Safety Policy
Effective date: February 4, 2026. Last updated: February 4, 2026.
Contents
1. Safety on Gulf Coast Work
2. In an emergency
3. Verification levels — what they mean
4. Arrival PINs (local services)
5. Completion evidence
6. In-platform messaging and contact masking
7. Digital safety
8. Disputes and reserved funds
9. Reporting a safety incident
1. Safety on Gulf Coast Work
Gulf Coast Work layers verification, PIN-based arrival confirmation, completion evidence, in-platform messaging with contact masking, and reserved-funds protection during disputes to keep both customers and providers safe. This Policy explains each of those tools and how to reach a human in an emergency.
2. In an emergency
If you or someone else is in immediate physical danger, call 911 (or your local emergency number) FIRST. Do not use the platform's chat or ticketing to summon emergency help. Gulf Coast Work does not monitor conversations in real time. After you and everyone around you are safe, report the incident via /help so we can take account-level action, preserve evidence, and cooperate with law enforcement where required.
3. Verification levels — what they mean
Every provider profile displays a badge stack. Higher-tier badges require more evidence and unlock trust cues in search:
• registered — the provider signed up and agreed to the Provider Agreement.
• identity_verified — a government-issued ID was matched to the profile's legal name.
• gcw_verified — GCW manually reviewed the profile, portfolio, and public presence.
• background_checked — an approved background-check vendor cleared the provider within the past 12 months.
• licensed_pro — required credentials for regulated categories were provided and validated where possible.
• insured_pro — a valid general-liability certificate of insurance was provided.
• top_pro — GCW's discretionary badge for the highest-quality providers over the last 90 days.
Badges are point-in-time. If a credential expires or a badge is revoked, the listing is hidden in the affected category until compliance is restored.
4. Arrival PINs (local services)
When a local booking is confirmed, the customer sees a short arrival PIN in the workspace. When the provider arrives at the service address, the customer reads the PIN aloud (or the customer taps "Share PIN" to reveal it) and the provider enters it to mark themselves as arrived. This starts the service window and records a timestamp used later for dispute evidence.
If you cannot verify the arriving individual — for example, if they look different from the profile photo or do not know the PIN — do not let them into your home; report through the workspace's "Report an issue" button and Gulf Coast Work will intervene.
5. Completion evidence
At completion, local providers upload one or more completion photos (before/after where applicable). Digital providers submit deliverable files. Both are preserved with the transaction. Completion is not final until the customer confirms (or the auto-confirm window elapses).
6. In-platform messaging and contact masking
Use the workspace chat for every conversation tied to a paid transaction. If a message appears to contain contact details being exchanged specifically to move payment off-platform, we mask it and flag the message for moderator review. Full contact details are exchanged only after payment is captured and only to the extent needed to complete the service.
7. Digital safety
Deliverable files uploaded on the platform are scanned when object-storage antivirus is available. Do not share sensitive credentials (bank logins, primary email passwords) with any provider; a legitimate digital provider will build via test credentials or use secure delegated-access mechanisms.
8. Disputes and reserved funds
When a dispute is opened, the provider's net amount for that transaction moves to a `reserved` bucket and cannot be paid out until the dispute closes. This gives moderators leverage to enforce a fair outcome without the customer having to chase money.
9. Reporting a safety incident
Non-emergencies: use /help → Report a safety issue. Include the transaction ID, a timeline, and any evidence you can share. Serious incidents (assault, theft, fraud) should also be reported to law enforcement. Gulf Coast Work cooperates with lawful requests for records.
Related policies
→ Community Standards — /community-standards
→ Trust & Safety Policy — /trust-safety-policy
→ Terms of Service — /terms
→ Customer Agreement — /customer-agreement
→ Provider Agreement — /provider-agreement
Questions about this policy? Reach us at legal@gulfcoastwork.com or via /contact.