Listed
Requires
A public business record or owner-submitted record was found.
Does not mean
The business has been contacted, recommended, or approved for leads.
Public trust standard
A provider label should tell you exactly what was checked.
We separate identity, credentials, reviews, commercial placement, and first-party performance. One source cannot prove every claim, and payment cannot buy an editorial verification level.
The rule
Verification is claim-specific.
A working phone number may support identity. It does not prove insurance. A public review profile may support a rating aggregate. It does not prove that a technician holds an active ASE credential. A provider accepting paid leads may support commercial eligibility. It does not make that provider the best mechanic for every vehicle problem.
Each public claim should point to an evidence record with a source, observed value, verification status, verification date, and expiration date when applicable.
Label ladder
What each public label means
Claimed
Requires
An authorized business representative controlled or updated the profile.
Does not mean
Credentials, insurance, service quality, or availability were verified.
Identity verified
Requires
Business identity, authorized contact, operating name, and reachable contact method were checked.
Does not mean
Every service, credential, review, or coverage claim is verified.
Credentials verified
Requires
Relevant current evidence, such as a named technician credential or certificate of insurance, was reviewed for the displayed claim.
Does not mean
A credential guarantees workmanship, price, response time, or job completion.
Performance verified
Requires
The marketplace has sufficient first-party response, acceptance, complaint, and completed-job data to evaluate operational performance.
Does not mean
Every future request will receive the same outcome.
Sponsored
Requires
The provider paid for additional visibility or a commercial placement.
Does not mean
The provider received a higher editorial verification or performance score.
Evidence we record
Not every provider will have every evidence type. The profile should show what is present rather than filling missing facts with assumptions.
Business identity
Legal or operating name, authorized contact, phone, website, and relevant public business records.
Technician credentials
Credential holder, credential type, current status, expiration, and relationship to the provider.
Insurance
Certificate holder, policy type, effective dates, and whether the evidence reasonably covers the offered work.
Service scope
Repairs accepted, repairs excluded, vehicle classes, tools, work-location limits, and warranty terms.
Coverage
ZIP codes or service radius, dispatch hours, emergency limitations, and travel charges.
Review aggregate
Named review platform, profile URL or stable identifier, rating, count, and date checked.
Complaint record
Public complaint signals, provider response, material unresolved patterns, and date reviewed.
First-party outcomes
Lead response, acceptance, attendance, completion, refund, complaint, and customer follow-up data.
Ranking principles
A provider must first be eligible for the requested job. Editorial ordering then favors evidence quality and first-party performance. A sponsored placement may receive visibility in a labeled slot, but it does not increase the verification score.
- 1
Verification completeness
How many relevant facts have current supporting evidence.
- 2
Job fit
Whether the provider accepts the requested service, vehicle, ZIP code, location type, and urgency.
- 3
Response performance
Measured view, response, acceptance, and expiration behavior on marketplace leads.
- 4
Customer outcomes
Completed work, cancellations, refunds, complaints, and verified customer feedback.
- 5
Evidence freshness
How recently important facts such as insurance, credentials, hours, and review aggregates were checked.
- 6
Profile completeness
Useful operating details without treating marketing volume as quality.
Reviews and complaints
A review aggregate is displayed only when the profile stores a named source, source URL or stable identifier, rating, review count, and date checked. Third-party review text is not copied into provider profiles merely to manufacture content.
Complaint signals are assessed for recency, severity, pattern, provider response, and resolution. A complaint does not automatically disqualify a provider, but unresolved patterns, identity inconsistencies, or failure to respond may trigger a hold, suspension, or rejection.
First-party feedback requires a marketplace lead or job record that can be tied to the customer interaction. Customers and providers can request a correction or dispute review.
Corrections and provider submissions
Providers may claim a profile, submit updated evidence, correct factual errors, or dispute an evidence decision. Material corrections should preserve an audit record rather than silently rewriting history.
Methodology version: 2026-07-25
ASE repair-shop reference