Claim verification policy
This policy explains how Local Hong Kong decides that the person claiming a listing really represents that business. Verification protects owners from impersonation and protects readers from information edited by a stranger.
1. Purpose and principles
Our aim is to reasonably confirm a connection between you and the business, not to rule on who owns it. Verification on Local Hong Kong is not a legal certificate of ownership, a licence or a government registration, and it gives no rights beyond those described in section 6. Ownership disputes are for the parties and, where needed, the courts.
2. Who may claim
- The owner: the sole proprietor, a partner of a partnership, or a director of a limited company;
- A manager or staff member authorised by the business to act for it;
- An agency or consultant holding a written authorisation from the business (see section 8).
You are responsible for everything you send us being accurate, complete and not misleading. We may ask for documents before deciding.
3. How we verify
3.1 Quick checks (most claims)
- Business e-mail. A claim sent from an address at the business’s own domain (for example [email protected]) is the strongest simple signal.
- Phone or WhatsApp. We may call or message the number shown on the listing and ask for you, or send a code to that number.
- Public trace. Your name or role appears in the Companies Registry’s records (cr.gov.hk), on the business’s website, Google Business Profile or social media pages, or in a public register of the licensing authority for the trade.
3.2 Documents (when quick checks are not enough)
| Business exists | The Business Registration Certificate (商業登記證) issued under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) by the Inland Revenue Department (ird.gov.hk), showing the business name, BR number and business address; for a limited company, also the Certificate of Incorporation or Certificate of Registration of a non-Hong Kong company, showing the Companies Registry (CR) number. |
|---|---|
| Business operates at this address | A tenancy agreement for the premises, a recent electricity, water or telephone bill, or a demand note for rates and government rent at the business address, or a dated photo of the shopfront or the building directory showing the business name. |
| You belong to it | Your name on the Business Registration record (sole proprietor or partner) or on the company’s latest annual return or notice of change of directors, a letter of authorisation on the business’s letterhead, or an e-mail from the business domain. |
| Regulated activities | The registration or licence for the trade, matched to the name and address on the listing: registration with the Medical Council of Hong Kong (doctors), the Dental Council of Hong Kong (dentists) or the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (registered or listed Chinese medicine practitioners); registration with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (pharmacies); an Estate Agents Authority licence (numbers beginning E-, S- or C-); a Travel Industry Authority licence (travel agents); a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department restaurant licence; an Office of the Licensing Authority hotel or guesthouse licence; a Money Service Operator licence issued by the Customs and Excise Department; a money lender’s licence; Education Bureau school registration (schools and tutoring centres); a Social Welfare Department licence for residential care homes; or a Labour Department employment agency licence. |
3.3 What we look for
- Consistency: the name, BR or CR number and address on the documents match the listing and the shopfront;
- Validity: the Business Registration Certificate and any licence are current, not expired; bills ideally from the last 3 months;
- Authenticity: clear photos or scans; no cropping of chops, signatures or dates; no retouching;
- Connection: a clear link between you and the business on the documents or the e-mail domain.
Send only what we ask for and blank out anything we do not need. We never ask for a copy of your Hong Kong Identity Card, your passport or your bank account details; please blank them out if they appear on a document. We delete document copies within 30 days of the decision.
4. The review process
- Received. Your claim is logged and queued. You get an acknowledgement by e-mail.
- Risk assessment. Claims with strong signals (business domain, matching public records) are approved quickly, usually within 2 working days. Weaker claims go to step 3.
- Additional verification. We e-mail you for documents or a call. Please answer within 14 days or the claim lapses; you can claim again later.
- Decision. We e-mail the outcome. Approval switches on the ✓ Verified badge, editing rights and the direct website link.
We aim to decide every claim within 7 working days. Complex or contested cases may take longer; we will tell you.
5. Competing claims and disputes
If two people claim the same listing, or a verified listing is claimed by someone else, we may pause editing rights until the matter is clear. Our role is limited to checking who meets this policy; we do not decide legal ownership. Evidence must be unambiguous, genuine and carry the authority it claims to carry. Unresolved disputes are for the parties to settle between themselves or through the Hong Kong courts, after which we will follow a court order or a joint written instruction.
6. What verification gives you
- Editing of the name, address, phone, website, opening hours, categories and description;
- Choice of photos, within our content rules;
- The ✓ Verified badge and a direct (do-follow) link to your website;
- Replies to messages we forward about the listing.
Verification does not change your ranking. Access can be limited or removed under section 7 or under the terms of use.
7. Suspension and revocation
We suspend or permanently revoke verification when we find:
- False verification: forged, altered or borrowed documents, or any material deception;
- Impersonation: claiming a business you do not represent, or overstating your role;
- Name manipulation: stuffing the business name with keywords, phone numbers, prices or slogans;
- Misleading descriptions: claims about the business, its qualifications or its prices that are false or misleading;
- Rating manipulation: buying, pressuring or trading reviews, on this site or on Google Maps;
- System abuse: automated edits, repeated re-claims to evade a decision, or reporting genuine content to hide honest criticism.
Our decisions apply to the use of the site only and do not prevent either side from seeking legal remedies. A business whose verification was revoked for fraud may be excluded from claiming for 12 months.
8. Agencies and representatives
Agencies and consultants may claim on behalf of a client with a written authorisation naming the business, the agency and the scope. We may confirm the authorisation directly with the business through its listed phone number or domain. The business remains responsible for everything its representative does; misconduct by a representative can lead to action against the listing.
9. Changes of ownership
When a business changes hands, the new owner claims the listing as usual and should mention the change. We will contact the previous verified account before transferring rights.
10. Personal data
We use the personal data in a claim and its documents only to verify the claim and manage the listing, as described in the privacy policy, in line with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486).
11. Contact
For questions about a claim, email us. Please quote the listing URL. Last updated 14 October 2026.