Checkatrade can still do more to protect customers from rogue traders despite blocking a record number of applicants last year, its chief executive has said.
Jambu Palaniappan, speaking during the latest episode of City AM’s interview series Boardroom Uncovered, said the home improvement platform is in the business of trust and that it forms “a core part of who we are”.
In July 2024, Checkatrade revealed it had blocked a record 668 tradespeople who had failed its sign-in checks, a 13 per cent year-on-year rise.
During the Boardroom Uncovered interview, Palaniappan said Checkatrade had blocked more than 1,300 applicants in the whole of last year.
In July, the business said its 12-point vetting process rejected applicants for failing to evidence documentation such as proof of ID and address, poor trading history and having negative reviews online.
It added that roofing was the most challenging home improvement service, with roofers making up 19 per cent of those turned away, followed by driveway companies (11 per cent) and landscapers (seven per cent).
‘That foundation of trust is really critical’
The Checkatrade boss said: “Trust is really a core part of who we are. Checkatrade was founded in 1998 after a tornado tore through a town in West Sussex and the town was infiltrated with rogue trades.
“Our business started as a directory of trusted trades whose work could be verified and provide a quality service’
“And 26 years later, while we’ve evolved to be a digital business, that foundation of trust is really critical.”
The CEO said that more than 2.2 billion consumers used Checkatrade in 2024 and he said trust was a “really important part of why they use it”.
How Checkatrade is working to improve trust
Palaniappan pointed to the mechanisms the company he leads has in place to help support customers “in the rare event that something does go wrong” as a way of helping to at least maintain the level of trust the UK public has in the platform.
He said: “The first is we have a customer support team that is available and can support consumers through those challenges that they have. In the vast majority of situations, the work is rectified.
“I think that’s important because if you get a recommendation from your neighborhood WhatsApp group, your neighbor is not going to do that for you, right?
“The second is we have an actual financial guarantee as part of jobs that are done on the Checkatrade platform – a £1,000 guarantee for workmanship and quality that will help consumers in the event that something does go wrong.
“That’s something that we have enough confidence in the platform and trades people on the platform in to actually support directly.
“And then the third is in the rare event that something does go wrong, we help consumers with the process in order to file the appropriate claims, and support them in that transition.
“Is there more we can do? Yes. But I think it’s important to also realise that the scale of the platform is an important part of how we can help support consumers through those challenges.”