The Verified badge is awarded through a manual review by our editorial team. It is a layer of human assessment on top of the automated Trust Score - and not every listed site has it.
Identity check
The review starts with confirming who runs the site. We look for a real, identifiable operator: a registered business entity or clearly named operator, public contact information, and a verifiable operating history. Sites run entirely anonymously, with no way to identify or contact the operator, do not pass this stage.
Security review
Next, we record the protections the site offers - the security features shown on its profile, such as two-factor authentication, identity verification (KYC), anti-money-laundering checks, buyer protection, SSL, manual item verification, and DMCA compliance. A site missing the core safeguards expected in its category is noted.
Track record and community feedback
We review the site's history and its community reviews, looking for consistent patterns - both positive and negative - that show how the service performs in practice over time.
Ongoing review
Verification is not a one-time stamp. The daily Trust Score recalculation keeps surfacing new reviews and data, and our team can re-review a site when its standing changes or new information comes to light. If something raises a concern, the site can lose its Verified status.