BouwGarant acts to stop unauthorised accreditation logo use

How did BouwGarant previously tackle online abuse of its name and logo?

"BouwGarant has operated an accreditation scheme since 2003. Since then, people wanting to get building work done have been looking out for our logo when choosing a contractor. So construction firms soon realised that showing our logo gave them an edge. Including some who weren't actually accredited by us. Abuse of the logo is a longstanding challenge."

Abuse typically reported by consumers

"Often, we get to hear about abuse when consumers check our website to see whether a builder really is accredited. They'll come across a firm using the BouwGarant logo , see the firm isn't listed on our website, and wonder what's going on. Whenever a case like that is brought to our attention, we immediately contact the builder. Sometimes the issue is sorted quickly, and sometimes it takes a while. But we're always on the case promptly."

From innocent mistakes to malicious scams

"Most people we chase up tell us they didn't realise they'd done anything wrong. A common explanation is that a friend or relative has designed the builder's website, and casually put a few suitable-looking logos on it. And I dare say that sort of thing does happen. What matters in cases like that is that our logo is promptly taken down. Sometimes, though, the firms abusing the logo are real cowboys. It's mainly through industry contacts that we hear about the ones like that. Fortunately, it's only a small minority. The biggest group of unauthorised users are former affiliates and would-be affiliates. They get enquiries from people who insist on using a BouwGarant-accredited builder, and they think, let's just use the logo anyway."

Results from SIDN BrandGuard

"We've discovered lots of new things since we started using SIDN BrandGuard. For example, we can now see that many of our affiliates have numerous websites. With BrandGuard, we can keep an eye on them all. For example, a builder will have a site at anytownconstruction.nl, another at yourtownconstruction.nl, and so on. And they'll use their logo on them all. Which is absolutely fine: there's no reason why a construction firm shouldn't use a bit of clever marketing to get the public's attention.

Manual review needed

"Initially, there's quite a lot of work to be done. You need to review each detection and weigh things up... get a feel for what you want to prioritise. I'd like to move towards a situation where we tackle a batch of detections a few times a year. This summer, we're going to start chasing up the detections. Then we'll get a better idea how much work enforcement is going to involve."