Editorial Policy

This policy governs everything BrandVault publishes: articles, brand pages, ratings and coupons. It exists so that readers can hold us to a standard, and so that the people who write for us know exactly where the lines are.

1. Independence

Editorial decisions – what we cover, what we say and how we rank – are made by editors alone. No brand, agency, affiliate network or advertiser can commission, preview, approve or veto content. Editors do not have access to commission rates when researching or writing, and commercial staff do not have access to drafts.

2. Testing and sourcing

• Products reviewed are purchased at retail with our own funds unless an article states otherwise. Where a sample was provided, the article says so at the top.
• Every coupon code is applied at checkout by a member of the team before publication, and re-tested at least every 14 days. Codes that fail are removed, not demoted.
• Price claims are based on our own tracking or on publicly available price-history data, and we state the period examined.
• We do not import or republish marketplace star ratings as our own.

3. Ratings

Brand ratings (out of five) reflect an editor’s assessment of range, pricing, shipping, returns, customer service and reliability, informed by testing and reader reports. They are reviewed quarterly. A brand cannot improve its rating by advertising, joining an affiliate programme or increasing a commission.

4. Rankings and ordering

Lists of brands are ordered alphabetically, by editor rating or by reader activity (clicks, saves). They are never ordered by commercial value. Where we present a “best” pick, the criteria are stated in the article.

5. Affiliate links and disclosure

Many links to brands are affiliate links. They are marked in code as sponsored, and a disclosure appears in the footer of every page. Affiliate status does not influence coverage; we cover brands with no affiliate programme when they are relevant to readers, and we recommend non-affiliate options when they are better.

6. Advertising

Any paid placement is labelled “Sponsored” or “Advertisement” in a way that is unmistakable. Sponsored content is never presented as a review, a ranking or a verified coupon.

7. Corrections

We correct errors promptly and transparently. Minor errors (typos, broken links) are fixed silently. Material errors – wrong prices, wrong terms, wrong verdicts – are corrected with a note at the end of the article stating what changed and when. Readers can report errors via the contact page.

8. Updates

Brand guides show a “last updated” date and are reviewed at least once a quarter. Coupon pages show a last-tested date per code. Seasonal articles are refreshed before each season.

9. Conflicts of interest

Writers disclose any financial interest in, employment by or close personal connection to a brand they cover, and are reassigned where a conflict exists. Staff may not accept gifts above a nominal value from brands.

10. Reader data

We collect the minimum data needed to run the site, as described in our privacy policy. We do not sell reader data and we do not use it to vary prices or offers shown to individual readers.

11. Artificial intelligence

We may use software tools to assist with research, price tracking and drafting. Every published article is written or substantively edited, fact-checked and approved by a human editor who is accountable for it. We do not publish auto-generated reviews.

This policy was last reviewed on the date shown above and is reviewed annually.