Last month, a woman in Bristol let a "locksmith" into her home after getting locked out. He changed the lock, charged £300, and left. Two weeks later, she was burgled. The locksmith had kept a copy of the key. She had no idea who he really was — just a phone number that now goes to voicemail and a business name that doesn't exist.
This isn't rare. It's the reality of home services in 2026: strangers who know exactly where you live, what you own, and when you're vulnerable — while you know nothing about them.
The Asymmetric Trust Problem
When you book a builder, locksmith, cleaner, or electrician, you're entering a deeply unbalanced relationship:
What they know about you:
- Your home address
- The layout of your property
- What valuables you have
- When you're home alone
- Whether you have security systems
- Your daily routine (if they're there regularly)
What you know about them:
- A first name (maybe)
- A phone number (probably a burner)
- A van with a logo (possibly magnetic, removable)
This is the asymmetric trust problem. They hold all the information. You hold all the risk.
The Gas Board Scam: Still Working After 50 Years
One of the oldest scams in Britain still works because it exploits this exact imbalance. Someone knocks on your door claiming to be from the gas board or the council needing to check your meter or pipes.
The victim — often elderly — lets them in. While one "inspector" distracts them, another searches for cash, jewellery, or bank cards.
In 2024, doorstep crime cost UK victims an estimated £57 million. The average victim is over 75. The conviction rate is below 5%.
Why does it still work? Because there is no easy way to verify who is actually at your door.
It's Not Just Criminals — It's Cowboys
Most people letting trades into their homes aren't victims of outright crime. They're victims of something more mundane: no accountability.
- The builder who takes a deposit and disappears
- The electrician who does dangerous work and moves on
- The cleaner who breaks something and denies it
- The locksmith who overcharges because you're locked out at midnight
When something goes wrong, you have no recourse. You can't find them. The phone number changes. The business name was never registered. The review they showed you was fake.
Platforms like Checkatrade and Trustatrader help, but they only verify the business — not who actually shows up at your door.
The Problem Platforms Can't Solve (Yet)
Trade platforms face a fundamental limitation: they know who gets the lead, but not who wins the work or who actually arrives.
Consider what happens when you request quotes through a platform:
- You submit a job
- Multiple trades receive your details
- Some call you, some don't
- You pick one (maybe)
- Someone shows up (maybe the person you spoke to, maybe not)
- The platform has no idea what happened
This blind spot is why bad actors thrive. There's no verified record of who was where, when.
What Would Actually Fix This?
The solution isn't more background checks or better reviews. Those help, but they don't solve the core problem: you still don't know who is actually standing at your door.
What's needed is two-way verification at the point of service:
- The tradesperson proves they are who they claim to be — linked to a verified identity, not just a business card
- You confirm you are the customer — creating mutual accountability
- A timestamped, geolocated record is created — proof that this specific person was at this specific address at this specific time
This is exactly what Certifyd is built for. A quick QR code scan when the tradesperson arrives — like checking in for a flight — creates the verification both parties need. No apps to download, no lengthy forms. Thirty seconds at the door.
For the homeowner: peace of mind that you know who is in your home.
For the tradesperson: proof they did the job, were on time, and can counter any false claims.
For the platform: data on who actually delivered, not just who enquired.
For everyone: accountability that makes the cowboys think twice.
Who Benefits From the Current System?
The only people who benefit from anonymous, unverified access to people's homes are those who want to operate without accountability.
Legitimate tradespeople should want verification. It protects them from false accusations, builds their reputation with verified job completions, and differentiates them from the cowboys who give the industry a bad name.
Homeowners obviously benefit. So do platforms that can finally track the full customer journey.
The losers are scammers, cowboy builders, and anyone who relies on anonymity to avoid consequences.
Beyond the Front Door
The same asymmetric trust problem appears everywhere strangers enter your space:
- Charity collectors on the high street — are they really from the charity?
- Door-to-door salespeople — who are they actually working for?
- Delivery drivers for high-value items — is this the real driver or a follow-home thief?
- Meter readers and utility workers — how do you verify they're legitimate?
- Airbnb cleaners and maintenance staff — who is actually entering the property?
Each of these involves letting an unknown person into your physical or personal space based on nothing more than their claim to be who they say they are.
The Trust Layer We're Missing
We verify identity for so many things: boarding a plane, opening a bank account, starting a new job. But for letting strangers into our homes? We rely on hope.
The technology exists to fix this. Two-way verification — where both parties authenticate before the interaction begins — creates the accountability layer that's been missing from home services since the first tradesman knocked on the first door.
The question isn't whether this will become standard. It's how many more people need to be scammed, overcharged, or victimised before it does.
If you want to learn how Certifyd can bring identity verification to your trades or home services business, book a demo.