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Trust

A badge is only worth what it refuses to give away.

Every company on ETC is checked before its listing goes public. Here is exactly what we check, what each level means, and — just as importantly — what verification deliberately does not promise.

Quick answer

What does 'verified' mean on EuropeanTravelCompanies?

Verification confirms three things before a company's listing appears publicly: that the legal entity exists and is registered in its stated jurisdiction, that the operating licences and professional liability insurance required where it operates are valid and current, and that at least two client references confirm comparable work was delivered. There are three levels — Email verified, Verified Company and Premium Verified. Verification is rechecked annually and immediately on a substantiated complaint. It is not insurance, not a financial guarantee, and not a promise about taste or price.

Badge levels
3
Standard processing
~10 working days
Expedited
~2 working days
References contacted
2 (Premium: 3)
Re-check
Annual + on complaint
Can it be bought
No — only expedited

Last updated August 2026 · EuropeanTravelCompanies.com

The process

  1. 1

    Submit

    Company registration, operating licence, insurance certificate and two client references.

  2. 2

    Verify the entity

    We confirm the company exists in its stated jurisdiction and the name matches the listing.

  3. 3

    Verify the licence

    Checked against the issuing body, not accepted as a scan. Insurance must be current.

  4. 4

    Call the references

    Three questions: did it run as sold, what went wrong, and how was it handled.

  5. 5

    Publish and re-check

    The listing goes live with a badge level. Re-checked annually and on any substantiated complaint.

The three levels

Email verified
  • Domain control confirmed

Visible but ranked low and receives few leads. A starting point, not a credential.

Verified Company
  • Legal registration confirmed
  • Operating licence checked with the issuer
  • Current professional liability insurance
  • Two client references contacted

The standard level. Most companies on the platform sit here.

Premium Verified
  • Everything in Verified Company
  • A third client reference
  • Operational capacity review
  • Signed response-time commitment

Reserved for companies that have demonstrated consistent delivery at volume.

What verification promises

  • This company legally exists, in the jurisdiction it claims.
  • It holds the operating licences its country requires for what it sells, checked with the issuing body.
  • Its professional liability insurance is current.
  • Real clients confirm it delivered comparable work, and told us how it behaved when something went wrong.

What it does not

  • It is not a guarantee that you will like the hotel.
  • It is not a promise of the lowest available price.
  • It is not insurance and not financial protection against operator insolvency.
  • It does not mean nothing will go wrong. Ferries get cancelled everywhere. What we screened for is how it gets handled.

Why we say the narrow thing

It would be commercially easier to write “Trusted” or “Guaranteed” on a badge and let people infer whatever reassures them. We do not, because a badge that quietly implies more than it verifies is worse than no badge at all: it transfers risk to the traveller while collecting the credit.

The narrow claim also keeps us honest internally. If the badge only means “registered, licensed, insured, referenced”, then the only way to make it more meaningful is to check more things — not to write a bigger word.

Frequently asked questions

Can a company pay to be verified?
It can pay to have the same checks processed faster — roughly two working days instead of ten. It cannot pay to skip a check, and it cannot pay to pass one it failed. Subscription tier and verification outcome are decided by different people using different criteria, and that separation is the only thing that makes the badge worth anything.
What does verification actually guarantee?
Three narrow things: this company legally exists, it holds the licences and insurance its jurisdiction requires for what it sells, and it has delivered comparable work for clients we spoke to. That is the complete claim. It is not a guarantee of taste, not a promise of the lowest price, and not a financial guarantee against insolvency.
Is verification the same as insurance?
No, and it is important not to confuse them. Financial protection against operator failure comes from the package travel regulations in your own country and from your payment method’s chargeback rights. We confirm a company carries professional liability cover; we are not the underwriter of your trip.
How do reviews relate to verification?
They are separate mechanisms. Verification happens once, before listing. Reviews accumulate afterwards and only from confirmed working relationships, so a newly verified company with no reviews is not less legitimate — it is less proven, and the interface says exactly that rather than hiding it.
What happens if a verified company underperforms?
A substantiated complaint triggers an immediate re-check regardless of subscription tier. Expired insurance suspends a listing automatically. A pattern of unresolved complaints removes the badge, and misrepresenting licence status removes the account. Complaint outcomes also feed the ranking model, so consequences show up as lost lead volume long before they show up as a removed badge.
How long does verification take?
About ten working days for the standard process, or two with expedited processing. The slowest part is almost always reference calls, because we speak to a person rather than accepting a written testimonial.

Report a problem

Something wrong with a verified company?

Substantiated complaints trigger an immediate re-check, whatever the company pays us.