Plain Trades

Staying safe

You are going to meet people you do not know, on their property and sometimes alone. Here is how to do that without getting hurt or robbed.

Last updated 2026-07-26

Draft. This document has not yet been reviewed by a lawyer, and the bracketed fields below are not filled in. It describes how Plain Trades actually works today, but do not treat it as final.

Meeting someone for the first time

Treat the first meeting as a first meeting, no matter how well the messages went.

  • Meet in a public place in daylight. A coffee shop, not a job site and not either of your homes.
  • Tell someone you trust where you are going, who you are meeting, and when you expect to be back.
  • Get there and leave on your own. Do not let a first meeting depend on someone else driving you.
  • Keep the first meeting about whether you can work together. Nothing needs to be signed and no money needs to change hands.
  • If something feels wrong, leave. You do not owe anyone an explanation.

Money

Most of what goes wrong between new partners is about money, and almost all of it is preventable by writing things down early.

  • Never send money to someone you have not met in person.
  • Never give another user your bank login, card number, or Social Security number. Nobody you are starting a business with needs any of those.
  • Be suspicious of anyone who needs cash up front, who has an opportunity that expires today, or who wants to move the conversation to another app immediately.
  • Agree your split in writing before the first dollar arrives, and write down who paid for what.
  • Open a business bank account rather than running money through a personal one.

Staying safe on the work itself

The work people take on here is real physical work and the injuries are real. Ladders, pressure washers, mowers, and heavy lifting hurt people every day.

  • Do not take a job you are not equipped to do safely. Turning down work is cheaper than an emergency room visit.
  • Get liability insurance before you work on someone else’s property. Many customers will ask for proof of it anyway.
  • Never work on anything electrical, structural, or gas related without the license your state requires.

Warning signs

Any one of these is a reason to slow down. Several together is a reason to stop.

  • Pressure to move off Plain Trades to another app right away.
  • Any request for money, financial details, or identification documents.
  • Refusing to meet in public, or refusing to meet at all.
  • A story that keeps changing, or details that do not line up with the profile.
  • Anger or guilt-tripping when you set a boundary.

Blocking and reporting

Blocking is immediate and permanent. It ends any match between you, hides you from each other, and stops any further contact. The person you block is not told.

Reporting sends the report to us for review. You can report from a profile, from a chat, or from a match.

One person reads every report, and aims to acknowledge it within one business day. Reports about safety, harassment, threats, or someone being under 18 are read the same day, and an account may be suspended immediately while it is looked into.

If you are not getting a response, contact us directly at support@plaintrades.com.

Anyone under 18

Plain Trades is 18 and over, with no exceptions. If you think someone is under 18, report them using the underage reason. Those reports go straight to us and are handled the same day.

Emergencies

Plain Trades is not an emergency service and we cannot respond in real time. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are safe but something criminal has happened, contact your local police, and then report the account here so we can remove it.