Terms of Service

Last updated 18 July 2026 · Applies to ambatana.co.ke and the Ambatana service generally.

In short

• Ambatana is a directory: we verify tradespeople and connect them with homeowners. We're not a party to the job itself — the contract for any work is between you and the tradesperson you hire.
• Hallmark verification checks nine specific things (identity, qualifications, insurance, legal history) against the people who issued them. It doesn't guarantee the quality of anyone's work.
• Joining Ambatana as a tradesperson costs a one-time joining fee plus a flat monthly subscription. Cancel the subscription anytime; the joining fee isn't refunded, since the checks it pays for have already been done.
• A listing can be paused or removed if a check fails, a subscription lapses, or these terms are broken.
• Nothing here limits your rights under Kenya's Consumer Protection Act, 2012.

1. Who we are, and what these terms cover

Ambatana is operated by Staples Products Limited, trading as Ambatana (“Ambatana”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), a company registered in Kenya. These terms govern your use of Ambatana as a homeowner looking for a tradesperson, a tradesperson applying for or holding Hallmark status, or anyone browsing the public site. By using Ambatana, you agree to them. Ambatana is not directed at, and must not be used by, anyone under 18.

Questions about these terms: morrissuffo19@gmail.com. For how we handle your personal data specifically, see the Privacy Policy, which sits alongside these terms rather than repeating them.

2. What Ambatana is, and what it isn't

Ambatana is a directory and matching service. We run the Hallmark Standard — a nine-point verification process — against tradespeople who apply, and we connect verified tradespeople with homeowners who need work done in Naivasha.

We are not a party to any job. When a homeowner hires a Hallmarked trader, the contract for that work — pricing, scope, scheduling, quality, payment for the job itself — is between the homeowner and the tradesperson directly. Ambatana doesn't employ tradespeople, doesn't supervise or inspect their work, and isn't responsible for how a specific job turns out. What we do guarantee is the verification process itself: that the nine checks were genuinely run, against the people who issued the underlying documents, and re-run annually rather than only at sign-up.

3. Accounts

• You need an account to save traders, request quotes as a returning homeowner, or manage a trader profile. Browsing and requesting a first quote don't require one.
• Accounts are accessed by a one-time emailed link, not a password. Keep access to your email secure — anyone with access to it can sign in as you.
• The information you give us — your name, contact details, business details if you're a tradesperson — needs to be accurate. Knowingly providing false information is a breach of these terms and grounds for suspension.
• One account per person. Don't create an account on someone else's behalf without their knowledge.

4. The Hallmark Standard and verification

Hallmark verification checks nine things: identity, proof of address, trade qualification, public liability insurance, civil case history, company and director history, insolvency history, duplicate/alias detection, and that reviews are tied to real completed jobs. Each check is confirmed directly with the people who issued the underlying document or hold the underlying record — not just taken on the applicant's word — and all nine are re-run annually, not only at the point of sign-up.

Verification depends on the accuracy of official third-party records (court registries, company registries, insurance providers, and so on) and on documents the applicant provides. We run the checks in good faith and to a genuine standard, but we can't independently guarantee the accuracy of a third-party register we don't control. If we identify that a check was passed on the basis of false or misrepresented information, the listing will be suspended or removed.

If a check fails or lapses — including a subscription lapse, since active membership is part of remaining listed — a new application won't go live, and an existing listing may be paused, until it's resolved. There's no partial or discounted listing for an incomplete or lapsed check.

5. Fees and payment (tradespeople)

Hallmark membership costs a one-time joining fee of KES 2,900, charged when you're first Hallmarked, plus a flat monthly subscription of KES 500. There are no per-lead charges — the subscription covers unlimited job-quote requests regardless of volume. Payment is taken through Stripe (card) or M-Pesa (via Safaricom's Daraja API); we don't handle or store raw card numbers ourselves.

• The joining fee is charged once and is not refundable — it covers the nine checks run at application, which have already been performed regardless of what happens afterward.
• The monthly subscription can be cancelled at any time going forward. Cancelling doesn't retroactively refund a period already paid for.
• If a subscription payment fails or lapses, we may pause or remove the listing until it's brought current.
• Prices may change for future billing periods; we'll give reasonable notice before a change takes effect for an existing subscriber.

6. Quote requests and job matching

A homeowner can request a quote from a Hallmarked trader at no cost and with no obligation to hire them. Requesting a quote passes the job details and the homeowner's contact information to the specific trader selected — Ambatana relays that request but has no further role in the job that follows, and doesn't guarantee a trader will respond, the accuracy of any quote given, or the outcome of any work performed.

7. Reviews

A review is matched against a real, completed job record before it's published — reviews aren't posted, bought, or accepted without that match. Reviews reflect the honest opinion of the person who left them; Ambatana doesn't guarantee the accuracy of a review's content beyond confirming it's tied to a real job on the platform. We may remove a review that's abusive, off-topic, or that we determine wasn't genuinely tied to the job it claims. Reviews stay on Ambatana and aren't transferred out if a tradesperson leaves the platform — we'd recommend keeping an independent record of your own reviews as well.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Provide false or misleading information at any point — application, quote request, review, or account details.
• Attempt to bypass, falsify, or otherwise circumvent Hallmark verification.
• Use contact details obtained through Ambatana (a homeowner's or a trader's) for anything other than the job they relate to — no unrelated marketing or spam.
• Scrape, mirror, or systematically extract data from Ambatana without our written permission.
• Use the platform for anything unlawful under Kenyan law.

9. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or remove a listing or account where a Hallmark check fails or lapses, a subscription payment lapses, information provided turns out to be false, or these terms are otherwise breached. Where practical, we'll explain why and what would need to change to resolve it. You can close your account at any time by emailing morrissuffo19@gmail.com.

10. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

Ambatana verifies the specific things described in the Hallmark Standard — identity, qualifications, insurance, and legal history, each confirmed with the issuing party and re-run annually. We do not guarantee, and aren't liable for, the quality, safety, timeliness, pricing, or outcome of any work performed by a tradesperson found through Ambatana. Homeowners engage tradespeople at their own discretion, in the same way they would engage anyone found through a personal referral — Hallmark status means the verification checks were genuinely run, not that Ambatana is guaranteeing the job itself.

To the extent permitted by Kenyan law, Ambatana's total liability to you arising from these terms or your use of the platform is limited to the fees you've paid Ambatana directly (not a tradesperson) in the twelve months before the claim arose. Nothing in these terms limits any right you have under Kenya's Consumer Protection Act, 2012, or any other right that can't lawfully be excluded by agreement.

11. Disputes

A dispute over a specific job — pricing, quality, scheduling — is between the homeowner and the tradesperson; Ambatana isn't a party to it and doesn't arbitrate it directly. That said, if a Hallmarked trader's conduct on a job raises a concern about whether they should remain listed, tell us at morrissuffo19@gmail.com and we'll look into it — that can include suspending or removing a listing at our discretion.

These terms are governed by the laws of Kenya, and any dispute with Ambatana itself that can't be resolved directly is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Kenya.

12. Changes to these terms

If we make a material change, we'll update the “last updated” date at the top of this page and, where the change is significant, describe it clearly here rather than letting it pass silently. Continuing to use Ambatana after a change takes effect means you accept the updated terms.

13. Contact us

For anything covered here — a question, a complaint about a Hallmarked trader, or a concern about how these terms apply to you — email morrissuffo19@gmail.com.