Found an Invalid Seal?

Please report this to SBTRUST. All seals should link back to an aspnetlink.com URL via https. ASPNetLink, managed by the owners of SBTRUST, provides all back-end processing for the SBTRUST services.

SBTRUST provides a number of Seals that subscribers can use to demonstrate that they use the SBTRUST services and to indicate that they are participating in one or more Seal Programs.

Read below to learn about each program and what it means to the consumer.

  SUBSCRIBER SEAL

When a web site displays this seal it indicates that they are a subscriber to SBTRUST. This means that customers and potential customers have several services available free-of-charge that they may use to help guarantee that all transactions are handled properly.

Clicking on the seal should result in a pop-up window that displays a summary of the company's SBTRUST Status. This summary will indicate whether SBTRUST verified the firm's contact methdos; the number of unresolved complaints (if any); and other important pieces of information. You should verify that the seal is truly valid by visiting SBTRUST.ORG and checking the firm's full status report.


  RATING PROGRAM SEAL

When a subscriber is displaying a rating seal it means that they are participating in the SBTRUST Rating Program. This program allows a company's customers to provide three ratings for a firm:
      1. Pre-order rating; for example, how the firm's web site displayed content and provided important information.
      2. Order Handling Rating; for example, did the transaction process properly; was a correct invoice sent; etc.
      3. Post-Order Rating; for example, was the expected product/service provided in a timely manner; how was post-order support; etc.

By clicking on the seal one can see how previous customers have rated the firm. Note, to verify that the seal is valid one can visit the SBTRUST.ORG web site and check the firm's status. This will confirm whether the firm is actually participating in the rating program as well as display again their current ratings.

If you are a client of a company participating in this program then you will have an opportunity, after making a purchase, to submit your rating. This requires providing a valid e-mail address to which a link will be sent. This link will take you to a page wherein you may submit your rating. Over the following two weeks you will be contacted twice more with new links that enable you to submit your final two ratings. After that, there will be no more electronic mail regarding the rating program.


  PRIVACY PROGRAM SEAL

When a firm is participating in the SBTRUST Privacy Guarantee Program they will display the above seal. If it is valid then the firm has agreed to the following:

     1. Your right to remove your contact information from their database(s). The firm is required to indicate how this can be done in their online privacy policy.
     2. If the firm reserves the right to sell or otherwise distribute personal and/or contact information then this is clearly stated in their online privacy policy.
     3. If your contact information or other personal data is stored by the company and their privacy policy changes then they must notify you of the change(s) and reiterate how you can remove your information from their database(s).
     4. SBTRUST is permitted to log their privacy policy every day to ensure that changes are tracked and registered independently.

Note, some companies may opt to have their privacy policy monitored but may not be participating in the compliance program. You can verify the program(s) in which the company participates by checking their status. For clarification of any online policy maintained by an SBTRUST subscriber, use the Policy Confirmation service.


  POLICY MONITORING PROGRAM SEAL

When a subscriber participates in the Policy Monitoring Program it means that they are allowing SBTRUST to capture, timestamp and store the online policy and that customers can request that SBTRUST authenticate the policy displayed on a web site for any given day. The purpose of this program is to allow companies to demonstrate to customers that they are having a third party monitor their policies. In these cases, customers should feel certain that the company will not pull a bait-and-switch or other such fraudulent action.


  DATA PROTECTION PROGRAM SEAL

The Data Protection Guarantee Program Seal is given to companies who agree to the following practices:

      1. All personal information, including e-mail addresses, is transmitted via a secure connection.
      2. The web site does not allow telnet or ftp access. These are unsecure protocols and should no longer be used.
      3. No credit card information is stored online.
      4. The company has its own SSL certificate.
      5. Raw passwords are not stored online.
      6. All login transmissions are conducted via a secure connection and no more than three attempts may be made to login under a particular User ID.
      7. An Intrusion Detection System is utilized on the web server.
      8. Server upgrades due to security notices are done within 72 hours.
      9. SBTRUST is permitted to probe the web site to ensure the above requirements are being met.

The Data Protection Program is designed to inform customers of those firms who are utilizing the best protocols of managing private information.


If you have questions regarding any of these programs and/or seals, please contact SBTRUST.