How trust works on Sawnly
Trust here is earned through vetting — never bought. A company's tier and its ranking in search cannot be purchased, sponsored, or influenced by any paid plan. This page explains exactly how our tiers, reviews, and ranking work.
The trust ladder
Listed
An aggregated public record, clearly labeled unverified. Not claimed by the company; shown only behind an explicit toggle in search.
Claimed
The company took ownership of its listing and provides its own information. Appears in results — still labeled unverified.
Verified
Legal documents and identity checked by our team, with at least one client reference confirmed.
Elite
Everything in Verified, plus a proven track record on the platform — client reviews and completed contracts — with periodic re-review.
How reviews are verified
A review can only be left after a real, structured request between a buyer and a provider has been closed on the platform. Every review is labelled as a verified client or a platform reference, and reviews cannot be bought, edited by the provider, or removed on request.
How ranking works
Search and directory order is decided by merit only. Ranking factors, in order of weight:
- 1Relevance to your search
- 2Trust tier (earned, not paid)
- 3Client rating and review depth
- 4Profile completeness
- 5Recent activity and responsiveness
Featured placements exist, are always clearly labelled, and never change ranking order or trust tier.
Our promise
No amount of money moves a company up a tier or up the rankings. If it ever looks otherwise, tell us — and we will fix it.