How disputes work on BuildersLink — and the limits of our role.
Last updated: 24 May 2026
BuildersLink is a marketplace that connects customers with tradespeople. We are not a party to any agreement, job, quote, payment or dispute between a customer and a tradie. The contract for any work is solely between the customer and the tradie. Everyone who uses BuildersLink agrees to our Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, and subject to your non-excludable rights set out below, BuildersLink is not liable for any dispute, loss, damage, defect, delay, injury, cost, indemnity or other claim arising out of or in connection with any job, agreement, or dealing between a customer and a tradie. This includes the quality, safety, legality or completion of any work, which are the responsibility of the customer and the tradie who contract with each other.
Nothing on this page or in our terms limits or excludes any rights or remedies you have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, the Fair Trading Act 1986, or any other New Zealand law, that cannot lawfully be excluded. Where you deal as a consumer, the consumer guarantees continue to apply to the tradie who supplies the goods or services to you. Because tradies provide their services in trade, their obligations to a consumer customer are not reduced by anything BuildersLink says here — our role is simply that of the marketplace that introduced you.
Any dispute is primarily between the customer and the tradie, who are responsible for resolving it between themselves. The tools we provide — messaging, dispute logging, ratings and trust scores — are for convenience and record-keeping only. Using them does not make BuildersLink responsible for, or a participant in, the outcome of any dispute, and we are not an arbiter or adjudicator of disputes.
If something goes wrong, the quickest path is usually to talk to the other party directly and try to agree a resolution. If you need a record, raise the issue using the dispute tools in your dashboard so the conversation and history are kept in one place. If you still can't resolve it between yourselves, you should seek your own independent advice — for many everyday consumer matters in New Zealand, the Disputes Tribunal is a low-cost option, and you can also contact Consumer Protection or a community law service.
Our dispute feature lets you record an issue, communicate, and keep a history of what happened. An administrator may update ratings, trust scores or platform credits to reflect conduct on the platform, but this is an administrative housekeeping action only and does not constitute a ruling, judgment, or assumption of liability by BuildersLink for the underlying dispute.
This page, and your use of BuildersLink, are governed by the laws of New Zealand.
You should seek your own independent legal advice for any dispute you cannot resolve between yourselves.