Safety on TradeMe

You're meeting someone new, sometimes in your own home. We take that seriously. Every swap comes with a checklist that fits the work, and a trade can't be scheduled until both of you have finished it.

If you are ever in danger, call 911.

TradeMe can alert our team and your buddy, but we cannot send help. The "I feel unsafe" button on a live trade shows you the meet details to read out to the dispatcher.

The trust ladder

Every member climbs the same four steps. You can see which steps someone has reached on their profile, as badges next to their name.

  • Email confirmed

    Done

  • Phone verified

    Done

  • ID checked

    Required for childcare, elder companionship and overnight pet sitting. Automatic ID checks are coming soon. Until then, ask us and a team member will check your ID.

    Required

  • Trade history and reviews

    Completed trades and reviews build up on your profile. The average rating shows after three reviews.

    Recommended

What each kind of swap needs

The checklist comes from the kind of work involved, not from guesswork. These are the rules, and they apply to everyone.

Everyday swaps

Lessons, tech help, yard work, errands

  • Email confirmed and community rules accepted
  • No open safety report against either of you
  • In person: phone verified, meet plan agreed, check in and out on the day
  • Remote: no meet plan or check-in needed

Work in someone's home

Cleaning, handyman jobs, plumbing

  • Everything for everyday swaps
  • Phone verified for both of you
  • The first time you trade together: a short hello in a public place before going to anyone's home
  • A buddy for whoever goes into the other person's home

Care

Babysitting, elder companionship, overnight pet sitting

  • Everything for work in someone's home
  • ID checked for everyone. This is a hard rule: the trade cannot be scheduled without it

New to TradeMe and meeting in person? A buddy is strongly recommended for your first trade, even when it isn't required.

The meet plan

Before anyone shares an address or phone number, you agree a meet plan in the trade: the place, the start and end time, and, for work in a home, where you'll have the first hello. Everyone has to agree the same plan. If anyone changes it, everyone agrees again.

Good public places for a first meeting:

  • A public library, during opening hours
  • A busy café or coffee shop
  • A police-station "safe exchange zone" (many stations have one — call ahead)
  • A community or recreation centre lobby
  • A supermarket or shopping-centre entrance

Phone numbers and email addresses unlock only when the trade is scheduled, and only the ones each person chose to share. Until then, messages that include contact details or payment apps are masked automatically.

Your buddy

A buddy is a friend or family member who knows where you are. Add one in your account, either for every trade or for a single one. When the trade is scheduled, your buddy gets a private link by text or email showing who you're meeting (first name and last initial), where, when, and whether you've checked in and out. They don't need an account. If they can't reach you, they tap "I can't reach them" and our team is alerted. The link stops working 48 hours after the meet ends.

On the day

  1. Up to 30 minutes before the startTap "I've arrived" when you get there.
  2. When you're doneTap "All done, I'm safe" once you've left.
  3. 20 minutes after the planned endNo check-out yet? We send you a reminder.
  4. 45 minutes after the planned endStill nothing? We tell your buddy and raise an alert for our team.

At any point during the trade, the "I feel unsafe" button raises an urgent alert for our team and shows you the meet details to share with 911.

Reports and blocks

If someone doesn't show up, makes you uncomfortable, asks for money or isn't who they said they were, report them from their profile or the trade page. Reports about safety or harassment go straight to our team's alert list. If three different members report the same person, their account is paused automatically while we look into it.

You can block anyone. Blocking takes effect straight away: you won't see each other in matches, browsing or messages, and any trade between you that hasn't started is cancelled.

Good habits

  • Read the other person's profile and reviews before you accept.
  • Keep conversations in TradeMe messages until the trade is scheduled.
  • Never send money, gift cards or payment-app transfers. Nobody on TradeMe should ask.
  • Start with a small swap. Build up to bigger jobs with people you've traded with before.
  • Trust your instincts. You can cancel any trade before it starts, for any reason.
  • Check that anyone doing licensed work (electrical, plumbing, hair, notary) has the licence your state requires.