Reader reviews are the reviews readers send about a product or a brand through the site's form. Here is what happens to them, and what the law asks me to tell you.
Who can send a review, and for what
Anyone who has used the product. Nothing is given in exchange for a review: no discount, no gift, no prize draw. Brands do not pay for reviews and do not see them before publication. The site's partner brands, whose product links are paid and marked as such, get exactly the same treatment as the others.
Reading before publication
I read every review before it goes up. That reading covers four things only: spam, insults, hateful or discriminatory content, and off-topic text (something that is not about the product). A review is never removed or edited for its rating or for what it says about the product. A negative review is published like a positive one.
If a review is refused, its author gets an email naming which of those four reasons applies.
Publication delay
A review is published, or refused with its reason, within 30 days of receipt. Reviews are added by hand, hence the delay.
What is verified, and what is not
Purchase is not verified. A review appears without proof of purchase. When the author sends a proof of purchase or of use on their own (order confirmation, photo of the product at home), the review carries the "verified use" mark. Without that mark, treat the use as stated, not verified.
What is shown
The rating out of five, the text as sent, in its original language, the first name or pseudonym if the author agreed to see it published, otherwise "A reader", the country if given, the publication date and the month since which the author has used the product. The author's email is never published. If a review is edited after publication, the edit date is shown.
Sorting
Reviews are shown newest first, grouped by product on brand pages. There is no other sorting.
Average
An average appears only from three reviews on the same product. Below that, only the number of reviews is shown. Every published review counts in the average, whatever its rating.
Retention
A review stays online as long as the product is on the site, and it is removed at its author's request, through the contact form.
Reporting a review
Every review carries a "Report this review" link. It opens the contact form on the subject "Report a reader review". Reporting is free and open to anyone, brands included, as long as it is motivated: say which review and why you doubt it is genuine. The review is looked at again and the author can be contacted through me.