Written by the Removal Lab team.
Had a one star Checkatrade review from a name your diary has never heard of, right when the phone should be ringing? Checkatrade review removal is possible when a review is fake, comes from someone who was never your customer, breaks Checkatrade’s review guidelines or is unlawful. Removal Lab checks your review against those rules for free and tells you honestly whether it qualifies.
A specialist reads the review and replies within one business day. On qualifying cases there is no upfront payment. You pay only when the review is removed. Removal Lab does not work for Checkatrade and cannot delete anything itself. Checkatrade makes every decision.
This page also covers the UK law every trade should know before challenging a review: the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, the CMA’s fake reviews guidance and the defamation rules for companies. Every Checkatrade review removal fact here comes from Checkatrade’s own pages, legislation.gov.uk or GOV.UK. We could open all of them. The links are at the end.
Short answer
Checkatrade will not unpublish a review just because you ask. It removes reviews through three routes. Report Review in the trade app within three months of publication. An unrecognised customer check, where the consumer has 7 days to prove the work. A Notice and Takedown request for defamatory or unlawful content. Genuine criticism stays. UK law bans services that help hide genuine negative reviews.
Checkatrade review removal: the key facts
| Question | What Checkatrade says |
|---|---|
| Can a trade get a review unpublished on request? | No. It cannot unpublish a review at the request of either party, citing CMA guidance |
| Who can leave a review? | Anyone with a genuine experience in the last 12 months, or within a longer warranty period. No anonymous authors |
| How quickly do reviews appear? | Reviews that pass its checks are published within 24 hours |
| How long do you have to report? | Within three months of publication, using the app |
| Customer you do not recognise? | The consumer has 7 days to provide proof of work, or the review is removed |
| Defamatory review? | Notice and Takedown. Checkatrade aims to respond within 48 working hours |
| Can you reply? | Yes. The Right of Reply allows 600 characters |
| Fake reviews on your own profile? | Checkatrade says you will be removed from the platform |
| Repeated challenges? | Continuous or unfounded requests to review negative reviews could lead to further action |
How Checkatrade review removal works
Checkatrade checks every review before it goes live, which shapes Checkatrade review removal later. Its review guidelines say it runs checks to confirm reviews are not fake and meet its guidelines, may ask for paperwork such as photos of the work or screenshots of messages and blocks fake or incentivised reviews. Reviews that pass are published within 24 hours. Once published, a review is described as a permanent part of a trade’s profile, removed only in very limited circumstances.
Its trade help article on managing reviews is plain about requests from trades. Checkatrade cannot unpublish a review at the request of either party because of Competition and Markets Authority guidance. What it will do is investigate a review you report, check falsified feedback and act on a Notice and Takedown request.
So Checkatrade review removal is about evidence, not persuasion. You show that a review is fake, comes from someone who was never your customer, breaks a written rule or is unlawful. Checkatrade then decides.
Which Checkatrade reviews can be removed
These are the rules Checkatrade publishes for reviewers, with the route each one points to. Every Checkatrade review removal request should rest on one of them.
| Checkatrade rule | What it looks like | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Genuine, first hand experience only | A review from someone who never contacted you or got a quote | Report Review as a customer you do not recognise |
| No incentives | A review written in exchange for a gift or discount | Report Review |
| No conflicts of interest | A review from a rival trade or a friend of one | Report Review as fake or for another trade |
| No profane, obscene or inappropriate words or photos | Swearing, slurs or offensive images | Report Review as inappropriate content |
| No personal data | Your full name, home address or mobile number in the text | Report Review |
| No promotional or spam content | A review advertising another business | Report Review |
| Claims may need evidence | Words like cowboy or scammer stated as fact | Report Review. If false and harmful, Notice and Takedown |
| Unlawful content | Defamation, harassment or a privacy breach | Notice and Takedown |
Checkatrade also says that in extreme cases, such as legal proceedings or a risk to personal safety and security, it may choose to remove a review. That route sits outside the normal Checkatrade review removal process.
What Checkatrade will not remove
Knowing the limits saves a wasted Checkatrade review removal request and protects your standing with the platform.
- A review you think is unfair. Its trade guidelines say “We won’t remove a review just because you think it’s unfair.”
- A review you have since put right. Resolving the issue does not mean Checkatrade will remove the review.
- A review either side asks to unpublish. Checkatrade cites CMA guidance for this.
- Opinion and lawful content. Its Notice and Takedown page says opinion, lawful content and content within fair use or expression guidelines will not be removed.
- A review challenged again and again. Continuous or unfounded requests to review negative reviews will not be tolerated and could lead to further action.
How to dispute a Checkatrade review yourself
If you want to remove Checkatrade reviews that break the rules, there are three routes. Here is how to dispute Checkatrade reviews using only the steps Checkatrade publishes. Each Checkatrade review removal route suits a different problem.
Route 1: Report Review in the app
- Open the Checkatrade for Trades app and find the review.
- Tap Report Review. Choose the reason: fake or for another trade, inappropriate content or a customer you do not recognise.
- Submit. Checkatrade may ask you for proof of work and may contact you or the reviewer.
- Watch the clock. Its trade guidelines say you can report a review in the app within three months of it being published.
Route 2: The customer you do not recognise
For a genuine stranger, this is the Checkatrade review removal route with the clearest clock. Report the review as a customer you do not recognise. You receive an email acknowledging the report. Checkatrade then gives the consumer a 7 day window to provide proof of work or make contact. If they do not provide sufficient evidence within the 7 days, the review is removed. Correspondence is by email, with a typical response time of 24 working hours.
Route 3: Notice and Takedown
Notice and Takedown is the Checkatrade review removal route for content that is unlawful, not merely unfair. For a review you believe is defamatory or unlawful, use Checkatrade’s Notice and Takedown procedure and its takedown request form. The notice needs a detailed explanation of why the content is unlawful or breaks policy, the specific link and supporting evidence such as screenshots. For defamation, you need evidence that the statement is false and harmful. Incomplete notices may be rejected.
Checkatrade says it will acknowledge the notice, review it, restrict access to the content if necessary, notify the person who posted it and ask for their response, then decide. The outcome can be removal, retention or an amendment, at Checkatrade’s sole discretion. Its trade help article says it aims to respond within 48 working hours and that limited companies must provide proof of financial loss. It may not send individual updates on the outcome.
Always: use the Right of Reply
In the app, tap the three dots on the review, select Reply to this review, add your comments and press Submit. Keep within the 600 character limit, stay polite and factual and never share personal details. If the app will not let you reply, Checkatrade’s help article gives its support line, 0333 014 6190. It says the team will add the reply for you.
What evidence helps a Checkatrade review removal request
Checkatrade’s trade guidelines tell you to keep hold of paperwork, photos and screenshots of the work you complete. That habit decides most Checkatrade review removal cases.
| Problem | Evidence that helps | Leave out |
|---|---|---|
| Never your customer | Your job list, quotes and messages showing no match for the name, address or date | Other customers’ details |
| Review meant for another trade | Proof that you do not offer the service described or work in that area | Comments about the other trade |
| False statement of fact | Signed job sheets, invoices, before and after photos and messages that disprove it | Your opinion of the customer |
| Personal data in the review | A screenshot and the exact words | More personal details |
| Rival trade or incentivised review | Public facts showing the connection or the offer | Guesses about identity |
| Limited company claiming defamation | Proof of financial loss, such as cancelled jobs linked to the review | Threats to sue |
How long Checkatrade review removal takes
Checkatrade publishes three timeframes that matter for Checkatrade review removal. Reviews that pass its checks go live within 24 hours. For an unrecognised customer, the consumer has a 7 day window to provide proof, with emails typically answered within 24 working hours. For Notice and Takedown, Checkatrade aims to respond within 48 working hours. It does not publish a timeframe for other reports. Removal Lab replies to your free case check within one business day.
UK law notes for Checkatrade review removal
UK law now shapes every Checkatrade review removal request. It cuts both ways. It protects trades from fake reviews. It also bans hiding genuine ones. Here is what the law and the regulator say, from the sources themselves.
The DMCC Act, Schedule 20
Schedule 20 to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 lists commercial practices that are in all circumstances considered unfair. Paragraph 13 covers reviews:
- 13(1) bans a trader submitting or commissioning a fake consumer review, or a review that hides that it was incentivised.
- 13(2) bans publishing consumer reviews or review information in a misleading way. Paragraph 13(5)(i) gives examples, including failing to publish or removing negative reviews while publishing positive ones, or giving positive reviews greater prominence.
- 13(3) requires publishers to take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent and remove fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews.
- 13(4) bans offering services to traders to do, or help with, anything in 13(1) or 13(2).
- 13(5)(b) defines a fake consumer review as one that “purports to be, but is not, based on a person’s genuine experience”.
The CMA’s fake reviews guidance, CMA208
- Para 4.3: a trader may infringe the law if they suppress genuine negative or positive reviews.
- Para 4.4: traders should not interfere with reviewers leaving negative reviews, including through threats of harm or legal action, or limit negative reviews by editing, withholding or removing them.
- Para 7.1: offering services to traders that help with banned practices is also prohibited.
- Para 8.19(c)(i): publishers should provide publicly accessible ways for consumers, traders and others to report suspected banned reviews.
- Para 8.21: publishers should consider what evidence they need to establish the facts and how long to give traders or reviewers to provide it.
- Para 8.22(b): genuine reviews, particularly genuine negative ones, should not be removed merely because a trader objects.
The full CMA208 guidance sits alongside a short guide for businesses. The CMA says the DMCC Act includes an explicit ban on posting and commissioning fake reviews and that it can fine businesses up to 10% of their global turnover for breaking consumer protection law.
Checkatrade’s own position matches this. It cites CMA guidance for refusing to unpublish reviews on request. Its unrecognised customer check and Notice and Takedown form are the kind of reporting routes the guidance describes. Years before the DMCC Act, the CMA announced commitments from Checkatrade to clarify its policy on negative reviews and strengthen verification. It agreed to make clear that people can have a negative review published whether or not they want further contact with the trader.
Defamation and companies
Section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013 says a statement is not defamatory unless its publication has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to the claimant’s reputation. For a body that trades for profit, harm is not serious harm unless it has caused or is likely to cause serious financial loss. That is why Checkatrade asks limited companies for proof of financial loss. Legislation.gov.uk shows this section extends to England and Wales. If you trade in Scotland or Northern Ireland, speak to a local solicitor.
What this means for Checkatrade review removal: Removal Lab only pursues reviews that are fake, from people who were never customers, break Checkatrade’s rules or are unlawful. We never try to hide genuine criticism. This page is general information, not legal advice. Our defamation removal and UK review removal pages go further.
What to do if Checkatrade says no
A refused Checkatrade review removal request is common. Here is what still helps:
- Reply well. Apologise where it fits, offer a fix and stay factual within 600 characters. Future customers read the reply.
- Fix what is real. The reviewer owns the review and can choose to add an update by emailing Checkatrade. Never pressure or incentivise them.
- Do not keep challenging. Unfounded repeat requests can lead to further action against your account.
- Earn more genuine reviews. Ask every real customer, not just the happy ones. Never ask friends or family.
- Speak to a solicitor about real defamation. Bring proof of falsity and of financial loss.
Checkatrade, Google and the other sites trades rely on
Trades rarely live on one site. A Checkatrade review removal does nothing on Google, Trustpilot or Houzz. Each has its own rules.
See Google review removal, Trustpilot review removal, Houzz review removal and Angi review removal. For trades in general, read review removal for contractors and home services. For cities, see review removal in London and review removal in Manchester. Our list of review removal platforms covers the rest.
How Removal Lab helps with Checkatrade review removal
Removal Lab serves UK trades remotely. We start with a free, confidential check. Send the link through our case review form and a specialist replies within one business day. We look at:
- Which Checkatrade rule the review really breaks, if any.
- Whether you are still inside the three month reporting window.
- Whether the right route is Report Review, the unrecognised customer check or Notice and Takedown.
- What evidence you hold, plus real proof of financial loss for limited companies.
- How to word a calm reply within 600 characters.
Then we tell you plainly whether Checkatrade review removal is realistic. Where it is, we prepare the report or the notice and the evidence with you. You submit it from your own app or through Checkatrade’s form. Where the review is genuine criticism, we say so, because UK law and Checkatrade’s rules both protect it. Our what we cannot remove page explains that line.
On qualifying Checkatrade review removal cases there is no upfront payment. You pay only when the review is removed. Our review removal cost guide explains pricing across the industry, business review removal covers the wider service and fake review removal covers reviews from people who were never customers.
How Removal Lab works
- Send the link. WhatsApp, email or the two field form. Two minutes, no long questionnaire.
- Free policy check. A specialist reads it against the platform rules and tells you honestly whether it qualifies.
- We build and file the case. The right policy, the right channel, the evidence attached. We handle the appeal too.
- Pay only when it is gone. No upfront payment on qualifying cases. If the platform says no, you owe nothing.
What we will never do
- Promise a removal. The platform decides, not us.
- Post fake reviews or pay anyone to delete a review.
- Pressure, threaten or try to identify a reviewer.
- Charge an upfront fee on a case that does not qualify.
A worked example: the job that never happened
This is a made up example to show the steps. It is not a client case.
A Bristol plumber gets a one star Checkatrade review saying he left a bathroom flooded and never came back. The name and street match nobody in his job list, his quotes or his messages. The review went live a week ago.
- Free check. No matching job points to the unrecognised customer route. The flood claim is a statement of fact, not opinion.
- Report. Inside the three month window, he taps Report Review and chooses a customer he does not recognise.
- Evidence ready. He keeps his job list and quotes ready in case Checkatrade asks for proof of work.
- Reply. A short reply says he has no record of the job and invites the reviewer to get in touch.
- No pressure. He does not try to identify or contact the reviewer himself.
If the reviewer gave no sufficient proof of work within 7 days, Checkatrade says the review would be removed. If they proved the job, it would stay and the reply would do the work. That is honest Checkatrade review removal: evidence first, inside the rules and the law.
Worried about a Checkatrade review?
Send the link for a free, confidential Checkatrade review removal check. We reply within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
Can Checkatrade remove a review if I ask?
Not on request. Checkatrade’s trade help article says it cannot unpublish a review at the request of either party because of Competition and Markets Authority guidance. It removes reviews that are fake, unverified or unlawful after its own checks.
How do I report a review on Checkatrade?
Open the Checkatrade for Trades app, find the review, tap Report Review, choose a reason and submit. Checkatrade’s trade guidelines say you can report a review in the app within three months of it being published.
What happens if I do not recognise the customer?
Report it as a customer you do not recognise. Checkatrade gives the consumer a 7 day window to provide proof of work. Its help article says the review is removed if they do not provide sufficient evidence.
What if a Checkatrade review is defamatory?
Use Checkatrade’s Notice and Takedown form with an explanation, the link and evidence that the statement is false and harmful. Checkatrade aims to respond within 48 working hours. Limited companies must provide proof of financial loss.
Will Checkatrade remove a review I think is unfair?
No. Its trade guidelines say “We won’t remove a review just because you think it’s unfair.” Fixing the problem afterwards does not mean the review is removed either. Checkatrade review removal needs a rule break, not a disagreement.
How long can my reply to a Checkatrade review be?
Checkatrade’s Right of Reply has a 600 character limit. Your reply appears publicly beneath the review.
Can I ask the customer to change their Checkatrade review?
Do not pressure or incentivise them. Checkatrade says the person who wrote the review owns it. A reviewer can choose to add an update by emailing Checkatrade.
Is it illegal to remove genuine negative reviews in the UK?
It can be. The CMA’s fake reviews guidance says a trader may break the law by suppressing genuine negative reviews. Schedule 20 of the DMCC Act also bans offering services that help traders publish reviews in a misleading way.
How much can the CMA fine a business for fake reviews?
The CMA says it can fine businesses up to 10% of their global turnover for breaking consumer protection law. The DMCC Act includes an explicit ban on posting and commissioning fake reviews.
Can a company sue over a Checkatrade review in England?
Only with care. Section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013 says harm to a body that trades for profit is not serious harm unless it causes, or is likely to cause, serious financial loss. That section extends to England and Wales.
How long does Checkatrade review removal take?
For an unrecognised customer, the consumer has 7 days to provide proof. For Notice and Takedown, Checkatrade aims to respond within 48 working hours. Removal Lab replies to your free case check within one business day.
Does Removal Lab work for Checkatrade?
No. Removal Lab is independent, cannot delete reviews and never promises a removal. Our Checkatrade review removal check is free. On qualifying cases there is no upfront payment and you pay only when the review is removed.
Sources: Checkatrade review guidelines, Checkatrade review guidelines for trades, Checkatrade: understanding and managing reviews, Checkatrade Notice and Takedown procedure, DMCC Act 2024, Schedule 20, CMA208 Fake reviews guidance, CMA short guide for businesses publishing reviews, CMA on the new consumer protection regime, CMA: online review sites commit to improve practices and Defamation Act 2013, section 1. Removal Lab does not work for Checkatrade. Every decision is made by the platform.