Certification Services Terms

These Certification Services Terms (“Terms”) apply to services supplied by TFG Certification Pty Ltd, ABN 16 695 393 429, trading as Trusted Firms Global (“Trusted Firms”, “we”) to a firm (“the Firm”, “you”). Individual credentials are issued to advisers of the Firm at its request, and only while the Firm holds a current Trusted Firms certification at any tier; the Firm is responsible for its advisers’ compliance with the Credential and Mark Use Terms. If an adviser leaves the Firm, the adviser’s credential stays on the register until it expires, as the record of their clients’ feedback at the Firm; it may not be displayed at the adviser’s new firm, where a new credential may be issued if that firm holds a current Trusted Firms certification. If the Firm’s certification ends, its advisers’ credentials remain on the register until they expire, but no adviser credential is issued or renewed until the Firm again holds a current Trusted Firms certification.

The agreement consists of, in descending order of precedence: (a) the Engagement Letter; (b) these Terms; (c) the Credential and Mark Use Terms; (d) the Trusted Firms Privacy Policy. Where certification is a component of a Client Culture engagement, the Client Culture Client Services Terms govern the measurement services and these Terms govern the certification.

Measurement partner. Client feedback is collected and held by Client Culture Pty Ltd, our measurement partner and a related entity under common ownership. Trusted Firms assesses results against the published standards; it does not collect responses itself. The Firm authorises Client Culture to provide Trusted Firms with the results, response counts and consented comments needed to assess, issue and display credentials.

Standards. Certification is assessed against the standards published at trustedfirms.global/standards on the assessment date, which set for each tier the survey basis, minimum response rate, minimum number of responses, minimum score and, for the highest tier, the process standards.

Survey basis. The population surveyed for a credential is the Firm’s complete invoiced client population for the assessment period, as supplied by the Firm to Client Culture. The response rate is the share of surveys sent that received a response. A credential is not assessed on a sample chosen by the Firm.

Assessment period and validity. Credentials are assessed on the twelve months to the assessment date and are valid for twelve months from issue. Renewal is a fresh assessment on the then-current standards.

Outcome. If the standards are met, we issue the credential, its verification page and its marks. If they are not met, we tell the Firm which standard was not met and by how much; no credential is issued and no public statement is made. Certification outcomes are determined solely by the measured results and the process standards; fees have no bearing on them.

Changes to standards. We may change the standards with at least 90 days’ notice on the Site. A change applies to assessments after the notice period; it does not withdraw a credential already issued.

For each credential we publish a verification page recording the Holder, tier, identifier, issue and expiry dates. A firm record also records the assessment on which it was issued: the response count, the assessment window, that the standard was met and the evidence basis of the client list; at the Verified and Gold tiers the evidence basis names the source of the client list and the record also shows the average client score. Adviser records show that the Trusted Adviser standard was met. They do not show response counts, response rates or scores. Where the Firm subscribes to adviser reviews pages, those pages show the adviser’s reviews and, at Verified and Gold firms, the adviser’s all-time score and review count. Where the Firm has engaged the reviews service, its reviews pages also show current all-time figures and consented client reviews. Schedule 1 sets out what is published for each credential.

Accuracy. The assessment recorded on a verification page is computed from the verified response record held by Client Culture at the assessment date and does not change while the credential is current. Current figures on reviews pages are computed from the same record, never from a separately maintained copy, and are refreshed on the schedule stated on the page. Every figure carries its count and window. An error is corrected in place with the correction visible. The Firm may notify us of a suspected error at any time and we respond within five business days.

Reviews are published only with the author’s consent, obtained through the Client Culture consent workflow, exactly as written and at the attribution level consented to. Withdrawal of consent removes the review on next load.

On expiry, withdrawal or termination, the verification page shows the credential as expired or withdrawn, with the date; reviews pages are taken down; served marks and widgets stop rendering. A suspended credential is shown as suspended, with the date.

Where the Engagement Letter includes them, we supply reviews pages for the Firm and named advisers, and widgets and served marks for the Firm’s licensed domains.

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Licensed domains. Widgets and served marks render only on hostnames the Firm has nominated and we have licensed. The Firm may add or remove hostnames on notice.

The Firm supplies, through Client Culture, an accurate and complete client list for the survey basis, and warrants the accuracy of the adviser and firm details shown on verification pages.

The Firm and its advisers comply with the Credential and Mark Use Terms, including the integrity obligations, and ensure staff and agencies acting for them do the same.

The Firm tells us promptly of any change that affects a credential: a merger or change of name, an adviser leaving, a regulatory finding or a complaint about the accuracy of published material.

We may suspend or withdraw a credential in the circumstances set out in the Credential and Mark Use Terms, and where a re-assessment shows the standard is no longer met following a change under 5.3. Before withdrawal we give the Firm the reasons and seven days to respond, except where immediate action is needed to prevent public misrepresentation.

A Firm may request reconsideration of a decision in writing within 30 days of being notified of it. Reconsideration is free of charge, is conducted by a person not involved in the original decision, and is answered in writing within 10 business days. If the Firm remains dissatisfied, it may request independent review. The review is conducted by an independent reviewer drawn from the ACICA panel of arbitrators and acceptable to both the Firm and Trusted Firms Global. Where agreement on the reviewer cannot be reached within 10 business days, the parties agree that ACICA will appoint the reviewer as a Third Party Neutral under the ACICA Ad Hoc Appointment Rules. The Firm pays all costs of the review, including any fee payable to ACICA and the reviewer’s fees and expenses. For a request for independent review made before 24 October 2026, Trusted Firms Global bears the reviewer’s costs. The reviewer’s decision is final. The published standards are not open to review; their application is.

Withdrawal is recorded on the verification page. Fees are not refunded on withdrawal for cause.

Fees are as stated in the Engagement Letter, exclusive of GST, invoiced annually in advance unless stated otherwise, payable within 30 days, and increase on each anniversary by the percentage stated or, if none, 3.5%. Where certification is a component of a Client Culture engagement, fees may be invoiced by Client Culture on our behalf until the Engagement Letter provides otherwise.

The agreement continues until terminated. Either party may terminate on three months’ written notice after any minimum term; either may terminate immediately for material breach not remedied within 30 days, or insolvency.

On termination, current credentials remain valid to their expiry unless withdrawn for cause, but are not renewed; reviews pages, widgets and served marks cease at the end of the notice period; the Firm removes static marks within 14 days.

Trusted Firms holds only what publication requires: the Firm’s and advisers’ names and details, results and counts, and consented reviews with their consent records. Client contact details and unconsented responses remain with Client Culture and are not transferred to Trusted Firms.

We handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), our Privacy Policy and, where they apply, the UK GDPR or the GDPR. Reviewers may contact us directly to withdraw consent.

We own the Trusted Firms name and marks, the standards and methodology, the verification pages and their design. The Firm receives a licence to display its marks and quote its results under the Credential and Mark Use Terms for the life of the credential. Reviews remain the words of their authors.

Nothing in these terms excludes any right or guarantee under consumer protection law that cannot be excluded, including the Australian Consumer Law and, where they apply, the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 or the consumer law of the relevant EU member state. Where the law permits, our liability for breach of a guarantee is limited to supplying the services again or paying the cost of having them supplied again.

Subject to 10.1, each party’s total liability under the agreement is limited to the fees paid in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, and neither party is liable for indirect or consequential loss. These limits do not apply to breach of confidentiality, wilful misconduct, or the Firm’s obligation to pay fees.

A credential records measured client feedback against published standards on a date. It is not a warranty of the Firm’s services, and we are not liable to the Firm or to any third party for reliance on it as such.

Force majeure, assignment, notices, entire agreement, severability and relationship as in the Client Culture Client Services Terms, clause 13, which apply to this agreement as if Trusted Firms were the supplier named there.

We may update these Terms with 30 days’ notice by email and publication at trustedfirms.global/terms. A change does not shorten a current credential or increase fees during a minimum term without agreement.

Unless the Engagement Letter specifies another governing law and jurisdiction, the agreement is governed by the law of Victoria, Australia, and the parties submit to the courts of Victoria.