Ranking independence
Payment, sponsorship, advertising, data licensing, consulting, and customer status do not determine whether a company is included, how an observation is coded, how a metric is calculated, or where a company ranks. Public benchmark methods are set before commercial outcomes are known whenever practical.
Commercial relationships
Benchmark Bureau may sell private analysis, data access, or market-intelligence services. A material relationship with a company discussed in a public release will be disclosed in that release. Sponsored research, if ever accepted, will be labeled prominently and will not be described as an independent ranking unless Benchmark Bureau retains methodological control and publishes the relationship.
No company can buy inclusion, a better score, or the removal of a rival.
Company response and appeals
A measured company may submit factual evidence, entity-matching corrections, or a written response. Benchmark Bureau evaluates the evidence under the same rules used for every company. A response is not a right to edit findings or delay publication. Material corrections and their effects are recorded under the corrections policy.
Submit evidence to corrections@benchmarkbureau.com with the result URL, disputed fact, and supporting source.
Data retention and versioning
- Every public release identifies its methodology version and observation window.
- Published aggregates, definitions, release notes, and correction history remain versioned.
- Raw responses and citation evidence are retained when provider terms, privacy duties, and licensing conditions permit.
- A release states when raw material cannot be redistributed or retained in full; derived records do not masquerade as the original response.
- Material scoring changes create a new methodology version.
Badges and logo use
A badge reports a dated result; it is not certification, approval, accreditation, or endorsement. Eligibility follows the live published benchmark. Payment cannot create eligibility. Superseded and corrected badges must retain their historical date or be removed under the published badge policy.
AI-provider relationships
Provider and model names identify systems tested. Their inclusion does not imply participation, sponsorship, or approval. API measurements are labeled as API measurements; consumer-product validation is reported separately.