Content moderation guidelines

Litigious or safety comments 

When a consumer leaves a review that claims, without evidence, illegal or fraudulent behaviour, i.e. that a business or consumer is engaged in dangerous practices, is a liar, scam, or selling fake goods or services. This list is not definitive and could include where actual court action or litigation is referred to within the content. We would also remove comments where a transaction was not accepted because of a fraud check - in this instance, the merchant would need to provide evidence would need to be provided by the merchant.  

Reviews may also be removed where evidence of litigation or court action has been provided and can be validated. Please note, we do not accept crime reference numbers.

If the content contains dangerous information not related to the intended usage of the product or service, then we will reject it. For example, if a reviewer recommends modifying, customising, or adapting a product in a way that creates a safety concern, the review in question will be removed.

Swearing or inappropriate language  

Swearing of any kind is not permitted. The Feefo platform has built-in profanity filters that automatically star out certain words on all public-facing pages. We believe that swearing and sexually explicit content is unnecessary and inappropriate in review content. Depending on the severity and frequency of the swearing, we may hide content from public view.  

Any comments of a discriminatory nature will result in the removal of the content – this includes, but is not limited to, racism, homophobia, sexism, or xenophobia.  

Irrelevant content

Content will be removed if it is entirely unrelated to the transaction in question or about the wrong company or product. Content may also be removed if a customer has left a product review, even though the business in question only collects service reviews - and vice versa.   

We also consider whether the content is at least partly relevant to the specific product or service and whether it would make sense to readers of that section. For example, our review system displays portions of reviews in different places. Typically, our reviews consist of a section about the product or service and another section about the company.   

Comments such as 'see above' or 'see below' that refer to another section of the review would have no context to their true meaning and would likely be confusing for consumers to read.  

Inappropriate media content 

Where user-generated content, such as videos or images, contains nudity, or visible words or representations that fall into any of the other criteria for removal; or where minors are depicted that are not the main subject of the review content.  

Requested by the content owner 

We will remove the review in question if an author has specifically requested that their content be removed from public view, and direct evidence can be provided for the request.  

Personal information 

Where specific individuals are named, or any personally identifiable details left, including (but not limited to) phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers, order reference numbers, email, postal addresses, or bank details, these specific pieces of identifiable information will be removed by Feefo. However, it will not necessarily result in the content being removed entirely unless other criteria for immediate removal are met.  

Ultimately, we do not want reviews content to expose individuals' personal information and additional sensitive information to protect people's privacy from potential fraud. 

Spam, advertising or marketing

If the content is illegible, contains a series of random or unreadable characters, is spam, or contains URLs, it will be removed. This does not include reviews where no comments have been left at all. Reviewers are entitled to leave a star rating with no accompanying content. 

False content 

We do not want reviews content to create confusion about a key product or service feature that will reasonably cause most readers to form an incorrect overall opinion about the product or service, which will substantially influence their purchase decision. So, we will remove the review, where it can be proved on the balance of probabilities that the author has left factually incorrect content.  

To do this, we consider whether the content contains an untrue statement and whether it will create significant confusion for most readers about a critical feature of the product or service that is consistent and true ongoing (i.e. other consumers will experience in the same way). We consider any available evidence to determine whether the statement is, in fact, incorrect.  

Competitor or pricing comments 

We want the content to be helpful to other consumers wherever it is displayed and whenever it is read. Any comments intentionally trying to direct customers to a direct competitor website to leave a review will be removed. This is regardless of any potential price differences, as prices vary between companies, over time, and by country (for content displayed internationally).  

We believe that general observations about price (e.g. "cheap", "expensive") and price ranges (e.g. "around £300", "less than $1,000") can be helpful to consumers, and we therefore accept these. Unfortunately, we cannot accept reviews that mention specific product price information about a particular brand or company as prices can change over time and between different companies. 

Reviews left in the wrong section of the feedback form 

This includes a service review left in the product section and vice versa. Reviews of this kind will be removed, as incorrect information in each section can hamper our integrations. Where reviews are flagged for being in the incorrect section, this will prompt an audit of the account to ensure that all reviews conform to the same standard, and you may be requested to flag further reviews for removal. 

The product section of reviews for products that different companies might sell needs to be relevant for other consumers regardless of which company the reviewer bought the product from. As a result, this section will be aggregated with other reviews of the same product and displayed on other websites that sell the product. Comments about the purchasing experience and other company interactions should feature in the relevant part of the review, such as the company section.  

In product reviews, we consider whether the comments mention the name of the company or relate instead to aspects of the purchasing (or service) experience. Product reviews that reference the ordering, delivery, returns, or refunds process may be removed, as these aspects are only relevant in a service review. However, we accept comments about the manufacturer and the manufacturer's customer service (e.g. repairs, technical assistance, warranty) whether the product was purchased from the manufacturer or another company, as these will be relevant for consumers wherever the review is displayed.

Incorrect uploads 

Content relating to any incorrectly uploaded sales data will be removed, and advice will be given on correctly uploading again.  

Reviews not in the desired language 

In some cases, we will remove content that is not in the desired language of the client. Whether positive or negative, this removal will be pre-agreed with our client and apply to foreign language reviews. 

Item not received – product 

A consumer has not yet received their item but did leave an experience-based service review unless they are proven to have received the item in question prior to the review being left.

A score that does not match the comment 

We want content and scores to be helpful and transparent for consumers and companies and correctly reflect consumers' experiences—reviews where the star ratings left by the reviewer doesn't match the comments left in the review. For example, if a reviewer scores a merchant 1 out of 5 but leaves a wholly positive comment.  

Incentivised content 

We only collect content from genuine and verified purchasers and reviews that express unbiased opinions. This core value is fundamental for consumers and companies to trust our brand. Our customers are not allowed to offer financial incentives to write reviews of any kind, including but not limited to free samples, gift cards, discounts on future purchases, or anything of monetary value.  

We will remove a review if it is found to reference an incentive offered by the merchant.

Review content that we do not remove  

Breaching terms and conditions 

Content that references something that violates a merchant's terms and conditions (i.e. about shipping overseas when the merchant does not).  

Negative comments  

If a negative review isn't in violation of any of the criteria for removal, it will not be removed.  

Negative reviews and opinions 

Even if the merchant has satisfactorily resolved the issue in the original review, the negative sentiment or opinion expressed in the original review will not be removed unless specifically requested by the reviewer.  

Spelling errors 

Content that includes spelling or punctuation errors.  

'Unfair' reviews 

Content that represents the legitimate opinion of the consumer but is viewed as 'unfair' by the business, unless they meet other criteria for removal, will not be removed.  

 Cancelled orders 

Once a transaction has occurred, a consumer will be able to leave feedback based on their experience, even if the order has been cancelled. For example, if a consumer chooses to cancel their order due to the quality of a merchant's customer service. 

Competitor reviews  

If a competitor leaves a legitimate review after making a purchase, they are just as entitled to leave a review as any other customer.  

Not 'useful' 

When a merchant feels a published review isn't 'useful' or 'beneficial'.  

After a refund 

Where a merchant has subsequently refunded the consumer, who has completed their purchase and/or experienced service, they are entitled to leave a review based on their experience.  

No warning 

A consumer does not have to complain to the merchant before leaving a negative review.  

Item not received – service 

A consumer has not yet received their item but did leave an experience-based service review unless they are proven to have received the item in question.  