Our scoring is based on publicly verifiable facts, applied with honest editorial judgment. No algorithm. No black box. Just research and transparency.
The Karma Score is the average of five equally weighted categories, each scored from 0 to 100. A score of 100 represents a hypothetical ideal — no company scores perfectly. A score below 25 indicates significant documented harm.
The Transparency Score measures how easy it is to trace a company's money trail — its political spending, ownership structure, and true financial relationships. Higher is better. A score of 100 means the company is fully transparent. A score of 0 means it is almost impossible to follow where the money goes.
These scores are not produced by an algorithm. They are editorial assessments — human judgment applied to publicly verifiable facts. We document our reasoning in the "What They Actually Do" section of each company's profile so you can agree, disagree, or do your own research.
We try to be fair. A company with a genuinely great environmental record gets credit for it even if we disagree with other practices. A company that has made real improvements gets credit for that trajectory. Scores reflect conditions at the time of last review — not permanent verdicts.
We are not anti-business. We are pro-accountability. The goal is to help you make informed decisions with your money, not to tell you what to buy.
When scoring retailers — especially in cycling and outdoor — we consider the full community impact of a business model, not just whether the product is good or the price is low.
A local bike shop employs a mechanic who knows your name, sponsors the Thursday night ride, donates to the trail crew, and keeps money circulating in your town. An online retailer that undercuts that shop on price by 15% may save one buyer $80 while destroying thousands of dollars of economic activity, community knowledge, and social infrastructure.
We net this out in Community and Ethics scores. A cheaper price that eliminates local jobs and expertise is not a neutral transaction — it has a cost that doesn't appear on the receipt. We try to make that cost visible.
Every material claim in a company profile is based on at least one of the following public sources. We do not use anonymous tips or unverified allegations.
We welcome corrections. If you believe a score is wrong, a fact is outdated, or we've missed something important, please reach out. We will review and update scores when presented with credible, sourced information.
We will not change scores in response to pressure from companies, PR firms, or anyone with a financial interest in the outcome. Corrections require documented public sources, not assertions.
corrections@oneloveoutdoors.org