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Below is a collection of frequently asked questions about the SiteTrust Network.
If you can't find the answer to your question here, feel free to
contact us.
Merchant FAQ
Consumer FAQ
What is SiteTrust Network?
SiteTrust Network was launched in May 2007 as a service to help online merchants increase
visitor confidence in their web site services and products.
Approved merchants can place seals on their web site that visitors can
click on to view their site details along with
visitor submitted reviews of its services.
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What is a site seal verification report?
The SiteTrust Network website report provides details about a merchant website. The details
include a description of the site (written by the merchant) along with details such as
how long it has been in business. Third party metrics such as the website's Google
PageRank and Alexa Rank are also provided. For merchants who enable this option, visitor
feedback comments and ratings are also outlined in the report. A sample website report
can be viewed here.
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Where can I find examples of website seals?
A selection of website seals can be found here. A wide range
of image seals are available to accepted websites. Webmasters can also use text links
(typically to encourage customers to submit feedback) in emails and other customer
correspondence.
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What type of websites is the SiteTrust Network suitable for?
Companies that sell products and services online will benefit the most from placing an
SiteTrust Network seal on their website. This program is also suitable for websites that
require a certain level of trust from its visitors. This may include social network sites,
and other services that store visitor information.
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Can I submit a non-English language website?
No, at this stage only English language websites can be submitted for approval.
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How much does membership cost?
Membership costs USD
$59.00 per year. This covers all site seal and feedback services.
The first year's cost is inclusive of the application fee.
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Do you have a money back guarantee?
Yes. As of November 8th 2007, all new memberships come with a 30 day money back guarantee.
You can cancel your accout at any time within this period, and receive 100% of your money back.
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What do I receive with my membership?
Your membership provides access to site seals, as well as the ability to accept and display
validated feedback on your site. All feedback submissions are manually checked by our staff
prior to publication. Member sites are also displayed in our directory of approved sites.
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What are the acceptance criteria for a site seal?
The criteria for acceptance by the SiteTrust Network are described on the Acceptance Criteria page.
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What is the application process for a seal?
First, you complete an application. You are then given a username and password with which you can monitor
your application details. Within two business days a SiteTrust Network staff member will respond to the application.
If the application is accepted you will be notified and will be given access to code with which
you can place the site seal image on your web site. Your web site would then also be listed in the
SiteTrust Network's directory of approved sites.
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What happens if my site is rejected?
If your application is not accepted, you will be notified of the decision and the
reasons behind it. You will then have the opportunity to modify your site
to meet the criteria, and then resubmit it for no extra cost. Alternatively, you can
opt to receive a full refund.
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Do I have to let visitors post feedback about my site?
No. Some websites may feel that it isn't necessary to enable visitors to post feedback. On the
application form, you can state whether you want to enable this feature. You can change this
setting at any time once the website has been accepted.
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Can I display customer feedback directly on my own site?
Yes. Providing you use the feedback feed HTML code as provided by us. This enables you to display
the latest visitor feedback directly on your website. You can modify the feed to suit the design
and layout of your website. Click here to view an example iframe feed.
RSS feeds are also available for advanced users.
You may not display SiteTrust Network feedback on your website using any other means without our explicit consent.
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What if someone posts unfair or erroneous feedback about my site?
All visitor submitted feedback is first validated by the system, and then by a member of SiteTrust Network
support prior to being published online. The feedback rating is also not included in the site's overall
rating until it has been validated both by the system and by a member of SiteTrust Network support.
If you feel erroneous feedback has been submitted, then you may contact SiteTrust Network support
and the visitor feedback will be reviewed. SiteTrust Network support has full discretion regarding
what submitted feedback to accept or discard.
If you feel the feedback is unfair, or you wish to respond to the visitor's comments, you can submit
a response through the Merchant Account area. Your response will be published directly below the
customer's comment on your feedback page. An example of this can be viewed
here.
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Can I update my listed details?
Yes. By logging into the merchant account area you can modify the site details that are displayed
in your site report page at any time.
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I own a number of sites, can I submit multiple applications?
Once you have submitted a site seal application you can log into the merchant account area and
submit additional applications using the same user account. You can manage these accounts using the
same username and password.
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Why do I have to pay to have my seal renewed each year?
The site seal fee pays for a number of services. Apart from the initial application, it also
covers admin fees concerning validating submitted visitor feedback for your site as well as hosting and
bandwidth fees for your site seal and report page. All accepted sites are also
featured in our directory of approved sites. The first year
payment does not exceed annual renewal fees in order to encourage web site owners to submit a site for approval.
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Do you accept applications from adult related sites?
No. The SiteTrust Network does not review and validate adult related websites at this time.
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How frequently are website metrics like PageRank and Alexa Rank updated?
The third party metrics that we publish are checked once a month for updates.
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How frequently are the website thumbnail images updated?
The thumbnails are provided by Alexa,
a third party service. Alexa makes periodic updates to the thumbnails, the timing of which
is out of our control.
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How can I be sure that a web site seal is valid?
Given the fact that a webmaster could place a site seal on his/her site without being validated by us,
the best way to validate the seal is to click on it to view the site report. The features to look out for
are:
- Make sure that the site report page has a SiteTrust Network domain name: sitetrustnetwork.com (or etrustnetwork.com).
- Verify that the site report is in fact for the web site in question. Numerous links back
to the member site are provided. By clicking on one of them you can verify that you are taken
back to the web site in question.
- Check that the thumbnail image of the website displayed on the validation page matches the website in question.
- If you still have doubts, you can contact a member of SiteTrust Network support to make an enquiry.
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Why must I submit my email address when submitting feedback?
SiteTrust Network relies on the validity of the information contained in our network. This includes
information provided by online merchants as well as feedback submitted by site visitors. Visitor
email addresses are recorded when they submit feedback to help ensure that feedback is only submitted
once per person per web site. Your email address is never disclosed to the web site owner and we will
never contact you regarding your submitted feedback.
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Do you guarantee the trustworthiness of member sites?
While we make a genuine effort to ensure that every site we approve is trustworthy and reliable, we
make no guarantees as to the validity of every site in our network. More information can be found
in our terms and conditions.
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What if I feel a SiteTrust Network site does not deserve membership?
If you feel an approved member web site is not up to the standards of this network, you can anonymously
contact us submitting a complaint regarding that site. A member of SiteTrust Network support will then
review that web site, given your feedback, and determine what course of action to take. SiteTrust Network
has full discretion over what sites can and cannot be members of our network. If we feel the site is not
up to our standards then we have the right to pause or terminate its membership.
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