Independence
Who checks the checker?
How AI TrustMark discloses related-organisation assessments and ranking payment.
Related-organisation assessments are disclosed. Ranking payment buys eligibility for verification, never score or directory position.
Independence questions
Is AI TrustMark independent from AI Build? AI TrustMark discloses related organisations, including AI Build. Related-organisation assessments run on the same commercial terms as everyone else and are disclosed where required.
Can assessment fees buy a higher score or certificate? No. Payment buys investigation depth under published rules. It cannot buy a favourable Assurance Score, certificate outcome, review stars, or directory position.
What does ranking payment buy? Ranking payment buys eligibility for verification and review collection labour. Verified customer-review stars alone determine directory order after eligibility is unlocked.
How can I check a published TrustMark? Use the public Verify page with the certificate reference. Do not rely on a logo or screenshot alone.
Editorial last reviewed
Payment
Funds the work
Assessment and review collection are paid services.
Outcome
Earned from evidence
Scores, certificates and ranking positions cannot be bought.
Ownership and funding
AI TrustMark is operated alongside AI Build, an AI implementation business. Supplier assessment fees fund independent examination of the named organisation and product. They cannot improve the 0–100 Assurance Score or certificate decision and never enter directory ranking. Separately, ranking-service fees fund customer collection and verification and gate eligibility to appear in ranked lists. Once eligible, order is earned from Bayesian verified-review stars only; assessment depth, Assurance Score and risk class are excluded.
If AI Build or another related organisation is assessed, that relationship is disclosed on the public profile. Related organisations cannot buy a better result.
Separation of payment and outcome
- Assessment payment cannot buy a better Assurance Score or certification decision.
- Ranking eligibility payment cannot buy better stars or directory position.
- Advertising and commercial relationships do not alter assessment results or ranking order.
- Directory positions and Assurance Scores cannot be assigned by hand.
- Review collection and product assessment are separate SKUs.
- A negative review is not removed because a supplier pays AI TrustMark.
- Providers may respond once per review; they cannot edit customer text.
Reviews and ranking
Directory and customer-feedback ranking.
Assessment and score
Product assurance and Trustmark scoring.
Conflicts, appeals and governance
Material manual decisions are recorded in an audit trail. Certificates can be suspended or revoked when their basis no longer holds. Appeals follow the methodology version in force at assessment.
Methodology governance is versioned and published. Changes to scoring or verification rules appear as a new methodology version rather than silent edits to a live standard.
Supplier-provided claims are separated from independently verified information on every public evidence record.