Terms and conditions

Tradi is not yet open to the public. Today this website offers information about the service and the option to join a launch list. The terms below govern the marketplace from the day bookings open, and are published now so that they can be read in advance.

By using this website you agree to these terms as they apply to it.

Tradi is a marketplace. We introduce customers who need work done to independent tradespeople who can do it, we take payment for that work, and we settle it to the tradesperson once the job is complete.

Tradespeople on Tradi are independent. They are not our employees, agents, partners or subcontractors. They set their own prices, decide which work to accept, and are responsible for the work they do and for holding any licence, registration, qualification or insurance their trade requires.

The agreement to carry out a job is between the customer and the tradesperson. Tradi is not a party to it. We provide the platform, hold the payment, and help resolve problems where we can.

You must be 18 or older and able to enter into a contract. You must give accurate information when you create an account, and keep it up to date. You are responsible for what happens under your account, so keep your login details to yourself.

We verify tradespeople before they can accept work, which may include checking identity, trade qualifications, registrations and insurance. Verification is a check, not a guarantee: it tells you we looked, not that nothing can go wrong.

A booking is confirmed when the tradesperson accepts it and the deposit or call-out fee is paid. At that point the customer and the tradesperson have an agreement to do the work described, at the price shown.

If the job turns out to be different from what was described - more work, different work, or work that cannot be done safely - the tradesperson must agree any change in price with the customer through Tradi before carrying it out. A price agreed off the platform is not covered by anything on this page.

Prices are quoted by the tradesperson and shown in South African Rand. Customers pay a deposit or call-out fee when the booking is made, and the balance when the job is complete. Both payments are made through Tradi and processed by PayFast.

Tradi charges the tradesperson a 12% commission on the total value of each completed job. It is deducted from the payment before the balance is settled to them. Customers pay no fee to Tradi. Full detail is on the pricing page.

We hold the payment between booking and completion. Holding it is what allows a refund where a job did not happen and prompt settlement where it did. It does not make Tradi a bank, and the money is not an investment or a deposit-taking arrangement.

A customer may cancel free of charge at least 24 hours before the booked start time. The cancellation and refund policy sets out what happens inside that window, what happens when a tradesperson cancels, and how refunds are paid. It forms part of these terms.

Reviews may only be left by a customer for a job that was actually completed through Tradi. Reviews must be honest and about the work. Tradespeople may reply to a review.

We may remove content that is unlawful, abusive, discriminatory, dishonest, or that contains someone else’s personal information. We do not remove a review simply because it is unflattering.

You keep ownership of what you post. You give us permission to display it on Tradi and to use it to promote the service.

• Arrange or take payment for a Tradi booking outside the platform in order to avoid commission or the protection it funds.
• Misrepresent your identity, qualifications, registrations or insurance.
• Post false reviews, or ask anyone to post one.
• Use Tradi for anything unlawful, or to harass or discriminate against anyone.
• Scrape, copy or resell the platform, its listings or its data, or attempt to interfere with how it works.

We take reasonable care to run the platform properly, to verify tradespeople before they accept work, and to handle payments correctly. We do not guarantee that the platform will always be available or free of faults.

Because the work itself is carried out by an independent tradesperson under their agreement with the customer, we are not responsible for the quality, timing or safety of that work, beyond the refund and dispute processes described here and in the refund policy.

Nothing in these terms limits any right you have that cannot lawfully be limited, including your rights under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008. We do not exclude liability for our own gross negligence, fraud, or death or injury caused by us.

We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms, that puts other people at risk, or that we are required to act on by law. Where it is reasonable to do so, we will tell you why and give you a chance to respond.

You may close your account at any time. Closing it does not cancel a booking that is already confirmed, or a payment already owed.

How we handle personal information, and the rights you have over it under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, are set out in our privacy policy.

We may change these terms. The date at the top of this page shows when they last changed, and we will give notice of material changes before they take effect. A change never applies retrospectively to a booking already made.

These terms are governed by the law of the Republic of South Africa, and the South African courts have jurisdiction.

If something has gone wrong, tell us first - most problems are quicker to fix directly. Write to hello@tradi.co.za. Our registered office address is in our privacy policy.