How we check shop information

The standard behind Op Spot’s catalogue.

Op Spot brings shop information together from official sources, public listings, shop owners and the op-shopping community. We use those signals to check that a shop exists, when it opens and what kind of secondhand shop it is.

What a verified listing means

For Op Spot, a verified listing means the available evidence supports three practical facts:

the shop exists and appears to be operating;
it has usable opening hours on file; and
its purpose is clear enough to describe it accurately as a charity op shop, social-enterprise shop or another kind of secondhand store.

This does not necessarily mean someone from Op Spot has visited or phoned the shop. It means we have enough current evidence, from one or more of the sources below, to support those facts.

How we check

Depending on the shop, our evidence may include:

confirmation from the shop or the organisation that runs it;
an official shop, charity, hospice or organisation website;
an official social-media page with current trading information;
a current Google Business Profile or other map listing that meaningfully matches the shop’s name and location;
a recognised charity, company or store directory;
direct confirmation by email or phone;
a reviewed report from an Op Spot community member; or
Op Spot’s own evidence-led catalogue research.

A source can establish one fact without establishing all three. For example, a current map listing may support a shop’s location and hours, while its parent charity’s website establishes its purpose.

Recently checked catalogue counts

When a catalogue number says recently checked, it uses a narrower automated measure: the shop is listed as operational in Op Spot and is recorded as having passed through our Google information check within the last 90 days. That is a freshness signal, not a claim that Op Spot visited the shop or completed every verification method above.

We keep this wording separate from verified listing so a large catalogue count never promises more than its underlying evidence can support.

Corrections and ongoing moderation

Catalogue maintenance does not end after a check. Every shop page accepts reports about wrong hours, changed details, duplicate listings and closures. People can also suggest missing shops, and shop representatives can claim a listing and provide updates.

Reports and suggestions enter Op Spot’s review process. Where a change is material, we compare it with the best available source before updating the catalogue. Automated checks also help surface information that may have gone stale. Community photos, reviews and other contributions are covered by our reporting and moderation process under the Community Guidelines.

What our catalogue terms mean

Listed: Included in Op Spot’s public catalogue as an operational shop.
Recently checked: Listed as operational and recorded as having passed through Op Spot’s Google information check within the last 90 days.
Verified listing: Evidence supports the shop’s existence, usable hours and purpose, using one or more of the methods on this page.
Verified contact: Op Spot has confirmed that a person helps run a shop. This does not, by itself, verify every detail in the listing.
Op shop: A charity-side secondhand shop, including qualifying social enterprises that use retail for community benefit.
Secondhand shop: The broader category, including op shops and independently run resale, vintage and pre-loved stores.

Tell us when something has changed

The fastest way to correct a listing is the Report this listing link on its shop page. For anything else, contact support@opspot.me.