Is Trust Enough in The Sharing Economy?
Photo Credit: The Airbnb homepage. A trade group for companies in the sharing economy is hoping that a new industry standard will help improve trust in the sector. Airbnb
Skift Take
By tackling the issue of trust, not only will companies in the sharing economy be able to raise standards, they might also be able to keep regulators off their backs.
One criticism of the sharing economy (or gig economy or peer-to-peer economy or whatever you want to call it) that has always stuck, is a perceived lack of trust.
If you book a Marriott Hotel or take a London black cab, you know what you're getting and more importantly, know who to go to if things go wrong.
It's slightly different with the likes of Airbnb and Uber. The companies are really just technological enablers with the individual driver or homeowner the point of contact.
To try and combat some of these problems and others, the UK trade organisation for companies in the sharing economy has launched its own industry standard.
Four firms took part in the pilot scheme and all of them have been awarded the TrustSeal. Sharing Economy UK has now opened up applications and has ambitions of rolling it out across the world.
Any company wishing to sign up will need to complete a self-assessment form, which will then be checked by accountancy firm PwC.
TrustSeal was
