FAQs

How can we help you?

General Questions

Skillbox is an online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers, of all types of skills and services, across the UK. We’re here to boost the UK Skills Economy! If you enjoy a rhyme or two, read more here.

We are not an employment agency or employment business for the purpose of The Conduction of Employment Agencies and Businesses Regulations 2003.

Not currently. Skillbox is an online marketplace supporting Buyers and Sellers based only in the UK. To sign up to Skillbox, you must be resident in the UK, or, in the case of companies and other legal entities, you must be incorporated in, or established under the laws of, England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.  If you are a Seller on Skillbox, you must hold and maintain a UK bank current account. All payment transactions, conducted through the Skillbox site, are in Pound Sterling (GBP) only.

Skillbox’s primary sources of revenue are from commission and fees (paid by Sellers) and provision of optional Bolt-On services (available to both Buyers and Sellers).  You can view all our 'Fees & Charges' here.

Our current list of 'Skills Categories and Skills' can be found here however we always invite suggestions for new additions. 

 

For Buyers, you can suggest a new Skill Category and/or Skill, when adding a new job under "My Job Posts". For Sellers, you can suggest a new Skill Category and/or Skill, when you edit your profile under "My Profile". 

 

A list of prohibited 'Skills Categories and Skills' is available here.

Skillbox is an online marketplace which supports the buying and selling of Skills (talents and abilities) not Products (physical objects and items). Although many skills can deliver a physical product as the final output e.g. cake making, art and crafts etc, it is ultimately the Skill that is being bought and sold through Skillbox.

Skillbox are not involved in any transaction between a Buyer and a Seller in any way, save that we facilitate a marketplace for Buyers and Sellers.

All Sellers are legally required to undergo (and successfully pass) “Know your Customer” (KYC) or “Know your Business” (KYB) checks before they are able to withdraw funds into their accounts. All Sellers must verify their identity and, if they are a ‘Legal User’, also provide additional legal documentation.  

 

Skillbox is an open and inclusive marketplace with an immense variety of skills and services on offer across a huge number of categories. Given the vast diversity of skills on our platform, it would be impossible for us to screen all Sellers beyond KYC/KYB checks. The feedback and reviews left by the Skillbox community can play an important role here, so please support the platform by providing genuine and honest reviews (good or bad!).

 

It is the responsibility of the Seller to clearly outline the terms of Intellectual Property Rights ownership in their Legal Notices (Terms & Conditions) and agree them with the Buyer.

 

Skillbox outlines its standard position in our 'Terms of Service', Section 16 (Terms and conditions of supply).

In order for Buyers and Sellers to have full capacity to enter into legally binding agreements, they must be at least 18 years of age to register with Skillbox and transact through our services.

It’s completely FREE to join Skillbox.  Scroll down to the ‘piggies’ on the Homepage and choose between SkillSELL (if you want to sell a skill) or SkillBUY (if you want to buy a skill). Once you have signed up, you can also request to be both a Buyer and Seller (if preferred).

As a Seller, the name you use to sign up to Skillbox must match your legal ID documents that are submitted for KYC or KYB processing.  It also has to match the full name under which your Bank Account is registered.  Therefore, we ask that you register with Skillbox using your full legal name (i.e. not nick-names or other alternatives).

 

As a Buyer, although the documentation formalities do not apply, we set up all Skillbox accounts so Buyers can also be Sellers (and vice versa) through a simple activation process.  As a result, we also ask Buyers to register with Skillbox using your full legal name.

If you change your legal entity status e.g. from ‘Individual’ to ‘Sole Trader’ or from ‘Sole Trader’ to ‘Business’, you will need to set-up a new Skillbox account under this new legal entity.

In very simple terms, once the Buyer pays the invoice, the funds are held until the Order is delivered and approved at which point the funds are then released to the Seller.  If the Order is cancelled, the funds are refunded back to the Buyer in full.

 

All Skillbox payment processes are fully managed by our payment services provider and you can view their Terms here.

For security and regulatory reasons, Skillbox does not hold any funds as a business.  All payment operations are processed by our regulated payment services provider.

 

Once the Buyer pays the invoice for the Skills Package, our provider holds these funds until they are either released to the Seller (if an Order is successfully fulfilled) or refunded back to the Buyer (in the event of an Order cancellation).


'Skills Delivery' refers to the method chosen by the Seller to deliver their skill; either 'Online' or 'In-Person'.

 

'Online' skills employ the use of digital/virtual services and are typically carried out and delivered in an online environment e.g. website designer.

 

'In-Person' skills typically involve the need to be physically present to deliver the service, usually in an offline environment e.g. dog-walking.  In some cases, the output of an 'In-Person' skill can also be submitted electronically e.g. photography.

 

Some skills can be delivered both 'In-Person' and 'Online' e.g. yoga instructor.  This hybrid category is increasingly relevant for those who have adapted an offline skill to a virtual / digital environment.  It also captures the ‘grey’ area for those skills that are difficult to categorise specifically as either 'In-Person' and 'Online'.

     


Bolt-Ons are optional services, provided by Skillbox, that can be purchased to boost Buyer Job Posts and Seller Profiles.


















































   CATEGORY
ADD-ON 
        PRICE         
DURATION

Seller
Sponsored Skill
£5.00  
30 days

Seller
Featured Seller
£5.00  
500 impressions

Buyer
Sponsored Job
£5.00  
30 days

Buyer
Mark Urgent
£3.00  
15 days

Buyer
Notify Sellers
£3.00  
One-time ONLY notification



   










Want to boost your credibility and marketing power?


Price: £5


Duration: 30 days


 


What does it do?:


Purchasing this bolt-on will give your profile better credibility and stronger marketing power for 30 days.  Your profile will be clearly tagged and highlighted as a ‘Sponsored Skill’ to ensure it stands out from the crowd.


 


Important notes:


‘Sponsored Skills’ are interlaced throughout the search listing and feature on alternate rows.  Profiles are displayed randomly and change on every page refresh.  Please note that this ‘Sponsored Skill’ bolt-on does not guarantee that your profile will feature at the top of the Skills listings. 


 


Impressions are the number of times your profile is displayed (whether users click on it or not).  Impression statistics (incl click-throughs), start/end dates and history are provided to you every time you purchase this 30-day bolt-on.


 


Your ‘Sponsored Skill’ bolt-on will take effect immediately after purchase.  You can pause (and restart) this bolt-on at any time, to deprioritise your listing, however this will not pause the 30-day duration.


 









Want to boost your personal brand on our Skillbox Homepage?


Price: £5


Number of Impressions: 500


 


What does it do?:


Purchasing this bolt-on will boost your personal brand by adding your profile to the ‘Featured Sellers’ section on our Skillbox Homepage.  You couldn’t be better placed to increase your visibility.


 


Important notes:


The duration of this bolt-on is limited to 500 impressions in the ‘Featured Sellers’ section.  Impressions are the number of times your profile is displayed (whether users click on it or not).  Profiles are displayed randomly and change on every page refresh. 


 


This bolt-on expires once the total number of impressions reaches 500.  Impression statistics (incl click-throughs), start/end dates and history are provided to you every time you purchase this bolt-on.


 


Your ‘Featured Seller’ bolt-on will take effect immediately after purchase.  You can pause this bolt-on at any time, to remove your profile from our homepage.  Once restarted, this bolt-on will run until the total number of impressions (pre and post pause) reaches 500.









Want to boost the visibility of your jobs?


Price: £5


Duration: 30 days


 


What does it do?:


Purchasing this bolt-on will give your job post better visibility for 30 days, which can help to increase your response rate and choice of sellers.  Your job post will be clearly tagged and highlighted as a ‘Sponsored Job’ to ensure it stands out from the crowd.


 


Important notes:


‘Sponsored Jobs’ are interlaced throughout the search listing and feature on alternate rows.  Job posts are displayed randomly and change on every page refresh.  Please note that this ‘Sponsored Job’ bolt-on does not guarantee that your job post will feature at the top of the Jobs listings. 


 


Impressions are the number of times your job post is displayed (whether users click on it or not).  Impression statistics (incl click-throughs), start/end dates and history are provided to you every time you purchase this 30-day bolt-on.


 


If your job post has less than 30 days remaining, it will be extended to allow this bolt-on to run for the full 30 days.  Otherwise, this bolt-on will expire when your job post expires in 30 days.


 


Your ‘Sponsored Job’ bolt-on will take effect immediately after purchase.  You can pause (and restart) this bolt-on at any time, to deprioritise your listing, however this will not pause the 30-day duration.


 


This bolt-on can only be purchased once, against each job post.









Need a job completed urgently?


Price: £3


Duration: 15 days


 


What does it do?:


Purchasing this bolt-on will add an ‘urgent’ tag to your job post and jump it to the top of the Jobs listings for 15 days.  Your post will also appear when users select the ‘urgent’ filter.


 


Important notes:


If your job post has less than 15 days remaining, it will be extended to allow this bolt-on to run for the full 15 days.  If your job post has 15 days or more remaining, this bolt-on will expire after 15 days and your post will no longer be tagged or positioned as ‘urgent’.


 


Your ‘Mark Urgent’ bolt-on will take effect immediately after purchase.


 


This bolt-on can only be purchased once, against each job post.









Have a job to complete and want to notify sellers directly?


Price: £3


Duration: One-time notification


 


What does it do?:


Purchasing this bolt-on will notify sellers in your selected category that you have posted a job.  This push-marketing approach can help to increase your response rate and choice of sellers. 


 


Important notes:


This is a one-time only notification.  For your category <e.g Accounting & Finance>, there are currently <e.g 20> sellers listed who will receive this notification should you wish to purchase this bolt-on. 


 


Please note that notifications will only be sent to sellers who have opted in to receive them.  The total number of sellers in your overall category may be higher as this will include sellers who have opted out of receiving such notifications.


 


If the number of ‘opt-in’ sellers in this category does not meet your expectations, please do not purchase this bolt-on.


 


Your ‘Notify Sellers’ bolt-on will take effect immediately after purchase and you will receive a confirmation once sellers have been notified.


 


This bolt-on can only be purchased once, against each job post.





 

Multiple bolt-ons can be purchased as long as they are different types of bolt-ons.  

 

You cannot purchase the same type of bolt-on multiple times if that bolt-on is still active.  In this case, the bolt-on must reach expiry before the same

bolt-on can be re-purchased.

 

Bolt-ons are purchased individually i.e. you cannot purchase more than one bolt-on within the same invoice.  For multiple bolt-on purchases, or

re-purchases after expiry, you must purchase each bolt-on separately.

 

Skillbox do not currently charge an Order Cancellation Fee, however we reserve the right to close the accounts of any users who are consistently cancelling Orders without good reason.

Absolutely!  Further details are provided in our 'Terms of Service': Section 17A (when buying from Sellers) and Section 17B (when buying from Skillbox).

 

Skillbox expects all relevant Sellers (as traders) on the platform to fully understand the cancellation rights of consumers as relates to Distance Selling Contracts and to be fully compliant with these regulations.

Seller Questions

Creating a Seller account on Skillbox is FREE and listing Skills Packages is also FREE.

 

Skillbox charge Sellers a commission rate of 12% on the value of the Skills Package including any Add-Ons.  We do not charge commission on VAT or Postage & Packaging.  Commission is only payable if the Buyer approves the delivery of the Order and the service contract is successfully fulfilled.

 

Skillbox charge a processing fee of 95p to cover costs related to processing the marketplace payments workflow which is fully managed by our payment services provider.  The processing fee is only payable if the Buyer approves the delivery of the Order and the service contract is successfully fulfilled.

 

You can view all 'Fees & Charges' here.

Many marketplaces typically offer greater support for Buyers than for Sellers.  However, we at Skillbox believe in supporting both Buyers and Sellers fairly. 

Sellers: 



  • can get to work, safe in the knowledge that funds are taken upfront from the Buyer and held securely until the job is successfully completed 




  • pay no commission or processing fees until the job is successfully completed




  • pay no cancellation fees




  • can proactively cancel orders, post purchase, if you are not satisfied with the Buyer’s order requirements




  • can operate with some comfort knowing that once the contract is underway, Buyers can only cancel orders with the approval of either the Seller or Skillbox




  • are automatically paid, after a 10-day grace period, if the Buyer doesn’t action the order delivery 




  • are recognized for both the quality and quantity of services sold, with Skillbox Seller Ranking badges




  • can respond to Buyer feedback (no time restrictions)




  • can report Buyer feedback if needed




  • have access to Skillbox ‘Help & Support’ for full customer services support



Skillbox Commission: Skillbox charge Sellers for successfully acquiring business through the Skillbox platform.  This is calculated as a percentage (%) of the value of the Seller’s Skills Package including any Add-Ons.  We do not charge commission on VAT or Postage & Packaging.

 

Skillbox Processing Fee: We charge a small fee to cover costs related to processing the marketplace payments workflow which is fully managed by our payment services provider.  

 

You can view all 'Fees & Charges' here.

Both commission and processing fees are only payable if the Buyer approves the delivery of the Order and the service contract is successfully fulfilled.  This means that if the Order is cancelled then commission and processing fees are not payable by the Seller.

 

Once the Buyer approves delivery of the Order, a Skillbox invoice is raised for the Seller outlining the commission and processing fees due, which are deducted from the Seller’s original invoice total.  The balance of funds available for the Seller to withdraw, into their bank account, will include a deduction for the fees and charges owed to Skillbox.

When creating an account profile, we ask ALL Sellers to choose a unique identifier of 3 characters as a prefix for Seller Invoice and Credit Note numbers. The characters can be made up of letters or numbers or a mix of both.  Once you have chosen and submitted your Seller prefix, you can edit your prefix at any time without impacting the numbering sequence, however any changes will only reflect in newly generated invoices and credit notes. 

 

The standard format for Seller Invoice Numbers is: Seller Prefix-SKB-#####

 



The standard format for Seller Credit Note Numbers is: Seller Prefix-SKB-CR#####

 

As an example, if your business is called 'Always Be Careful', you might want to choose the prefix 'ABC'.  In this case, your Invoice Number would start from 'ABC-SKB-00001' (and increase sequentially) and your Credit Note Number would start from 'ABC-SKB-CR00001' (and increase sequentially).

Sign in to your Seller Account and click on “My Invoices” for the following:

 

'My Sales Invoices':


  • VAT invoices sent to Buyers post purchase of a Skills Package

  • Credit notes for any cancelled Orders


 

'My Bolt-On Invoices':


  • Invoices for any Skillbox bolt-ons you have purchased


 

'My Skillbox Invoices':


  • Invoices reflecting balance of funds available to withdraw

  • KYB invoices (if applicable)

Yes, Skillbox sends the Buyer a standard ‘VAT Invoice’ (on behalf of the Seller) once they’ve purchased a Skills Package.  A copy of this invoice is also stored in your ‘My Invoices’ (My Sales Invoices). Click here for an example template.

 

If the Order is cancelled, Skillbox sends the Buyer a ‘Credit Note’ (on behalf of the Seller).  A copy of this credit note is also stored in your ‘My Invoices’ (My Sales Invoices).  Click here for an example template.

Yes, within 'My Invoices', you can download your individual invoices (PDF) and/or download a statement summary (PDF or CSV). 

Once the Buyer has approved the delivery of your Order, the balance of funds will show in your ‘My Money’ account and will be available to withdraw into your Bank Account. Usual payout timings, as processed by our payment services provider, are outlined below. 

























CURRENCY
ACCOUNT TYPE
CUT-OFF TIME
PAYOUT TIMING

GBP
UK
11:30 - 16:30 CET
Within 2 hours on working days






Within your current Seller profile, you can tag multiple skills within the same Skills Category but not under different Skills Categories. To create multiple Seller profiles, you will have to sign up with new accounts under different email addresses.

Yes, Sellers are asked to upload their own Legal Notices when creating their accounts.  Skillbox will ask Buyers to agree to the Seller’s Legal Notices before placing an Order.

 

In the absence of Seller Legal Notices, Buyers will be asked to agree to the standard Skillbox Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Once you have registered with Skillbox and completed your account profile, you will then be requested to fill in details of the Skills Packages you are offering to Buyers.  At least one Standard Package is mandatory.

If your skill is being delivered 'in-person' (including if capable of being delivered both 'in-person' and 'online') then your specific location may be relevant to a potential Buyer.  Our search functionality allows Buyers to search for a Seller based within and around a particular city or postcode (default radius of 10 miles) and therefore we ask you to provide these details.

It is mandatory to create at least one Skills Package and this is your ‘Standard Package’.  If you want to offer a higher level of service (and charge more for it!), you can do this by offering an additional ‘Premium Package’ (entirely optional).

 

We would recommend that your Premium Package is clearly distinct from your Standard Package.  If you simply wanted to offer a few small additional services, you could stick with your Standard Package and incorporate 'Add-Ons'.

 



An 'Add-On' is an optional extra service that you might choose to boost any of your Skills Packages and increase the value of your Order.  For example, if your Standard Package offered to bake a £25 cake, you might include a £3 'Add-On' for personalisation and a £5 'Add-On' for personalisation plus luxury decoration. There is no minimum value for an 'Add-On'.


 


You can add a maximum of 2 different 'Add-Ons' to every Skills Package, however the Buyer can only purchase 1 (not both).



If your existing Standard and Premium Skills Packages don’t quite fit the bill for a prospective Buyer, or they’d like something a little more tailored to their needs, you can create a 'Custom Package'.

 


You’ll have to edit your Seller Profile and navigate back to the Skills Packages section.  Here you can enable the 'Custom Package' function and complete the details for a 'Custom Package', just as you did for your other Skills Packages.  Once you have saved these details, the Buyer will be able to see this on your Seller Profile and purchase it accordingly.  As every Buyer’s custom request will be different, we recommend you name this accordingly e.g. 'Custom Package for <Buyer name>'. 


 


Importantly, after the Buyer has purchased the 'Custom Package' you have created for them, you will need to disable the function in your Seller Profile so that it is no longer visible to other Buyers.  If you want to create another 'Custom Package' for another Buyer, you will need to overwrite the previous 'Custom Package' and follow the same process.


Yes, Skillbox sets a minimum Skills Package value of £5.00 (excl VAT).

£1,800 is the current maximum value, per invoice, permitted by our payment services provider for security reasons.  This transaction limit is continuously under review and any changes will be advised.

 

This means that the total value of your Skills Packages (including Add-Ons, VAT and Postage & Packaging) must be £1,800 or less.  

 

If your Skills Package is valued at more than £1,800 then we recommend that you break down the invoices into instalments through Custom Packages. Each invoice will be treated as a standalone Order.  Here is a working example:

Let’s say you’re an Events Planner and want to offer a Skills Package valued at £3,000 (or you’ve been in contact with a Buyer who has an Events budget of £3,000).  You can create a 'Custom Package' called 'Custom Events for <Buyer name>' priced at £1,500 which the Buyer purchases twice. You’ll now be running with 2 Orders worth an aggregate of £3,000.  Once you have completed your Events Planning service you can opt to deliver both Orders simultaneously, in which case the funds will be released to you once the Buyer approves both Orders.  Alternatively, you can deliver the Orders at different times in a ‘milestone’ approach to delivery, in which case the funds will be released to you once the Buyer approves each Order.  In both scenarios, the total value of invoices paid by the Buyer is £3,000.

 

Please note that creating a 'Standard Skills Package' is mandatory so, if you haven’t already created one, you’d set this first and could call this 'Events – Custom Package only' priced at the £1,800 maximum limit, then follow the process above.

You can use our 'Custom Skills Package' functionality to help you in this scenario but it is entirely the Seller’s responsibility to ensure that your Legal Notices (Terms & Conditions) are fully available, and have been agreed upfront, with the Buyer.  Here is a working example:

 

The Buyer owns a shop which sells skateboards.  They want to hire your skills as a sales representative and agree to pay you £500 for selling 100 skateboards.  You could create a 'Custom Package' valued at £500 and the Buyer would pay the invoice.  Once you’ve sold the 100 skateboards and the Buyer approves the Order delivery, then the funds will be released to you.  If you don’t reach the sales quota, then the Buyer can request to cancel the Order and they will be refunded in full.  Any arrangements regarding partial quotas reached and associated payments must be managed according to your Terms & Conditions, outside of the Skillbox platform.

 

Please note that creating a 'Standard Skills Package' is mandatory so, if you haven’t already created one, you’d set this first and could call this 'Sales Executive – Custom Package only' priced at your typical rate, then follow the process above.

Indefinitely, until such time as the Seller hides or deletes the listing or if Skillbox removes the listing (e.g. for breaching Terms of Service) or the Seller closes their Skillbox account.

We provide all Sellers with a 'Holiday Mode' option within their My Seller Account.  Simply flip the toggle to "On" to cover the period when you’re away and flip back to "Off" when you return. You will also need to set a 'Holiday Message'. 

 

Activating your 'Holiday Mode' will temporarily hide your Seller Profile from the search listings, so prospective Buyers cannot contact you.  This applies even if you have any Bolt-Ons still active on your Seller Profile.

 

If your Seller Profile is saved to a Buyer’s Shortlist, the Buyer will be notified that the 'Seller is on Holiday Mode'.

 

If a Buyer tries to message you via the Message Centre (from previous chats), they will receive your Holiday Message. 

"Know Your Customer" (KYC) and "Know Your Business" (KYB) are standard due diligence processes used to identify and verify a customer’s identity.  These processes embrace a risk-based approach to prevent identity theft, money laundering and financial fraud.  It is a legal requirement to comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations.

 

To keep the Skillbox community safe, we require all Sellers to successfully complete the KYC process (for individuals or ‘natural’ users) or the KYB process (for non-individuals or ‘legal’ users) in order to withdraw available funds into their Bank Accounts.  KYC and KYB can be completed at any time but funds cannot be withdrawn until the verification process has been completed and approved – no exceptions!

Accepted ID documents are listed below: 



  • Passport 



  • Driving License



 

ID Document Specification:



  • Upload your ID document in PDF, JPG, JPEG or PNG with file size: 32KB to 10MB 



 

To optimize your KYC submission, and avoid ‘refusal’ fees, please ensure that:



  • Your ID document is valid (not expired)



  • All edges of your ID document are visible



  • There is no flash or glare and the image is sharp not blurred



  • ID documents are submitted in colour (not in black and white)



  • The Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ) and any photographs are clearly visible



  • There are no obstructions when taking a copy of your ID document (e.g. a finger partially covering the lens!)



  • Only one side of your ID document features on one page (do not submit both sides of your ID document on one page)



  • Your Skillbox account info (personal details) and ID documents are consistent, otherwise KYC will be declined











































LEGAL

SELLER TYPE
IDENTITY

PROOF
REGISTRATION

PROOF
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
SHAREHOLDER DECLARATION

BUSINESS   
Passport OR driving license of the legal representative
Latest confirmation statement (documentary proof that the company is registered with Companies House, together with a full list of its members);

OR Annual Return;

OR, if neither of the above are available, provide the Certificate of Incorporation
Certificate of Incorporation

 

 
UBO Declaration

ORGANIZATION
Passport OR driving license of the legal representative
Documentary proof that the Organization is officially listed or registered with Companies House or Charity Commission
Memorandum of Association
N/A

SOLE TRADER
Passport OR driving license of the Sole trader
Proof of registration from HMRC (within the last three months)

OR Self-Assessment Tax Return
N/A
N/A








ID Document Specification:        

• Upload your ID document in PDF, JPG, JPEG or PNG with file size: 32KB to 10MB

 

To optimize your KYB submission, and avoid ‘refusal’ fees, please ensure that:        

• Your ID document is valid (not expired)

• All edges of your ID document are visible        

• There is no flash or glare and the image is sharp not blurred        

• ID documents are submitted in colour (not in black and white)        

• The Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ) and any photographs are clearly visible        

• There are no obstructions when taking a copy of your ID document (e.g. a finger partially covering the lens!)        

• Only one side of your ID document features on one page (do not submit both sides of your ID document on one page)        

• Your Skillbox account info (personal details) and ID documents are consistent, otherwise KYB will be declined

KYC:

Whilst it is FREE to submit your KYC documents for processing, we reserve the right to charge you a 'KYC multiple refusal' fee if your documents are continuously declined (maximum three times).  It is therefore important that you submit the correct valid documents with sufficient quality and clarity.

 

KYB: 

Our payment services provider charges a fee to process KYB identification documents.  A one-time fee of £3.25 must be paid to Skillbox before you are able to upload and submit KYB documents for processing.  

 

This fee is non-refundable once documents have been submitted.  You will only have to pay another KYB fee if you subsequently change your personal/business details.  We reserve the right to close your account if your KYB documents are continuously declined (maximum ten times).

 

You can view all 'Fees and Charges' here. 

The KYC and KYB process is fully managed by our payment services provider (MangoPay SA) and their partner (Onfido).  The processing time is ‘within 24 hours’ after submission for KYC documents and ‘within 24 business hours’ for KYB documents.

The Buyer will contact you directly if your application is successful.  You can also follow up with the Buyer by either navigating to the Job Post and click on "Contact Me" or by navigating to your Seller Account and under "Jobs Applied" click “Contact”. 

No, "Start This Order" simply means that you have acknowledged the Order and that you have started the initial processing.  At this point you have not yet formally accepted the Order or entered into a contract with the Buyer.

 

You will have formally accepted the Order, and entered into a contract with the Buyer, when either of the following is true:

 

1.    As part of the initial Order processing, you have determined that you require further ‘Order Requirements’ (further detail on the Order) from the Buyer, you have sent them a request, they have responded and you have ACCEPTED their Order Requirements.

 

2.    As part of the initial Order processing, you have determined that you DO NOT require further ‘Order Requirements’ (further detail on the Order) from the Buyer and you progress accordingly.

 

In both cases, Skillbox will advise you upfront that you are about to enter into a contract with the Buyer.

We ask you to clarify the delivery mechanism in order to determine the fulfilment workflow.  'In-Person' skills are typically wedded to a desired location and delivery timescales are more flexible. 'Online' skills can be fulfilled from any location and delivery timescales are more strictly monitored.  As a reminder, the delivery timescales are based on those set for your Skills Package.

 

The key difference between the two workflows is whether or not an Order delivery timer is applied.  If you’re not sure which one to choose, we would recommend you opt for the 'In-Person' workflow which means you won’t be up against a clock to deliver your Skill.  However, please bear in mind that the Buyer will still expect you to deliver against the timescales outlined in your Skills Package.

If your Skill can be delivered both ‘Online’ and ‘In-Person’ and you opt to deliver through the ‘Online’ workflow when starting your Order, then we ask you 'Are you delivering an online class/session/showcase where you need to schedule a specific date/time to deliver your skill e.g. yoga instructor, online tutor, influencer, cookery masterclass?'

 

We do this because in certain circumstances, delivering a Skill online might still require you to set a specific time or date to deliver your Skill (i.e. 'Scheduling') and therefore it would not be appropriate to apply an Order Delivery timer (as would typically be the case for delivery of Online Skills). 'Scheduling' simply allows you greater flexibility with your Order Delivery timescales.

 

An example would be delivering a 60 mins Yoga class which can be delivered both online or in-person.  If you have opted to deliver this online you will likely still need to arrange a suitable time and date for the class with the Buyer, so you would confirm “Yes” to Scheduling and we would not apply an Order Delivery timer.  By comparison, if you were instead delivering a 60 mins social media posting online, where the delivery timings are fully within your control, you would confirm “No” to Scheduling and we would apply a 60 mins countdown clock to ensure you delivered to the timescales set out in your Skills Package.

 

No, typically a Skill being delivered ‘In-Person’ requires greater flexibility with delivery timescales e.g. where diary scheduling is required.  Although an Order delivery timer is not applied, as would be the case with ‘Online’ Skills, an estimate of the delivery timescales is set out in the Seller’s Skills Package for guidance.

Files submitted on the Order Panel will remain on the system for 7 days and will be automatically deleted thereafter.  Please ensure you message the Buyer to view or download the files within that time period.  You can always submit them again after the 7 days if needed.

Yes, if you navigate to the Order Details page and select the relevant Order, you can complete the “Extend Delivery Time?” section and send a request to the Buyer.  We always recommend you communicate proactively with the Buyer, particularly if you might not be able to meet your delivery deadline.

Requesting an extension by completing the “Extend Delivery Time?” section and sending a request to the Buyer, simply formalises the process with an audit trail.  However, if you have been in regular contact with the Buyer and they have confirmed in their communications that they are happy to accept a delayed Order delivery then that’s fine too.

If you haven’t delivered your Order on time, the next steps are entirely at the Buyer’s discretion.  They may choose to cancel the Order due to lack of delivery or may agree to grant you an extension.  Regular and proactive contact with the Buyer will help to manage expectations in the event you are unable to meet your deadline.

 

Skillbox will send you Order delivery reminders when the Order is 3 days, 6 days and 9 days overdue. If you have not delivered your Order within 10 days of the Delivery Due Date, and you have not made any effort to contact the Buyer to inform them of delays, then the Order may be considered unfulfilled with the Buyer automatically refunded.

Sign in to your Seller Account and navigate to the relevant Order.  You will need to click “Deliver this Order” on the Order Panel which will generate a request to the Buyer to action the Order.  Although this looks like a retrospective process, these actions are needed to formalise the workflow and, importantly, to release the funds to you as soon as the Buyer approves the Order delivery.

 

If the Buyer does not approve the Order delivery (i.e they have marked "I'm Not Satisfied") you will need to liaise with the Buyer on any necessary Order revisions. As a reminder, funds are only released to the Seller once the Buyer approves the Order delivery. 

If the Buyer has not actioned the Order delivery (i.e. by either approving or declining) within 10 days of the Order Delivery Date, then the Order will be deemed to have been accepted and you will be automatically paid.

Experiencing problems with Buyers is clearly not uncommon in a marketplace environment.  We always recommend that you try to keep an open dialogue with the Buyer to resolve any issues before they escalate unnecessarily.  However, sometimes things just don’t go to plan.  If you’re unable to reach a resolution, then you can submit an Order cancellation request to Skillbox via ‘Help & Support’.

There are 2 ways a Seller can progress an Order cancellation:

 

You have started the Order but not yet accepted it:  You may have formally requested further ‘Order Requirements’ from the Buyer, to obtain more detail, before entering into a contract.  If you are not happy with the response or information provided by the Buyer then you can cancel the Order directly by clicking “Cancel This Order” in the Order Panel.  Please note that if you have not opted to request any ‘Order Requirements’ from the Buyer, then this cancellation option will not apply.

 

You have accepted the Order and entered into a contract with the Buyer:  The Order is already underway, things aren’t quite going to plan and you want to cancel the Order.  You will need to contact Skillbox through ‘Help & Support’ in your Home Dashboard providing further details on your cancellation request.  Skillbox will take it from there.

 

If the Buyer wants to raise an Order cancellation request, they will do so via the "Resolution Centre". In the first instance, the request will be sent to the Seller to either accept or decline.

 

Although this is a service provided to the Buyer, you will be able to view and track the details of the Order cancellation request through your "Resolution Centre" here.

 

You can either accept the request which will cancel the Order and issue a full refund to the Buyer, or you can decline the request and try to resolve any issues directly with the Buyer so the Order can proceed.  Please note that if you decline the request, the Buyer has the option of escalating the Order cancellation request to Skillbox.

 

On receiving an Order cancellation request, Skillbox may choose to commence mediation between the Seller and Buyer in an attempt to address any roadblocks that have arisen during the process.  If mediation has not been successful, typically within 10 days, Skillbox will cancel the Order and the Buyer will be refunded in full.

On receiving an Order cancellation request, Skillbox will commence mediation between the Seller and Buyer in an attempt to address any roadblocks that have arisen during the process.  If mediation has not been successful, typically within 10 days, Skillbox will cancel the Order and the Buyer will be refunded in full.

In the event of a user dispute, Skillbox may choose to commence a mediation process between the Seller and Buyer in an attempt to address any roadblocks that have arisen during the process.  If mediation has not been successful, typically within 10 days, Skillbox will cancel the Order and the Buyer will be refunded in full.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the issue of a refund to a Buyer does not imply that Skillbox agrees with the Buyer or disagrees with the Seller in relation to the dispute; rather, the issue of a refund is the automatic result of an unsuccessful mediation carried out by means of the Skillbox platform. Accordingly, such a refund does not imply that the Buyer is entitled to a refund or that the Seller is not entitled to retain the refunded monies.

Yes!  When the Buyer leaves you feedback (either following completion or cancellation of an Order) you can navigate to the 'Order Details' page, select the relevant Order on which the Buyer has left feedback and submit your reply.

We encourage all Sellers to let Skillbox know if a review is inappropriate e.g. rude, offensive, aggressive or profanity-ridden.  We operate a zero-tolerance policy towards any inappropriate language or behaviour.

 

Access your Seller Account, navigate to the “Review Centre”, select the relevant feedback you want to report and provide us with your comments.  Skillbox will take it from there.

Seller status badges are allocated in recognition of both the quality and quantity of Seller services sold with Skillbox.  They are fully visible on all Seller profiles and can play an important part in attracting new customers.


 


The badges work on a 'level up' system, based on successfully completing a minimum number of Orders.  In all instances, Sellers must maintain an average feedback rating of at least 4.0 (out of 5.0).


 


Level 1: Successful completion of at least 10 orders


 


Level 2: Successful completion of at least 40 orders


 


Level 3: Successful completion of at least 100 orders

Buyer Questions

Skillbox does NOT charge commission or processing fees to Buyers.  Creating a Buyer account on Skillbox is FREE and posting a Job is also FREE.  

Click here to see all our other ‘Fees & Charges’.

Buyers: 


  • can purchase a Skills Package, safe in the knowledge that funds are held securely until you confirm that the job has been successfully completed 

  • can actively post jobs for which Sellers can apply

  • pay no commission or processing fees (at all!)

  • pay no cancellation fees

  • can proactively cancel the order if the Seller does not start the order within 48 hours

  • can leave feedback on Sellers (no time restrictions)

  • can report a Seller Listing if needed

  • have access to the Skillbox ‘Resolution Centre’ to request job cancellations  

  • have access to Skillbox ‘Help & Support’ for full customer services support 

  • are fully refunded in the event of an unresolved user dispute

Sign in to your Buyer Account and click on “My Invoices” for the following:

 

'My Sales Invoices':


  • VAT invoices sent to Buyers post purchase of a Skills Package

  • Credit notes for any cancelled Orders and refunds


 

'My Bolt-On Invoices':


  • Invoices for any Skillbox bolt-ons you have purchased

     

Posting a job is completely FREE on Skillbox.  Sign in to your Skillbox account; under “My Buyer Account” select “My Job Posts” and click “Add New Job Post” to create a new listing.  You can also “Edit Job Post” to update an existing draft.  Once you have finalised your listing, click “proceed" to publish it and you’re done!  Your Job Post is now live.  

Job Posts are live by default for 30 days unless extended due to purchase of a Skillbox Bolt-On (see our Bolt-On FAQ section for more details).  If the Job Post remains unfulfilled after 30 days, you can always re-list for FREE or create a new Job Post as required.

No, in fact a lot of Buyers hire a Seller by searching for them directly via the Skillbox Homepage, viewing relevant Seller profiles and contacting them directly.  Posting a job creates visibility of your requirement (free advertising!) and gives Sellers the opportunity to contact you.

Yes, the minimum budget limit for a Job Post is £5 (excl VAT).  This is consistent with the minimum value of a Seller’s Skills Package.

Job Posts do not have a maximum budget limit.  However, Sellers currently have a maximum invoice limit of £1,800 (incl VAT) which is a security measure set by our payment services provider.

 

If your budget exceeds £1,800 (incl VAT), the Seller can create a 'Custom Package' for you and break down the invoices into installments which aggregate to your total budget.  Each invoice will be treated as a standalone Order and will need your approval before funds are released.  Here is a working example:

 

Let’s say you’re looking for an Events Planner and have a budget of £3,000.  The Seller could create a 'Custom Package' for you priced at £1,500 which you would purchase twice.  You’ll now be running with 2 Orders worth an aggregate of £3,000.  Once the Seller has completed their Events Planning service, you can choose to approve both Orders simultaneously to release the full funds to the Seller.  Alternatively, you can adopt a ‘milestone’ approach and approve the first Order once certain deliverables have been completed, and then approve the second Order when the whole service has been completed.  

 

If your budget does exceed the Seller’s maximum invoice limit (£1,800 incl VAT), please contact the Seller directly to discuss an appropriate 'Custom Package' and payment structure that meets your requirements.

 

Skillbox is unable to provide recommendations on specific Sellers.  However, if you are searching for Skills and viewing Seller profiles, we do provide a view of other Sellers whose skills are in the same category. Please see 'You may also be interested in these Skills'.

To search for your ideal Seller, you can use the search box or browse by Skill Category on the Skillbox Homepage.

If a Seller's skill is being delivered 'in-person' (including if capable of being delivered both 'in-person' and 'online') then we ask Sellers to provide details of their city and postcode.  Our search functionality allows you to search for a Seller based within and around a particular city or postcode (default radius of 10 miles) in order to find a Seller that suits your required location.

Skillbox is focused on providing Buyers access to skills that meet a short to medium term need.  You are obviously welcome to purchase a Seller’s Skills Package, through Skillbox, as often as you like and for as long as you like.  However, as we are not an employment agency, a long term or permanent contract arrangement with a specific Seller is best managed outside of the Skillbox platform.

Yes, you can save your favourite Sellers to a Shortlist by clicking the "heart" icon on the Seller's Profile. 

If you feel that a Seller’s Listing is inappropriate in any way, please use the “Report this Listing” function in the Seller’s Profile to let us know.  Skillbox will take it from there.

Click on “Contact Me” in the Seller’s profile and this will direct you to the Message Centre where you can exchange messages directly with the Seller.  It’s important that you keep all communications within the Skillbox Platform in case you need to raise an issue or escalate a problem. 

Sellers who are VAT-registered will have their package prices stated inclusive of VAT.  Sellers who are not VAT-registered will have their package prices stated without a reference to VAT (not applicable).

 

The format in which a package price is displayed on a Seller's summary profile, in search results listings, is determined by whether or not the Seller is VAT-registered.

Once you’ve chosen your ideal Seller and selected the right Skills Package, you can review your “Order Details” and, if you are happy to proceed, then select “Order and Proceed to Payment".  Following approval of your payment details, you will be directed to the Order Details page.

 

Once the Seller has started the Order, you will be able to exchange messages and monitor progress through the Order Panel.  If the Seller has not yet started the Order, and you wish to contact the Seller, you can do so by clicking "Contact Me" on the Seller Profile or via the Message Centre if you have already exchanged messages. 

Yes, if the Seller’s existing Skills Packages don’t quite fit the bill, Skillbox allows Sellers to create a 'Custom Package'.  Please contact the Seller directly and they will guide you through the process.

 

You can also see how Sellers set up Custom Packages by viewing the Seller Question above 'Can I create a Custom Skills Package for Buyers?'

No, you will need to agree to the Seller’s Legal Notices before placing an Order.  If you do not agree with them, please do not place an Order with that Seller.

 

In the event that Sellers may not have provided their own Legal Notices, Buyers will need to agree to the standard Skillbox Terms of Service and Privacy Policy before placing an Order.

Skillbox will send you an Order Confirmation and we will also let the Seller know that you’ve purchased a Skills Package.  The Seller will be in touch with you directly and you can view progress via the Order Panel.  If the Seller has not started the Order within 48 hours of you purchasing the Skills Package, you have the option to cancel the Order directly.  You can also contact the Seller at any time by clicking on “Contact Me” in the Seller’s profile.

When a Seller activates "Start This Order", this simply means that the Seller has acknowledged your Order and has started the initial processing.  At this point the Seller has not yet formally accepted the Order or entered into a contract with you.

 

The Seller formally accepts the Order, and enters into a contract with you, when either of the following is true:

 

1. As part of the initial Order processing, the Seller has determined that they require further ‘Order Requirements’ (further detail on the Order) from you, they have sent you a request, you have responded and the Seller has ACCEPTED your Order Requirements.

 

2. As part of the initial Order processing, the Seller has determined that they DO NOT require further ‘Order Requirements’ (further detail on the Order) from you and they progress accordingly.

 

In either of the above cases, the Seller will be in touch with you to progress your Order.

 

Files submitted on the Order Panel will remain on the system for 7 days and will be automatically deleted thereafter.  If you have been unable to download the files within that time period, you can always ask the Seller to upload them again.

Once the Seller has delivered the Order, you must action it within 10 days from the date the Order was delivered to you.  'Actioning' the Order means that you must review the Order and either approve it or decline it.  If no action is taken within 10 days, then the Order will be deemed to have been successfully fulfilled and the Seller will be automatically paid in full (i.e. the funds held will be transferred to the Seller).

 

By way of example: If the Order was delivered on 01 January, you have until 11 January inclusive to action the Order.  If no action is taken, the Seller will be automatically paid on 12 January. 

 

In the event that you might not be able to action the Order within the required time period, please contact the Seller in advance to delay the Order Delivery. Alternatively, if the Order has already been delivered and you won’t be able review it within the required time period, then simply decline the Order and request the Seller to re-deliver the Order at a more suitable time.

Once the Seller has delivered your Order (whether online or physically in-person), you must action the Order on Skillbox in order to progress the Order process. Please sign into your Buyer Account and under “My Orders” navigate to the relevant Order.  Please action the Order by selecting one of the following:

 

1. To approve the Order, select “I Approve" on the Order Panel.  Once you have approved the Order, the funds will be released to the Seller and you will be invited to leave your feedback.   

 

2. If you are not happy with the Order delivered by the Seller, select "I'm Not Satisfied" on the Order Panel.  You will need to liaise with the Seller on any necessary Order revisions.  Funds are not released to the Seller until the Order has been approved. 

Please note that the Order delivery timer is based on the timescales set out in the Seller’s Skills Package (Online Skills only). If the Seller has not delivered your Order on time, the next steps are entirely at your discretion.  You may choose to request an Order cancellation, due to lack of delivery, and receive a full refund once the cancellation has been approved and processed.  Alternatively, you may agree to grant the Seller an extension if they have requested one.

Experiencing problems with Sellers is clearly not uncommon in a marketplace environment.  We always recommend that you try to keep an open dialogue with the Seller to resolve any issues before they escalate unnecessarily.  However, sometimes things just don’t go to plan.  If you’re unable to reach a resolution, then you can submit an Order cancellation request to the Seller via the Resolution Centre.  If you’re still facing issues, you can escalate the Order cancellation request to Skillbox ‘Help & Support’ via the Resolution Centre.

There are 3 ways a Buyer can progress an Order cancellation:

 



Seller has not started the Order: If the Seller has not started the Order within 48 hours of you purchasing the Skills Package, we make available a “Cancel this Order” button within the Order Panel so you can directly cancel the Order.  This is entirely optional and we would recommend that you contact the Seller first before cancelling as there may be valid reasons as to why they haven’t yet started the Order.

 

Resolution Centre (request to Seller): Once the Order has been accepted and is already underway, any request to cancel the Order must first be made to the Seller through the Resolution Centre.  You must first try to resolve any issues directly with the Seller before escalating to Skillbox.

 

Resolution Centre (escalate to Skillbox): As an option of last resort, if you have not managed to reach a resolution with the Seller, you can escalate the Order cancellation request to Skillbox ‘Help & Support’ via the Resolution Centre.

 

If you want to raise an Order cancellation request (for any reason), you can do so via the Resolution Centre.  In the first instance, the request should be raised with the Seller and you’ll be able to log and track the details of the request in the Resolution Centre.  If you’re unable to reach a resolution directly with the Seller, then you can escalate the request to Skillbox ‘Help & Support’ via the Resolution Centre.

On receiving your Order cancellation request, the Seller should try to resolve any issues that led to the request in the first place.  If a resolution cannot be reached:

 

The Seller can accept the request which will cancel the Order and issue a full refund to the Buyer.

 

The Seller can also choose to decline the request.  If you are still unable to reach a resolution, you can further escalate the Order cancellation request to Skillbox ‘Help & Support’ via the Resolution Centre.

On receiving an Order cancellation request, Skillbox may choose to commence mediation between the Seller and Buyer in an attempt to address any roadblocks that have arisen during the process.  If mediation has not been successful, typically within 10 days, Skillbox will cancel the Order and the Buyer will be refunded in full.

Once you have approved the Order delivery on the site, you will automatically be directed to complete a review on the Seller.

 

If you would prefer to complete a review at a later time, or you’d like to provide feedback on an Order which was cancelled, you can navigate to the Order Details page, select the relevant Order (under "Completed" or "Cancelled") and leave your feedback (navigate to the bottom of the Order Panel and click on ("Post your Review").

There are no time restrictions on leaving feedback, you can do so anytime but we’d encourage all Buyers to leave feedback as soon as possible after the Order is either completed or cancelled.