| name | platform-trust-system |
| description | Designs trust and safety systems with review policies, dispute resolution, and fraud prevention measures. Use when building trust infrastructure for marketplace platforms. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Platform Trust System
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Design a trust and safety system for a marketplace or platform
- Create review and rating policies that build confidence
- Build dispute resolution workflows for buyer-seller conflicts
- Implement fraud prevention measures and detection triggers
DO NOT use this skill for payment processing setup, legal compliance (consult a lawyer), or customer support ticketing. This is for trust infrastructure design.
Core Principle
TRUST IS THE CURRENCY OF MARKETPLACES — WITHOUT IT, BUYERS WILL NOT PAY AND SELLERS WILL NOT LIST. BUILD TRUST INTO EVERY TRANSACTION TOUCHPOINT.
Phase 1: Brief
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Platform type | "What does your marketplace connect? Products, services, rentals?" | No default — must be provided |
| Transaction value | "What is the average transaction value?" | Under $500 |
| Current issues | "What trust problems do you face? Fraud, disputes, fake reviews?" | Designing from scratch |
| Risk tolerance | "How strict should verification and moderation be?" | Moderate — balance trust with ease of use |
| Team size for moderation | "Who handles disputes and moderation?" | Solo founder |
GATE: Confirm the brief before designing the system.
Phase 2: Design Trust Architecture
Three Pillars of Platform Trust
1. Prevention — Stop bad actors before they transact
2. Detection — Identify problems as they happen
3. Resolution — Handle disputes fairly and quickly
Prevention Layer
| Mechanism | Description |
|---|
| Identity verification | Require ID or business verification for sellers |
| Profile completeness | Higher-trust signals for complete profiles (photo, bio, credentials) |
| Payment verification | Verified payment method before transacting |
| Content moderation | Review listings before they go live (or spot-check) |
| New user limits | Cap transactions or listing volume for new accounts |
Detection Layer
| Signal | Action |
|---|
| Multiple accounts from same IP/device | Flag for review |
| Sudden spike in listings or transactions | Automated hold |
| Buyer reports within first 24 hours | Priority review |
| Messaging contains off-platform payment links | Auto-block message |
| Review patterns suggesting manipulation | Flag and investigate |
Resolution Layer
See Phase 3 for detailed dispute resolution workflow.
GATE: Confirm the three-pillar approach before writing policies.
Phase 3: Write Trust Policies
Review and Rating System
Review eligibility: Only users who completed a transaction can leave a review
Review window: 14 days after transaction completion
Review format: Star rating (1-5) + written review (minimum 20 characters)
Response: Sellers can respond publicly (one response per review)
Review removal criteria:
- Contains hate speech, threats, or personal information
- Reviewer did not complete a transaction
- Review is about the platform, not the seller/product
- Proven to be fraudulent or incentivized
Reviews are NOT removed for:
- Being negative
- Containing criticism the seller disagrees with
- Low star ratings
Dispute Resolution Workflow
1. Buyer or seller opens a dispute
↓
2. Both parties provide their side (48-hour window each)
↓
3. Platform reviews evidence (messages, transaction records, photos)
↓
4. Decision issued within 5 business days
↓
5a. Refund issued (partial or full)
5b. Dispute resolved in seller's favor
5c. Compromise offered
↓
6. Appeal option (one per dispute, reviewed by different team member)
Evidence accepted: Screenshots, messages on platform, photos, tracking numbers, contracts
Fraud Prevention Measures
- Transaction monitoring: Flag transactions 3x above category average
- Account velocity limits: New sellers limited to 5 transactions in first 14 days
- Payment holds: First-time seller payments held for 7 days
- Off-platform communication warning: Automated message when users share emails or phone numbers
- Chargeback tracking: Sellers with 3+ chargebacks in 90 days face account review
Phase 4: Polish
1. Trust Badges and Signals
Design visible trust indicators:
- Verified badge — Completed identity or business verification
- Top Rated badge — 4.8+ average with 10+ reviews
- Quick Responder badge — Responds within 4 hours on average
- Established badge — Active on platform for 6+ months
- Buyer Protection icon — Displayed on all transactions
2. Trust Metrics Dashboard
## Trust Health Metrics
- **Dispute rate:** % of transactions resulting in a dispute (target: under 2%)
- **Resolution time:** Average days to resolve a dispute (target: under 5)
- **Fraud detection rate:** % of flagged accounts confirmed as fraudulent
- **Review authenticity:** % of reviews verified as genuine
- **Repeat transaction rate:** Proxy for trust (higher = more trust)
- **Chargeback rate:** % of transactions resulting in chargebacks (target: under 0.5%)
3. Quality Checklist
## Trust System Checklist
- [ ] Identity verification process defined for sellers
- [ ] Review system only allows verified transaction participants
- [ ] Review removal criteria are documented and fair
- [ ] Dispute resolution workflow has clear steps and timelines
- [ ] Fraud detection signals are defined and automated where possible
- [ ] New user transaction limits are in place
- [ ] Trust badges defined and criteria documented
- [ ] Payment hold policy documented for new sellers
- [ ] Off-platform communication monitoring is active
- [ ] Trust metrics are tracked and reviewed monthly
Example
Platform: Freelance services marketplace
Review response template for sellers:
"Thank you for your feedback, [Name]. I appreciate you sharing your experience. [Address specific point]. I have since [improvement made]. I look forward to delivering excellent work for future clients."
Dispute resolution message:
"We have reviewed both sides of this dispute. Based on the project scope agreed upon in messages and the deliverables provided, we have decided to issue a 50% refund to the buyer. The seller delivered the core work, but key revisions outlined in the original agreement were not completed. Both parties can appeal within 7 days."
Anti-Patterns
- No review moderation — fake reviews destroy marketplace credibility. Monitor and enforce policies.
- Opaque dispute resolution — if users cannot see the process, they assume it is unfair. Document and communicate every step.
- Over-verifying — requiring 5 documents to list an item kills supply. Verify what matters for trust, not bureaucracy.
- Always siding with buyers — always-refund policies attract fraudulent buyers and drive sellers away. Be fair to both sides.
- Ignoring off-platform transactions — users who transact off-platform avoid fees and your protections. Detect and discourage.
Recovery
- Spike in disputes: Identify the pattern (specific seller, category, or buyer behavior). Tighten verification or listing standards in affected areas.
- Fake review ring detected: Remove all connected reviews, suspend involved accounts, and notify affected sellers/buyers.
- Seller feels unfairly treated in dispute: Offer the appeal process. Have a different person review. Transparency prevents escalation.
- No resources for manual moderation: Prioritize automated detection and focus manual review on high-risk transactions only.
