Editorial Policy - How We Write and Check Our Guides

1. Who is accountable

All editorial content is produced by the Vault Journal editorial team — the same team that buys, inspects and ships the stock. Responsibility for accuracy sits with the team, not with an outsourced content agency.

2. Where our facts come from

We separate two kinds of claims, and we source them differently:

• Product and sizing claims — measured and observed first-hand on the garments we hold. If we say a league runs slim, that comes from flat-measuring the stock.
• External claims (fixtures, squads, records, release dates, prices) — taken from primary sources where possible: competition organisers, league and club announcements, governing bodies, and the brands themselves. We prefer an official announcement over a report about an announcement.

When something is rumoured, developing or contested, we say so in plain language rather than presenting it as settled. We do not state a date, a score or a transfer as fact when it has not been confirmed.

3. Corrections

We would rather fix an article than quietly remove it. When we get something wrong:

• The article is updated, not deleted.
• Substantive corrections are noted inside the article so readers who saw the earlier version are not misled.
• Corrections are reviewed by the same team that wrote the piece.

To report an error, use the contact page. Please include the URL and the specific claim — that is the fastest way to get it fixed.

4. AI assistance — stated plainly

We use AI tools in our workflow, and we would rather tell you than have you guess:

• We may use AI for research triage, outlining, first-draft structuring, and language editing.
• We do not publish AI output unchecked. Drafts are reviewed by the editorial team, and product and sizing claims are verified against our own stock before publication.
• AI is not used to invent experience. We do not fabricate test results, first-hand accounts, quotes, authors or credentials.
• Where AI has materially shaped an article, the review still sits with a named team, and that team is accountable for the result.

5. Commercial relationships

• We sell jerseys, so we have an obvious commercial interest — we state that openly rather than pretending to be neutral.
• Guides that recommend products recommend what we actually stock, and are written to help you choose, including when the honest answer is "you do not need this".
• We do not accept payment to place a product into an editorial guide, and we do not publish paid reviews disguised as editorial.

6. Product terminology

Our stock is fan edition and replica merchandise. We do not describe it as authentic, official or licensed, and we do not imply an affiliation with any club, league or brand that we do not have. Where an article discusses an official product for comparison, that is clearly labelled as such.

7. Updates and review

Evergreen guides (sizing, care, gift guides) are reviewed when our stock or supplier base changes materially. Time-sensitive articles (match previews, seasonal guides) carry the date they were last updated, and we refresh or clearly mark them once the event has passed.