No, IT brands cannot buy a certification according to TCO Certified.
To be certified, a product must meet all criteria in TCO Certified, and compliance is independently verified by approved verification organizations. This includes product testing, factory audits, and review of documentation. Certification is only granted when all criteria are fulfilled.
IT brands pay a license fee when a product is approved, but this fee does not influence the outcome. It covers the administration of the certification system and ongoing verification and follow-up.
Compliance is also continuously monitored throughout the certificate’s validity period. If criteria are not met or non-conformities are not corrected within set timeframes, the certificate can be withdrawn.