Within this guide, we aim to outline what a manual order validation means, why such is necessary and how this can be resolved.
All orders placed with us directly are subject to both automatic and manual order validation procedures to ensure all details provided to us are accurate and correct. If you have any concerns during any of this procedure, please do contact us regarding such and we'll do our best to assist you where-ever we can.
When do we conduct these validation procedures?
• All automatic procedures are completed as the order is placed, this is usually before payment is taken (excluding those using Stripe as the payment gateway; for those that use this gateway and notice any charges despite the order being flagged - this has been refunded automatically). All orders are manually validated within 24 hours, these usually do not impact already active services but we may still request information from yourself following these checks, these are enforced by suspensions if necessary.
Why do we conduct these validation procedures?
• We conduct these strict validation procedures for various reasons, however primary reasons include: to ensure compliance with legal obligations (as per Data Protection regulations within the United Kingdom; an adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation - we must ensure all data held by us as an organisation is up to date and accurate), to enforce policies such as Terms of Service/Privacy Policy and for referral to law enforcement agencies if absolutely necessary.
How do we conduct these validation procedures?
• We rely on a third-party (MaxMind) for all automatic procedures, these checks are completed seamlessly as you place your order; this and other factors determines whether one of our compliance team will need to review your order. If such is referred to our teams, you will be prevented from paying for your service until the validation procedure has been completed (excluding Stripe, see above for explanation). Our teams will review the provided information and consult with public information available, experience and members of our team to decide how to handle these circumstances. We may request additional information.
What additional information may we request during this procedure?
• We usually require one of two sets of information to validate your order, either proof of address or proof of identity; in certain circumstances we may request both. In the case of proof of address, we may accept various forms of evidence which includes but not limited to: a bank statement, utility bill, council tax bill or even some forms of identification. All evidence must be issued within the last three months (excluding identification) to ensure accuracy; non-necessary information may be redacted from such. In the case of proof of identity, this will vary depending upon country of residence but we will usually require some form of government-issued identification.
How should I respond to these validation procedures?
• When an order is marked for validation, we will usually open a ticket once the review has been complete by our team; this usually happens within 24 hours of the order being placed. If we request additional information, please provide such via the ticket directly; do not reply to the email. We may ask for clarification rather than additional information for certain provided details, please again use the ticket to respond to this. We'd advise that if you have not heard from us within 24 hours about a order validation issue; please open a ticket for us to investigate. Any concerns, please use either the opened ticket or open a ticket if such does not already exist.
