How we handle complaints

Define the sample

Separate merchant and buyer reports, products, countries, source platforms and periods. Record the original URL, claim, response, outcome and inclusion rule. Deduplicate the same case posted in more than one place.

A count is not a rate

Without a matching denominator and a comparable collection method, public reports cannot establish the fraction of dissatisfied merchants. A lack of observed complaints is not evidence of a lack of problems.

This release

A systematic quantitative complaint sample has not been completed. We publish dated company/regulatory disclosures where researched and leave complaint rates unknown. Outcomes are attributed to the author, company or regulator as appropriate.