Methodology
How we verify companies
A company passport combines official records, company-supplied details and derived cross-checks. Sourced facts link to their origin; declarations, inferences and open gaps are labelled separately. This page explains exactly what each status means.
How a profile is built
- 1
Registry
We look up the company in its national business register. We record its legal status, identifiers and registration date.
- 2
What it actually does
We read the activity code the company is registered under, so a maker is told apart from a middleman by the state's own record, not by self-description.
- 3
VAT
We check EU VAT numbers in VIES. In other countries, we use official tax lookups where a free public check is available.
- 4
Customs
We check customs and exporter registers, so a company that says it exports is confirmed by the customs record where one is public.
- 5
Certificates
We check sector certificates (organic, FSC, standards marks, food licences) against the issuing registers. We record expiry dates where available.
- 6
Sanctions and debarment
Names and identifiers are screened against public sanctions lists and public-contract debarment lists.
- 7
People behind it
Where the register publishes them, we record the directors and the owners by name, so you can see who stands behind the company.
- 8
Reachable and real
We open the website ourselves, look up its history in the Internet Archive, and check whether the company uses its own email domain instead of a free mailbox.
- 9
Passport
Each item keeps its provenance. Confirmed facts link to their source, company-supplied details and inferences are labelled, and unavailable dates are not invented.
Sources are checked again on different schedules. When a check date exists, it belongs to that fact. When it does not, we do not invent one.
Three different things, kept separate
A sourced fact
- An official record was found and matched to this company
- The fact links to the official record. You can open it yourself
- Its status and check date are shown when available
- The result applies only to that fact, not to the company as a whole
Company and gap status
- Company verification means an identity or ownership review passed
- It is not a guarantee and does not confirm every field
- "Not confirmed" names an evidence gap, not fraud
- Declarations and derived cross-checks are labelled as such
Sources we use
We use the EU VIES VAT system, public sanctions and debarment lists, certification registers (EU Organic, FSC and others), the Internet Archive, and national business registers. A source being unavailable is never treated as a negative result about a company.
Browse the complete source directoryWhat we cannot verify
Public records answer one question: "Is this a real, registered company?" They do not answer everything.
- Product quality and workmanship
- Delivery reliability and lead times
- Payment behaviour and creditworthiness
- Future performance of any kind
- Business reputation. We do not treat third-party reviews as official evidence
If these questions matter, do your own due diligence. Ask for samples, references and trial orders. We help you confirm the official record in seconds instead of weeks.