Principle 1
Evidence over noise
We prioritize verifiable signals and consistent patterns over one-off opinions. A single review doesn’t define a business — repeated behavior does.
About CTN
A clear standard for who Canadians can trust.
Consumer Trust Network (CTN) exists to answer one basic question: “Can I trust this business?” We publish a public verification status and trust tier so customers can compare options fast — and so serious operators can prove they’re the real deal.
CTN is built for Canada-first decisions: trades, services, fitness, health & beauty, automotive, education, finance, home projects, and any category where one bad choice can cost real money, time, and stress.
CTN is independent. Being listed is not a guarantee of perfection — it’s a public record of verified identity signals and how a business behaves over time.
CTN focuses on 3 outcomes:
- Clarity — a simple public view of whether a business is real, reachable, and active.
- Accountability — trust improves when businesses respond, resolve, and communicate.
- Proof — verified businesses can display a live badge that links directly to their CTN profile.
Need help?
Email us anytime at info@consumertrust.ca
Principles
CTN is built on transparency, not hype.
Trust isn’t a slogan. It’s behavior. CTN is designed to reward businesses that consistently show up, communicate, and make things right when issues happen.
Principle 2
Clear incentives
CTN does not sell “score boosts.” Trust improves when operations improve: response behavior, documentation, clarity, and resolution.
Principle 3
Canada-first standard
CTN is focused on Canadian business reality: local service categories, Canadian consumers, and a directory that’s actually usable for real decisions.
Community Feedback
Voices from the network.
Real feedback from Canadian business owners and consumers who use CTN to build trust and find safe services.
Comparison
How CTN compares to other platforms.
CTN is not “just another review site”. It’s a verification and trust layer built for Canadian businesses. Other platforms still matter — but CTN is designed to answer one question clearly: “Is this business verified, reachable, and behaving well over time?”
| Feature | CTN | BBB | Trustpilot | Yelp | Google Reviews | Facebook Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core purpose |
Verification & Trust
Canada-first verification and trust tiers so customers can quickly see if a business is real, reachable, and monitored over time.
|
Legacy Accreditation Accreditation and complaint handling for businesses that join their program. |
Global Reviews Global review platform with paid tools for managing reputation. |
Local Reviews Local discovery and reviews, heavily driven by ads and promoted listings. |
Search Layer Review layer inside Google Search and Maps for almost every local business. |
Star ratings attached to business pages as part of the social feed. |
| Business verification | Structured verification: ownership/contact confirmation and identity checks where applicable. | Formal accreditation with eligibility criteria and periodic checks. | Basic checks; priority is collecting and monetising reviews. | Minimal verification beyond listing and category. | Verified mainly through Google Business Profile ownership. | Page admins control the page; deeper verification is limited. |
| Who controls reputation? | Shared: CTN weighs public signals and response behavior, not just volume or promotion. | Mix of complaints, processes and business responses. | Strong tilt towards volume and paid tools. | Driven by user reviews and visibility algorithms. | Driven by review volume, recency and ranking systems. | Driven by page activity and engagement. |
| Fake / abusive review risk | Reduced by design: patterns over time, verification status, and the ability to revoke verification. | Moderate; processes exist but can be slow. | Moderate–high; fraud filters with mixed outcomes. | High in some categories. | High at scale; ongoing arms race. | High; moderation tools are limited. |
| Pricing model | Clear pricing for business tools. No pay-to-remove and no score boosts for purchase. | Accreditation and membership fees. | Free basic; advanced tools on paid tiers. | Free listing; revenue from ads. | Free to appear; costs tied to ads/tools. | Free page; optional ad spend. |
| Trust signal on websites | Live CTN badge that checks status and links to the business’s CTN profile. | Accreditation seals/logos. | Widgets and logos. | Badges linking to Yelp listings. | No official off-site badge. | No dedicated external verification badge. |
| Best use case | When you want a clear, independent signal that a Canadian business is real and serious about customer treatment. | When you want to see accreditation and complaint history. | When comparing brands globally. | When choosing local experiences. | When scanning options in Search/Maps. | When checking social perception. |
Why CTN Exists
The gap between “reviews” and real trust.
Reviews are useful — but they’re often missing context. CTN adds a verification layer and a structured trust view that’s designed for real-world decisions.
Problem 1
Reviews without context
A business with ten old reviews and a 5.0 is not the same as a business with 500 recent reviews and a 4.4 — but they’re often treated as equals.
Problem 2
Customers on their own
Customers have to interpret scattered data: websites, maps, social media, and opinions. CTN creates one clear place to confirm legitimacy and status.
Problem 3
Good operators undervalued
Businesses that do the right thing daily often look identical online to those that don’t. CTN makes professionalism visible.
Our Role
What CTN is — and isn’t.
CTN is a public trust layer. We centralize legitimate signals, verification status, and reputation patterns into a directory Canadians can use.
We do not replace regulators, courts, or contracts — and we don’t pretend to. CTN exists to make business legitimacy and behavior easier to verify.
- Verification status and trust tiers designed for quick interpretation.
- Trust is dynamic: the public view can improve or decline over time.
- Public-facing profiles built from legitimate signals and verification checks.
- Badge status can change if verification is revoked or suspended.
Trust Tiers
How CTN Trust Tiers are determined.
Trust Tiers summarize multiple signals into a public view customers can understand. The goal is clarity — not complexity. Businesses improve by improving operations, responsiveness, and transparency.
Signal 1
Identity & legitimacy
Verification focuses on whether the business is real, reachable, and accountable. If a business cannot confirm basic identity signals, trust cannot be high.
Signal 2
Reputation patterns
We look at patterns across reviews: volume, recency, repeated themes, and consistency — not just a single rating snapshot.
Signal 3
Responsiveness
Good businesses respond. They communicate. They fix issues. Ignoring customers and patterns over time reduces trust.
Signal 4
Transparency
Businesses that provide clear contact details, clear policies, and clear expectations are more trustworthy than businesses that hide or avoid accountability.
Signal 5
Ongoing behavior
Trust changes. A business can improve (and we want them to). A business can also decline. CTN is designed to reflect that reality.
Reading tiers
Simple public interpretation
Excellent Standing: strong verification signals and consistent positive behavior.
Good Standing: verified and generally reliable with normal operational variance.
Caution: verified but showing unresolved patterns or concerns that customers should review.
Under Review / Suspended: verification not active or serious issues are being evaluated.
Security & Privacy
Built to be safe, predictable, and boring.
Trust platforms live or die on credibility. CTN is designed with a simple security philosophy: do the minimum needed, do it clearly, and keep systems controlled.
- CTN runs over HTTPS and is designed to protect data in transit.
- We avoid exposing sensitive secrets in front-end code.
- The CTN badge links to a public CTN profile for transparency.
- Verification status can be revoked if behavior changes or identity cannot be confirmed.
For detailed policy language, please review our Legal & Policies page.
For Customers
What customers can do with CTN.
CTN is designed so everyday Canadians can confirm legitimacy fast, see a clear trust view, and understand what to do if something goes wrong.
- Search the CTN Directory for verification status and trust tier.
- Click a CTN badge on a website to confirm it links to the correct CTN profile.
- Submit a complaint or concern with documentation via Scammed?
- Get guidance on practical next steps (documentation, chargebacks, escalation paths).
Reputation Dashboard
How to use the CTN Reputation Management Dashboard.
Verified businesses can manage reviews, request new reviews, and respond in a consistent brand tone — without chaos. The dashboard exists for one reason: turn reputation into a system.
1
Connect your presence
Link your business identity so reviews and reputation signals can be centralized. This helps your team stop guessing and start seeing patterns.
2
Review monitoring
See new reviews and changes in one place. Prioritize responses that matter: negative reviews, time-sensitive issues, and repeat themes.
3
Request reviews properly
Send professional SMS/email review requests to real customers after a good outcome. The goal is consistent, compliant review growth — not spam.
4
Respond with structure
Use consistent templates and brand tone. Respond fast, acknowledge issues, and show resolution. This is one of the strongest trust signals.
Best practice
Response rules that improve trust
Reply within 24–48 hours where possible. Keep it respectful. Offer a clear next step. If the issue is real, fix it. If it’s unfair, respond calmly and invite offline resolution.
Best practice
Don’t chase “perfect ratings”
Customers trust real businesses, not perfect ones. Consistency beats perfection. A strong reputation is built by outcomes and accountability — not pretending you never make mistakes.
Best practice
Use CTN to tighten operations
If you see the same complaint repeatedly, it’s not “bad customers” — it’s a process problem. Fix the process and the trust tier follows.
Support
A neutral system that helps both sides.
CTN doesn’t “take a side.” We record what happens, based on evidence and consistent patterns — and that creates pressure for better behavior.
For Customers
Clarity before and after you buy
Before you commit, CTN helps you see verification status and trust tier. If something goes wrong, CTN provides structure for documenting concerns and understanding escalation paths.
For Businesses
Control the narrative by improving reality
Verified businesses get a structured way to monitor reputation, respond consistently, and demonstrate accountability to the public.
For the Market
Higher standards over time
CTN makes it harder for low-effort operators to hide. Businesses that communicate and resolve issues earn trust. Those that don’t are clearly marked.
Is CTN a government agency?
No. CTN is independent. We provide a public trust layer and directory to help Canadians make better decisions — but we are not a regulator or legal authority.
Can businesses pay to “hide” problems or remove reviews?
No. CTN does not sell pay-to-remove outcomes. Trust improves through operational improvement, responsiveness, and consistent behavior.
What does verification actually mean?
Verification means the business has completed CTN identity checks and provided enough credible signals that they are real, reachable, and accountable.
Verification can be revoked if identity or behavior changes.
What if a business refuses to verify?
They may remain listed based on public information, but they will not receive verified status or the benefits of verification. Customers can interpret non-verified status as “unconfirmed.”
Does CTN guarantee refunds or outcomes?
No. CTN is not a court. We provide structure, documentation guidance, and a public record of behavior and status. Outcomes depend on the business, payment method, and legal context.
If you're serious about trust, prove it.
CTN verification won’t magically fix a broken business. But if you already care about how you operate, it gives you a clear way to show it — publicly.
Review pricing first
Support: info@consumertrust.ca