Verification Policy
Effective date: 6 November 2026
1. What verification means A Lighthouse verification label indicates completion of the specific checks described for that label at the recorded time. It is not a general guarantee of professional competence, inventory, product safety, financial standing, workmanship or transaction success. Different claims require different evidence. Identity checked, business checked, professional registration checked, brand authorisation checked and project evidence checked must not be collapsed into an unexplained universal “verified” badge.
2. Checks and evidence Identity/contact checks may confirm control of a phone/email and proportionate identity evidence. Business checks may review registration and address information. A firm’s registration does not verify every employee’s qualification. An architect-title claim requires the appropriate Council of Architecture registration check for the person concerned. Other professions require the applicable credentials or licences where legally required; do not imply a statutory designer licence exists where it does not. Brand authorisation is checked for the named dealer/distributor, branch, brand, products, territory and validity. A genuine invoice alone does not prove an ongoing authorised-dealer appointment. Project checks examine evidence of completed work, actual role, permissions and attribution. Product-use verification requires evidence of installed products rather than a visually similar AI match.
3. Process The applicant provides accurate information and authority to submit it. Lighthouse requests proportionate evidence, reviews it against the published criteria, records the result and may seek clarification. A decision can be approved, approved for a narrower claim, pending information or declined. Provide a reason and review route where appropriate. Do not charge for a favourable outcome or describe a paid enrollment as independent verification.
4. Currency and limitations Show the scope and last-check/expiry information where material. Applicants must report expired credentials, changed ownership, moved branches, lost authorisations or inaccurate portfolio claims promptly. Lighthouse may conduct periodic or risk-triggered rechecks, suspend an affected badge and correct public information. A badge on one branch must not be copied to every location without supporting evidence.
5. Privacy and retention Collect only the evidence needed for the check. Prefer a registry result or limited verified record over storing a complete identity-document copy indefinitely. Restrict access, mask identifiers and prohibit reuse for marketing or AI training. Retention and deletion follow the Data Retention Schedule and specific legal duties. Do not make a blanket seven-year retention of every verification document.
6. Challenges and enforcement Report a false credential, project claim or authorisation through the grievance route with the relevant locator and evidence. An applicant may request correction or human review of an adverse decision. Forged evidence, badge misuse or deliberate misrepresentation may lead to removal, suspension or termination under the moderation procedure. Verification does not prevent a buyer from undertaking their own due diligence.
Publication check Publish the checks actually performed, not planned checks. The internal Verification Requirements Schedule sets the evidence, reviewer and renewal controls for implementation.
7. Verification levels and public meaning Separate checks of identity, business existence, professional registration, brand authorisation, branch location, project contribution and transaction history. A single badge must not imply all these checks if only one was performed. The public explanation should state the scope, date and any relevant expiry or territorial limit. Document receipt is not verification. Approval should identify the source actually checked and unresolved limitations. Company registration confirms a legal record, not financial solvency, workmanship, safety, insurance or an endorsement by a regulator.
8. Business and brand evidence Verify the legal entity and trading name against relevant records, the applicant’s authority to manage the account, and the relationship between a brand and each listed dealer or branch. Check expiry, territory and product range for authorisation letters. A document bearing a logo is not conclusive evidence of authenticity. Use an independently obtained contact or official source to resolve doubtful documents. Bank verification concerns the named recipient and collection route; it does not authorise credit assessment or access to unrelated financial information.
9. Professional and project checks For a protected professional title, verify the applicable registration and permitted scope in the jurisdiction concerned. An Indian registration must not be represented as a licence to
practise in another country. Firms should accurately identify the registered individuals responsible for regulated work. For completed-project showcases, check the contributor’s actual role, completion evidence, permission to publish and required credits. A site photograph may evidence physical work but does not prove the photographer’s licence or the homeowner’s consent. Do not award the entire design credit to a supplier that only supplied one product.
10. Fair decisions and evidence minimisation Collect the least evidence needed for the check. Avoid retaining complete identity documents where a verified result and limited reference suffice. Restrict access, mask unnecessary numbers and use secure submission channels. Alternative evidence should be considered where reasonable and lawful. If verification is refused, state the relevant deficiency or category of concern where lawful and permit correction or review. Automated fraud indicators assist assessment; they are not incontrovertible proof. A person should not lose access solely because of a technical name mismatch that can be reasonably resolved.
11. Expiry, changes and withdrawal An account must promptly report a change in ownership, registration, branch, authorisation, professional standing or other material verified fact. We may remove or qualify the badge pending rechecking. Expired verification must not remain indefinitely current. After a credible complaint, preserve the evidence, assess urgency and restrict only what is necessary while reviewing. Reinstatement must follow a documented decision. Paying a fee or buying promotion does not purchase a positive verification outcome.
12. International launch controls Determine the seller-identification and trader-traceability duties applicable in each market, including relevant EU marketplace requirements and thresholds under US seller-disclosure regimes where applicable. Do not assume an Indian GST or company check meets those duties. Verify local licensing, authorised representatives, insurance and territory before enabling regulated services abroad. Publish only the fields required for lawful transparency; protecting documents from public exposure remains necessary even when seller contact information must be displayed.
13. Scope of a verification result Each badge or status must identify what was checked: account control, business identity, professional credential, brand authorisation, branch, completed project or transaction. A single “verified” label must not imply that Lighthouse has audited finances, guaranteed solvency, inspected every project or approved every product. Verification is a point-in-time result based on specified evidence. An entity's registration does not prove the quality of its work. A brand authorisation may be limited to particular products,
locations and periods. Users should review the stated scope rather than infer a general endorsement.
14. Application and evidence requirements Applicants must submit accurate information and disclose material differences between their trading name, legal entity and invoicing entity. Documents must be current and readable. A representative must establish authority to act for the applicant; possession of a logo or access to a public profile is insufficient. Lighthouse may verify information through reliable independent sources or a known issuing authority. Where a source is unavailable, it may request an alternative rather than invent a positive result. Verification fees, if any, pay only for the disclosed process and do not purchase approval.
15. Review, discrepancies and fair opportunity Material discrepancies should be identified clearly enough for the applicant to respond, subject to lawful fraud and security restrictions. A spelling variation should be distinguished from a different legal entity. Suspected forgery requires a reasoned assessment and should not be declared publicly as established fraud without an adequate basis. Lighthouse may defer approval or limit the badge while awaiting evidence. A refusal should identify the relevant deficiency and available review route where lawful. The reviewer should consider new material evidence and avoid conflicts of interest.
16. Project and portfolio verification Completed-project verification should distinguish proof of completion from proof of the applicant's contribution and rights to publish the assets. A client acknowledgment may support one issue without granting the photographer's copyright. A professional's site photograph may show participation without proving sole authorship. The public description must accurately state collaboration, employment-era contribution and specialist scope. An individual moving firms must not transfer the previous firm's entire portfolio to a new company. Competing contribution claims may require limited attribution or temporary restriction while assessed.
17. Renewal, material changes and badge misuse The verified party must promptly notify Lighthouse of expired credentials, revoked brand appointments, branch closure, ownership changes and material inaccuracies in the verified scope. Lighthouse may recheck on scheduled review or credible contrary information and may suspend the affected badge pending resolution. Badge artwork must not be copied onto invoices, certificates or off-platform advertisements to imply broader approval. A historical screenshot does not establish current status. Where status changes, Lighthouse should update active displays and explain the effect on pending representations.
18. Information handling and appeals Identity evidence should be collected and retained only to the extent necessary for the actual check and applicable law. Where a less intrusive official reference suffices, avoid storing a full identity document. Public profiles must not expose private identification numbers or evidence files. An appeal should be reviewed by an appropriately authorised person, preferably independent of the initial decision. Correction of a verification error should reach relevant badges and discovery labels. Verification cannot waive a buyer's duty to evaluate an engagement or Lighthouse's responsibility for a materially misleading verification claim.
19. Paid status and verification labels Use distinct labels for a paid plan, founding membership, sponsored placement and evidence-based verification. Paying for a plan or a review process does not buy a favourable verification result. A badge should explain the attribute checked and its limits. Brand and branch authorisation must not be inferred from a general business-identity check. Remove or correct an inaccurate badge without deleting unrelated legitimate historical transactions.