Neutral & un-buyable
No fee, affiliate deal or relationship can buy a higher ranking or a better score. Independence is locked into our ownership structure, not just our values.
Sourced before we show it
Every price, cost and impact score carries a source and a date. If we can’t source it, we don’t show it.
Private & yours
Minimal data, EU-hosted, never sold. We don’t track you across the web or auction your attention to advertisers.
HOW SURE ARE WE?
Three confidence levels. We always tell you which.
A label that means nothing is worse than none. So ours never stands alone — it states the confidence level, what was checked, when, and how, and every number is sourced.
Listed
A live price we found and dated. Useful, but unverified — and the badge says so plainly, with no false comfort.
Sourced
Price, specs and fees cross-checked against the retailer and primary sources, each field sourced and dated; the true-total is computed, not estimated.
Independently-Verified
Backed by passport, lab or independent data — the highest confidence, and the level our recommendations lean on.
INDEPENDENCE — OBSESSION #1
Built so the ranking can never be bought.
◆
Published methodology — the exact ranking logic is public — check our maths.
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Ranking-blind affiliates — commissions never change the order; every paid link is labelled.
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No ads, no data sales — a signed pledge — the revenue we will always refuse.
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Sourced & dated — every price, score and right carries proof and a timestamp.
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Price-history integrity — captured tamper-evident from day one — fake "sales" exposed.
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No dark patterns — no fake urgency, no pre-ticked boxes, no manipulation.
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Independent review — methodology open to audit; corrections logged in public.
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Steward-ownership — the company can’t be flipped to a buyer who would sell rankings.
COMMITMENTS & STANDARDS
GDPRBY DESIGN
Refusal PledgeSIGNED
Public MethodologyLIVE
Affiliate DisclosureALWAYS
Steward-OwnershipIN PROGRESS
Price-History LogFROM DAY 1
Accessibility (WCAG)TARGETED
Independent AuditPLANNED
YOUR DATA — YOURS
You own it. We never sell it — nothing else.
You own your data
Your searches and lists are yours. We hold no right to sell, share or auction them.
Never sold
Not to advertisers, not to data brokers, not to anyone — it is structurally against our charter.
No cross-web tracking
We don’t follow you around the internet or build an advertising profile of you.
Access, export & delete
See everything we hold, take it with you, or erase it — honoured on request.
Affiliate transparency
When a link earns us a commission it’s labelled, and it never affects the ranking.
Your GDPR rights
Access, rectification, erasure, portability and objection are supported by process, with a named contact.
The True-Cost dataset is built from public and licensed product data — never from tracking you. Any benchmarks we publish are aggregate-only and can’t be traced back to a person, and we never sell row-level data. Your searches stay yours.
RESPONSIBLE AI
AI explains. The ranking is published, not invented.
Cited, not invented
every AI "why" links to the sourced data behind it — no hallucinated claims.
Explains, never ranks
AI summarises; the ranking is the published, un-buyable methodology.
Human-checked
the methodology and edge cases are reviewed by a person, not left to a model.
Transparent
we say what’s automated and what isn’t — no pretending a bot is a panel of experts.
INDEPENDENCE ROADMAP — DATED & PUBLIC
Trust, on a timeline you can hold us to.
Sequenced so the things that protect your trust are in place before we ask for it — and deepened after.
Now
LIVE●Refusal pledge signed & published
●Ranking methodology v1 public
●Affiliate disclosure on every link
Launch
WK 1–2●GDPR-by-design baseline
●Price-history capture switched on
●Accessibility (WCAG) pass
Month 2–3
●Steward-ownership structure filed
●Public corrections log
●First independent methodology review
Month 4–6
●True-Cost data methodology published
●Community feedback loop
●Third-party data partnerships
Year 1+
●Independent audit of rankings
●Annual True Cost Report
●Mission-lock fully ratified
THE HONEST CHARTER — LOCKED, NOT ASSERTED
Promises written into the company — not just the marketing.
An un-buyable ranking is our only un-copyable moat — so it's locked into the company's structure (steward-ownership / golden-share) where it survives funding rounds, acquisitions and price wars. Published, versioned and binding.
DATA & PRIVACY TERMS — THE CLAUSES BEHIND THE PROMISES
The promises, in clause form — ready for counsel.
⚠ NOT LEGAL ADVICE · A structured drafting template encoding TrueTotal's privacy decisions into clause form. Have qualified EU counsel review, complete the [bracketed] values, and adapt it before use.
1
Definitions
Capitalised terms used across these Terms and the Privacy Policy carry these meanings.
1.1“User Data” — data you give us or generate by using TrueTotal: your account details, saved lists, searches and preferences.
1.2“Search Data” — the queries and comparisons you run; used to show results and, in anonymised form only, to improve them.
1.3“True-Cost Dataset” — our catalogue of prices, fees, running costs, impact and resale data, built from public and licensed sources — never from you.
1.4“Affiliate Link” — an outbound link that may earn TrueTotal a commission; always labelled, and ranking-blind (Clause 7).
1.5“Aggregated Data” — statistics derived from many users that are irreversibly anonymised under Clause 6.
1.6“Personal Data”, “Controller”, “Processor”, “Processing” — as defined in the GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).
2
Your Data Is Yours
Ownership does not transfer to TrueTotal. You own your User Data; we hold only the limited licence in Clause 3.
2.1You retain all right, title and interest in your User Data, including your searches and saved lists.
2.2Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of your User Data to TrueTotal.
2.3TrueTotal owns the platform, the ranking methodology and the True-Cost Dataset — excluding any Personal Data within them.
3
What We Collect & Why
We collect the minimum needed to give you an honest answer — and nothing for advertising.
3.1(a) Account data (e.g. email) to run your account; (b) Search & list data to show and save your results; (c) anonymous usage data to improve the product.
3.2We do not collect data to build an advertising profile, and we run no third-party ad trackers.
3.3Processing is purpose-limited: we use your data only to provide TrueTotal and to meet our own legal obligations.
4
We Never Sell Your Data
The core promise, in plain words.
4.1We never sell your Personal Data — not to advertisers, not to data brokers, not to anyone, in any form.
4.2We never sell access to your individual searches, lists or behaviour.
4.3This is mission-locked under the Honest Charter and cannot be quietly changed by a future owner.
5
No Cross-Web Tracking
We don’t follow you around the internet.
5.1TrueTotal does not place advertising trackers or build a profile of your browsing across other sites.
5.2Affiliate Links use only the disclosure and attribution needed to credit a referral — never to surveil you.
5.3You can use core comparison features without an account, and without being individually tracked.
6
The True-Cost Dataset — Aggregation
How we publish benchmarks without ever exposing a user.
6.1The Dataset is built from public and licensed product data and from Aggregated Data — k-anonymised with k ≥ [20], small cells suppressed.
6.2No row-level, user-level or re-identifiable data is included, displayed or sold.
6.3Aggregation is irreversible; outputs are not Personal Data and cannot be traced back to a user.
6.4Any benchmark we publish reflects products and prices — never an individual’s searches.
7
Affiliate Disclosure & Ranking Independence
The clause that proves our money never bends the ranking.
7.1Some outbound links are Affiliate Links and may earn TrueTotal a commission; each is clearly labelled.
7.2Commissions have zero effect on the ranking, the score, or the order results appear in.
7.3Placement, ranking and scores cannot be bought by any merchant or partner — ever (Honest Charter).
8
Roles Under the GDPR
Who is responsible for what.
8.1TrueTotal is the Controller of your account, search and usage data, and of the True-Cost Dataset.
8.2Where we use service providers (e.g. hosting, email) they act as Processors under Article 28 agreements on our documented instructions.
8.3You warrant you have the right to any data you submit (e.g. items you add to a list).
9
Security Measures (Art. 32)
Technical and organisational measures, summarised here.
9.1Encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256); least-privilege access with MFA; EU/EEA hosting by default.
9.2Tamper-evident logging; regular third-party testing; a vulnerability-disclosure contact.
9.3Tested backup and recovery; accessibility (WCAG) and privacy-by-design as standing commitments.
10
Your GDPR Rights
Exercise any of these and we’ll honour it.
10.1Access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability and objection — supported by process, within [30] days.
10.2Export your saved lists and account data in an open, portable format at any time.
10.3A named contact (privacy@truetotalcalculator.com) handles requests and complaints.
11
Retention & Deletion
We keep data only as long as needed.
11.1A published retention schedule governs each data category; anonymous usage data is retained no longer than necessary.
11.2On account closure, your Personal Data is deleted within [30] days, except where legal retention applies.
11.3A confirmation of deletion is provided on request.
12
AI Explanations & Human Oversight
AI assists; it never invents and never ranks.
12.1AI summaries (“why this ranks here”) are generated only from sourced, dated data — no fabricated claims.
12.2The ranking itself is the published, un-buyable methodology — not an opaque model output.
12.3The methodology and edge cases are reviewed by a person; AI processing is logged with provenance.
13
Guidance, Not Advice — Liability
The clause that keeps the relationship honest and bounded.
13.1TrueTotal provides illustrative guidance to help you decide — not financial, legal or purchase advice.
13.2You are responsible for confirming live prices, fees and your consumer rights with the retailer and official sources before buying.
13.3To the extent permitted by law, TrueTotal is not liable for purchase decisions; nothing here limits rights that cannot be excluded under law.
14
Cookies & Analytics
Minimal, and never for advertising.
14.1We use only the cookies needed to run the site and, with consent, privacy-respecting analytics — no advertising cookies.
14.2You can use TrueTotal with non-essential cookies declined; core comparison still works.
15
We Are an Introducer — Not the Seller
The most important clause for limiting your liability: TrueTotal never sells the product.
15.1TrueTotal is an independent information and comparison service. We do not sell, supply, import, manufacture or stock any product, holiday, property, vehicle or service listed.
15.2Every purchase is a contract solely between you and the third-party retailer, operator, broker or seller. TrueTotal is not a party to that contract.
15.3All consumer-law obligations — quality, fitness, refunds, cancellations, delivery, warranties, ATOL/package-travel and after-sales — rest with that seller, not with TrueTotal.
16
No Liability for Third-Party Sellers
We point you to sellers; we don’t stand behind them.
16.1We are not responsible for the acts, omissions, solvency, conduct or performance of any third-party seller you reach through TrueTotal.
16.2We do not guarantee that any listing is in stock, available, or that the price, terms or specification shown are current at the moment of purchase — you must confirm these with the seller.
16.3Any dispute, claim, refund or complaint about a product or service is between you and the seller; we will, where we can, signpost the seller’s process and the relevant ombudsman.
17
Illustrative Data — No Warranty of Accuracy
Honest about what our numbers are, and are not.
17.1Prices, scores, true-total estimates, specifications, reviews and “before you book” signals are indicative, drawn from sources believed reliable and dated where shown — they are not a quote, valuation or guarantee.
17.2Sample data shown before live feeds are connected is clearly illustrative and must not be relied upon as a real offer.
17.3To the fullest extent permitted by law, TrueTotal gives no warranty that any figure is complete, current or error-free, and accepts no liability for decisions made in reliance on it.
18
Limitation of Liability & Indemnity
Caps our exposure to the maximum the law allows — without touching your non-excludable rights.
18.1Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything that cannot lawfully be excluded.
18.2Subject to 18.1, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, TrueTotal excludes all liability for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, data or opportunity, and our total aggregate liability to you is limited to [€100] or the commission we actually earned on your referral, whichever is greater.
18.3The service is provided “as is” and “as available”; you use it on that basis.
18.4You agree to indemnify TrueTotal against claims arising from your misuse of the service or your breach of these Terms, to the extent permitted by law.
Questions about how we rank? Ask us.
We answer questions about our methodology, our independence and your data directly — and we publish corrections in the open.
hello@truetotalcalculator.com
privacy@truetotalcalculator.com
TRUETOTAL
TRUST CENTER · SOURCED BEFORE WE SHOW IT · RANKINGS ARE NEVER FOR SALE · YOUR DATA IS NEVER SOLD