The Inquiry is a small independent newsroom. We read court filings, agency records and contract data, then ask the organizations we write about to respond before we publish. Our work is supported by readers, not advertisers.
A note on our process. We report on consumer outcomes, billing practices, and disclosure — and we believe the organizations we write about deserve the chance to respond before publication. If your organization is referenced in our reporting, you will hear from us directly.
Organizations that hold customer records are asked how long they keep them and what happens when the period ends. A review of retention schedules finds the answer is often kept internally, and rarely stated in one place.
The awarded figure is the number that gets announced. A review of contract registers and amendment notices finds the cost of a service is often settled later, in increments, without a second round of competition.
Recruiting materials describe what a distributor might earn. A review of enrollment materials finds the cost of beginning is disclosed separately, across documents, and rarely as a single figure.
Rate structures, rollovers and the gap between what is advertised and what appears in the paperwork.
Billing practices, records handling and how firms answer questions about both.
Income claims, startup costs and distributor outcomes as they appear in public complaints.
Deaths in custody, staffing records and the handling of evidence in litigation.
Court dockets, agency filings and contract data — before we speak to anyone.
Every organization we write about gets a written summary and a response window.
Claims are described as allegations where that is what they are, and settlements as settlements.