transaction that happened outside our systems.
If a dispute involves harassment, threats, or a genuinely unsafe situation, flag it as urgent when you contact us — those get escalated to our team the same day, ahead of the normal queue.
Your Information, Handled Carefully
- Your exact address stays private until you choose to share it. Only your general area is visible to professionals browsing open jobs.
- ID documents are never made public. They're only accessible to our verification team — never shown on your public profile.
- We collect what we need, not more. Verification documents are never sold to anyone, and never shared beyond what's needed to operate the platform.
- You can ask us to delete your account and documents. Contact our support team to request account deletion.
A Few Practical Tips
For Customers
- Check verification badge, rating, and reviews before you contact anyone.
- Communicate through HandyHub messaging first, so there's a record.
- Agree on scope and price clearly before the job starts.
- Trust your instincts — it's okay to choose a different professional.
For Professionals
- Complete your verification fully — it gets noticeably more trust.
- Use HandyHub messaging to confirm job details before showing up.
- Report any customer behavior that feels unsafe or abusive.
- You're protected by the same reporting system customers use.
See Something? Tell Us.
Whether it's a fake profile, a scam attempt, a policy violation, or a safety concern — don't wait. Reporting it helps protect the next person too.
Safety-related reports are reviewed the same day. Other reports are typically reviewed within 1–2 business days.