What a Verified Profile Tells You (and What It Doesn't)
Understand what an ID-verified provider profile means when hiring locally, and which things you still need to check yourself, such as skills and insurance.
A "verified" badge sounds like a stamp of approval. In reality, verification usually confirms one specific thing. Understanding exactly what that is helps you use it properly and fill the gaps with your own checks.
What ID verification generally means
When a provider is described as ID-verified, it means that an identity check has been carried out to match the person to the profile. In practice that means:
- A real person stands behind the account.
- The name and details on the profile have been matched to an identity document.
- It is harder for someone to create multiple fake profiles or use a false name.
On Compito, providers are ID-verified. You can read more about how that fits into the wider approach on the trust page and the safety page.
What it does not tell you
Verification is a starting point, not a complete assurance. It does not, on its own, tell you:
- How skilled or experienced the person is. Identity says nothing about workmanship.
- Whether they hold a specific qualification or registration for regulated work.
- Whether they carry insurance, or what it covers.
- Whether they have a clean record in other respects.
- Whether a particular job will go smoothly.
Treat it as answering "who is this?", not "will this go well?"
What to check yourself, and when
How much extra checking you do should rise with the risk and size of the job.
Low-risk, small jobs
For a few hours of cleaning, furniture assembly or garden tidying, a verified identity, sensible reviews and a clear brief are usually enough.
Medium jobs
For redecorating or a repair to fixtures, add:
- A written scope and price.
- Examples of similar work.
- A conversation about timing, materials and clean-up.
Higher-risk or regulated jobs
For gas, electrical work, structural changes or anything involving safety certificates, also:
- Ask for the relevant registration number and verify it. See checking a trade registration.
- Ask about insurance and request evidence.
- Confirm what certificate or paperwork you will receive. See gas and electrical work.
Reading the badge alongside other signals
A verified profile combined with several of these is a strong picture:
- Detailed reviews from completed bookings
- A clear, timely and polite response to your request
- A sensible, itemised offer
- Willingness to answer questions about experience
Conversely, a verified identity with a vague quote and pressure to pay outside the platform should still make you cautious.
Verification and safety in practice
Because the identity is known, you can:
- Match the person at your door to the profile.
- Message through the platform and keep a record.
- Have somewhere to go if something goes wrong, such as support.
Those things matter more than the badge itself. See the guide to keeping a record of messages.
Common misunderstandings
- "Verified means approved for any job." It does not. Competence is separate.
- "Verified means insured." Not necessarily. Ask.
- "Verified means I do not need to read reviews." Reviews still add a lot of context. See reading reviews critically.
- "Verified means I can pay however I like." Paying through the platform keeps the record in one place.
A sensible mindset
Think of verification as removing one big uncertainty, namely whether the person is real, so that you can focus on the questions that remain: can they do this job well, at a fair price, to a sensible timescale? That framing keeps you from over-trusting the badge while still giving it proper credit. It is a genuinely useful filter, particularly compared with picking a name from an anonymous noticeboard, but it works best as the first layer of several rather than the only one.
A worked example
You are hiring someone to fit a new consumer unit. The profile shows ID-verified, with good reviews for decorating and shelves. The right sequence is: use verification to confirm the person is real, read the reviews to see they communicate and tidy up, then separately ask for their electrical registration and the certificate you will receive. If they cannot show that, you choose someone else, however polished the profile is. Each layer answers a different question.
Questions verification cannot answer
- Are they the right person for this exact job?
- Do they have capacity to start when you need?
- Is the price fair for the scope?
- Will they communicate well when something unexpected happens?
You answer these through the brief, the offer, the messages and, where needed, a call.
A short verification checklist
- Check the name on the profile matches the person who arrives.
- Keep messages and payments in the platform so there is a record.
- Read recent, relevant reviews.
- Ask for registration details for regulated work and verify them.
- Ask what you will receive at the end: invoice, certificates, guidance.
If something does not match
If the person who arrives is different from the profile, or the details do not add up, you do not have to proceed. Politely ask them to pause, contact the provider through the platform, and use support if you are not comfortable. Your own judgement counts for more than any badge.
Frequently asked questions
Does an ID-verified provider have a criminal record check?
Not unless it is explicitly stated. ID verification and criminal record checks are different things. If a check of that kind matters for your situation, ask the provider directly and do not assume.
Can I rely on the badge for work involving gas or electrics?
No. Those jobs need specific registrations. Verify them separately.
Should I still ask questions of a verified provider?
Yes. Verification is the beginning of due diligence, not the end.