How we rate koi dealers

FindKoi exists because the question hobbyists actually ask — "which dealers can I trust?" — is answered today in scattered forum threads, not anywhere a buyer can find. These are the rules we compile listings by.

Every fact has a source

Each listing is compiled from the dealer's own published website and public community discussion. Every factual claim — location, shipping policy, quarantine practice, which Japanese breeders they import from — is stored with the URL that supports it, and the sources are visible on every profile. If we couldn't verify something, the profile says "not stated" rather than guessing.

Reputation is quoted, never invented

Community reputation summaries come from real hobbyist venues — the koiphen forums, koi-bito, and Reddit's pond and koi communities — with each thread cited and dated. We summarize both praise and complaints neutrally. When there isn't enough discussion to summarize fairly, the profile shows "not yet rated" instead of a rating we can't back up.

Facts are not for sale

No dealer can pay to change what their listing says, remove a cited complaint, or alter their reputation summary. Paid placement, if we ever offer it, will be clearly labeled and will never touch the facts of any listing — including competitors'.

The verification ladder

• Unclaimed — Listed from public sources; not yet claimed by the business.
• Claimed — The business has claimed this listing and confirmed its details.
• Verified — Details verified by FindKoi through documentation and a direct interview.

Claiming is free and gets a dealer's corrections into the listing (with sources). Verification requires documentation and a direct interview. Claim your listing here.

Price data

Ranges on the price guide and variety pages are compiled from published US dealer prices and marked with the date compiled. They're sanity-check ranges for buyers, not quotes — individual fish vary enormously with size, grade, and bloodline.

Mistakes

If a listing is wrong, we want to know. Dealers can correct their own listing by claiming it; anyone else can reach us via the about page. Corrections that check out are applied with the listing's source list updated.