diff --git a/src/components/organisms/ComparisonTable/ComparisonTable.stories.tsx b/src/components/organisms/ComparisonTable/ComparisonTable.stories.tsx
index b78ba6b..9576c75 100644
--- a/src/components/organisms/ComparisonTable/ComparisonTable.stories.tsx
+++ b/src/components/organisms/ComparisonTable/ComparisonTable.stories.tsx
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ export const MixedVerified: Story = {
 
 // --- Missing Itemised Data ---------------------------------------------------
 
-/** One provider has no itemised breakdown — cells show "—" */
+/** One provider has no itemised breakdown — unverified cells show "Unknown" */
 export const MissingData: Story = {
   args: {
     packages: [pkgWollongong, pkgNoItemised, pkgMackay],
diff --git a/src/components/organisms/ComparisonTable/ComparisonTable.tsx b/src/components/organisms/ComparisonTable/ComparisonTable.tsx
index 658022d..bb629b0 100644
--- a/src/components/organisms/ComparisonTable/ComparisonTable.tsx
+++ b/src/components/organisms/ComparisonTable/ComparisonTable.tsx
@@ -226,11 +226,20 @@ function lookupValue(
   sectionHeading: string,
   itemName: string,
 ): ComparisonCellValue {
-  if (pkg.itemizedAvailable === false) return { type: 'unavailable' };
+  // For unverified providers, absence means "we don't know" — data is
+  // scraped/estimated. For verified providers, absence means the package
+  // explicitly doesn't include this item (→ "Not Included" in Optionals/
+  // Extras; em-dash in Essentials as a safety net — canonical-essentials
+  // rule says every verified package has all 9, so this path shouldn't
+  // fire in practice).
+  const missing: ComparisonCellValue = pkg.provider.verified
+    ? { type: 'unavailable' }
+    : { type: 'unknown' };
+  if (pkg.itemizedAvailable === false) return missing;
   const section = pkg.sections.find((s) => s.heading === sectionHeading);
-  if (!section) return { type: 'unavailable' };
+  if (!section) return missing;
   const item = section.items.find((i) => i.name === itemName);
-  if (!item) return { type: 'unavailable' };
+  if (!item) return missing;
   return item.value;
 }
 
@@ -493,13 +502,6 @@ export const ComparisonTable = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, ComparisonTableP
             ))}
           </Box>
         ))}
-
-        {packages.some((p) => p.itemizedAvailable === false) && mergedSections.length > 0 && (
-          <Typography variant="caption" color="text.secondary" sx={{ fontStyle: 'italic' }}>
-            * Some providers have not provided an itemised pricing breakdown. Their items are shown
-            as "—" above.
-          </Typography>
-        )}
       </Box>
     );
   },