How are vendors vetted?

Here's how we vet vendors at garten:

1. Vendors apply 
2. garten performs ID verification. Identity verification is a process we use to keep our marketplace safe. It allows us, and you, to know vendors are who they say they are. Vendors are asked to take a picture of an identification document (driver's license, passport or ID card) and to take a selfie to match their face to the document. Their information is then cross-checked with various global databases.
3. Vendors list applicable licenses and verification information on their profile. garten suggests that you, the buyer, verifies this information before booking a provider. Not all types of vendors require licensing.  
4. Once Id verification is completed, vendors can then submit listings - garten screens each one before they are published.
5. Feedback is collected from buyers and publicly available on the garten Experience platform. Feedback is how we regulate our marketplace (vendors with good feedback are promoted, while vendors with poor feedback may be removed from our site) 

Here are a few best practices for you as the buyer before booking a provider:

1. Review the vendor's profile and ensure they seem qualified to your specifications. You can use the education, experience, biography and license information fields to do this.
2. Review any supporting documentation in the listing, for example, many vendors have reviews from previous clients, or have linked to video samples of their teaching or speaking style. 
3. Chat with the vendor before booking them. Many vendors are willing to do a pre-event call with you to assess fit and discuss customizations. (We don't recommend a pre-event call for things like massage or yoga classes, but this is useful for speakers).
4. You may ask the provider for a copy of their COI if required by your organization. 
5. Leave a review! Your thoughts will help others with their booking decisions in the future.