SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING INTERNET CONSUMERS AND FOR CERTIFYING, IDENTIFYING, SEGREGATING AND LOCATING TRADITIONAL "BRICK AND MORTAR" MERCHANT BUSINESSES ON THE INTERNET
A system and related methods for providing verifiable certification regarding the identity and legitimacy of the web sites of brick-and-mortar merchants are disclosed herein. The systems and related methods disclosed utilize a certification network that implemets various computer and software implemented methods to help consumers, businesses and others to differentiate between the commercial internet web sites of traditional brick-and-mortar merchants and those web sites of less-trusted Internet-only enterprises. Merchants that meet a predetermined set of criteria representative of physical location, permanence, business practices and other indicia of overall consumer trustworthiness are certified by storing details of that certified merchant in a centralized merchant database in the certification network, granted a verifiable certification seal for display on their web site, and assigned a unique identifier. The predetermined set of criteria is measured by the completion of an on-site field survey at the merchant's traditio nal place of business, and upon the trusted third party's conclusion that the certification requirements have been met.