Source hierarchy
ConsumerWise prefers the most authoritative source that answers the point. A useful hierarchy is often: legislation and binding rules; judgments and formal decisions where relevant; regulator or government guidance; ombudsman or scheme rules; recognised industry codes; provider terms and policies; then reputable secondary commentary. The correct order can vary by question: a contract dispute may turn on the actual contract, while a statutory deadline turns on legislation.
Primary and official sources
Where a guide states a legal rule, regulator requirement, formal deadline or scheme criterion, ConsumerWise aims to support it with legislation or the responsible official body rather than a blog repeating the rule. Secondary sources can be excellent for explanation and practical context, but they should not quietly replace a readily available primary source on a material point.
Status matters
The site distinguishes between sources with different legal force. A statute, FCA rule, Ofcom General Condition, non-statutory code, ombudsman approach note, provider policy and internal script are not interchangeable. The guide should say what kind of source it is using when that difference changes the argument or available remedy.
Dates, versions and archived material
Rules and schemes change. ConsumerWise records reviewed dates and, where a regime changed materially, should state the operative date. Historical material can explain why an older document or account record contains different wording, but it should not be presented as the current rule without verification.
Internal documents and private evidence
Internal or confidential documents can reveal operational architecture: the steps a process expected, the records that may exist, or the disclosures that staff were instructed to make. That can generate useful consumer questions. It does not make an old internal document a current public authority.
When private material informs a guide, ConsumerWise should extract the general issue, verify the current legal/regulatory position independently and avoid publishing confidential wording unless there is a justified and lawful reason to do so.
Case law and decisions
A judgment is read in context. Headnotes, press summaries and isolated quotations can mislead if the facts or legal issue differ. Ombudsman decisions can be useful illustrations of reasoning but generally do not operate as binding precedent in the same way as appellate court judgments.
Provider terms and policies
A provider’s current terms can be crucial to a contractual or process issue, but they are evidence of the provider’s stated terms: not proof that every term is enforceable, was incorporated into every contract, or was followed in a particular case. Archived versions should be used where the dispute concerns an earlier date.
Quotations, attribution and copyright
ConsumerWise generally paraphrases sources and links readers to the original. Short quotation may be used where exact wording matters, but the site should not reproduce substantial copyrighted material merely for convenience. Official material remains subject to its publisher’s licence and attribution requirements.
When sources conflict
Conflicting sources should not be “resolved” by choosing the answer that sounds most consumer-friendly. The site should identify which source has legal priority, whether the materials address different questions or dates, and whether the conflict creates genuine uncertainty requiring cautious wording.
Official source directory
The Official sources directory gives starting points for legislation, regulators, ombudsmen and UK public-law material. Individual guides should still link the precise source used for the point being made.