What we do not verify

This page exists because a platform that displays badges without saying where their scope ends is, in reality, promising a guarantee it cannot keep.

What our checks establish

• That a document exists, is legible and complete.
• That it is not expired, and how long it remains valid.
• That its reference numbers match those of the other documents in the file.
• That a permit or establishment number does appear in the corresponding official registry.
• That an issuing authority or a third-party firm has confirmed a document, on a given date.

What they do not establish

• The authenticity of a document. An automated check reads a document, it does not authenticate it. A well-made forgery passes an automated check. Only confirmation from the issuing authority comes close, and that is the purpose of the higher verification levels.
• The captive origin of a bird. No document, no ring, no DNA test proves a place of birth. DNA proves parentage, which is different, and which makes the lie detectable without establishing innocence.
• The solvency or good faith of a party. We verify the legal existence of an organization and the identity of its representative. We verify neither its financial health nor its intentions.
• The bird's actual health status. A veterinary certificate engages the veterinarian who signed it, not the platform.
• Performance of the contract. Delivery, the conformity of the bird delivered, payment and any resulting disputes are matters for the parties alone.
• The overall legal compliance of a transaction. That is a matter for a lawyer, who gives an opinion in their own name and under their own professional responsibility.

Why we write this

Because it is the only tenable position on the day a badge is challenged, and because a market where everyone promises everything is precisely a market where no one is believed anymore. Stating the exact limit of a verification is what gives the verification itself its value.