Verification Score Methodology
A structured scoring model measuring the accuracy of product claims against independently validated evidence.
Gating Requirements
- •Minimum 3 independent validation signals required. We do not score products based on a single review or manufacturer-provided data alone.
- •No score issued if evidence payload incomplete. If we cannot verify core specifications, the product receives no score ("Insufficient Forensic Depth").
- •Conditional claims handled separately. Claims that only apply under specific, unrealistic ideal conditions are flagged.
- •Integer-only scoring. No fractional drama. Scores are whole numbers representing technical reality.
A 100% Verification Score means no claim inflation was detected. It does not imply the product is superior in price, ecosystem, or use-case fit.
Scoring Principles
Rewards
Verified claims directly increase the base score. When independent reality aligns with manufacturer marketing, the product gains trust.
Deductions
Unsupported claims reduce the score. If a manufacturer makes a claim that real-world usage cannot verify, it negatively impacts their baseline.
Penalties
Overstated claims are heavily penalized. Marketing physics-defying wattage or intentionally obscuring usable battery capacity triggers severe score reductions.
Confidence Weights
Missing or conflicting data across multiple sources reduces the overall confidence multiplier of the final score.
Deterministic Pipeline
No Manual Overrides
The system calculates the score based purely on the evidence inputs. Editors cannot tweak the final integer to match subject preferences.
No Editorial Adjustments
Scores are not curved or adjusted to ensure brand variety. If every product in a category inflates their specs, they will all score poorly.
No Paid Influence
We do not accept payment to change verdicts, expedite audits, or alter the weights of the scoring algorithm for any manufacturer.
Philosophy
Why We Avoid "Top 10" Rankings
We do not publish "Best Solar Generator" or "Top 10" lists.
Many products score high on the Verification Score simply because they do not inflate their technical specifications. A high score means the product is exactly what the manufacturer claims it is—it does not mean it is the best value, or the most powerful in its class.
Price-to-value, ecosystem compatibility, and specific use-case fitness are completely separate dimensions from technical honesty. Traditional rankings distort these separate dimensions into a single list, leading to poor purchasing decisions.
Our role is to verify reality. It is your role to decide which reality fits your needs.