About us
About Research Investigation
We write the guides we wished existed the first time we hired a builder, rented a flat sight unseen, or bought something expensive from a shop we had never heard of.
What this site is for
Research Investigation is a free, independent library of consumer research guides. The idea is simple: most bad purchases are not caused by bad luck but by a check that nobody thought to make. A licence number that was never looked up. A review page that was never compared with a complaint database. A deposit paid by bank transfer instead of by card. Our articles walk through those checks one at a time, in plain language, so you can make them yourself.
We cover products, online shops, private sellers, tradespeople and contractors, landlords and rental listings, and the fine print that decides what happens when something goes wrong — warranties, returns, subscriptions and payment protection.
How we write
- Method over verdicts. We do not rank products or hand out stars. We explain how to research a decision so that the conclusion is yours.
- Official sources first. Where a government register, recall list or licensing board exists, we point you to it and explain what it does and does not show.
- No invented evidence. We do not claim to have tested products, we do not publish made-up statistics, and we do not quote experts who do not exist. If something is uncertain or varies by location, we say so.
- Written by the team. Articles are credited to “the Research Investigation team” because they are researched, written and edited collectively.
What we are not
We are not lawyers, financial advisers or a regulator, and nothing on this site is legal, financial or professional advice. We cannot investigate individual companies or disputes on your behalf. Consumer rules differ between countries and between US states, and they change; each article tells you where to confirm the current rules for your area.
How the site is funded
The site is supported by advertising served by Google AdSense. Advertisers do not choose, see or approve our articles, and an advert appearing next to a guide is not an endorsement. We do not accept payment for coverage. You can read more in our privacy policy.
Corrections
If you spot something out of date or wrong — a register that has moved, a rule that has changed — please tell us at hello@researchinvestigation.com. We review every correction and update the article and its “last updated” date when we make a change.
Research Investigation is operated by Marketing Apes LLC.