REVIEW GUIDELINES

Honest Reviews Build Stronger Communities

At ShopYellowPages, reviews help consumers make informed decisions while giving businesses valuable feedback and recognition. We encourage honest, respectful, and constructive reviews based on genuine first-hand experiences.

Our goal is to maintain a trustworthy review system that benefits everyone in our local communities.

Who May Leave a Review

Reviews should only be submitted by individuals who have personally experienced the business’s products, services, or customer service.

By submitting a review, you represent that:

You have had a genuine experience with the business.
Your review reflects your honest opinion.
Your review is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

What Makes a Helpful Review

Helpful reviews often include:

The product or service you received.
What went well.
Areas where the business could improve.
Professionalism and customer service.
Quality and value.
Timeliness or responsiveness.
Whether you would use the business again.

Reviews should focus on facts and your personal experience rather than assumptions or speculation.

What Is Not Allowed

Reviews may not contain:

False or Misleading Information

Reviews that knowingly contain false, misleading, deceptive, or fabricated information.

Fake Reviews

Reviews for businesses you have not interacted with. Reviews submitted on behalf of another person. Multiple reviews for the same experience. Reviews generated through fake accounts.

Conflicts of Interest

Reviews submitted by:

Friends or family posting reviews solely to manipulate ratings.
Business owners reviewing their own business.
Employees reviewing their employer without disclosure.
Competitors attempting to influence ratings.

Incentivized Reviews

Businesses may not:

Pay for positive reviews.
Offer discounts or gifts in exchange for positive reviews.
Pressure customers to remove negative reviews.

Customers may not accept compensation in exchange for submitting misleading reviews.

Offensive Content

Reviews may not include:

Personal attacks
Bullying
Harassment
Hate speech
Threats
Profanity directed toward individuals
Discriminatory language

Stay Focused on the Business Experience

Reviews should focus on your experience with the business.

Reviews should not focus on:

Politics
Religion
Personal beliefs
Race or ethnicity
Personal lifestyles
Matters unrelated to the products or services provided

Privacy

Do not include:

Other private or confidential information
Personal phone numbers
Home addresses
Email addresses
Financial information
Government identification numbers
Medical information

Photos & Videos

You may upload photos or videos that:

Accurately represent your experience.
Were taken by you or with permission.
Do not violate another person’s privacy.

Do not upload copyrighted material that you do not have permission to use.

Business Responses

Businesses are encouraged to respond professionally.

Helpful responses:

Thank customers for their feedback.
Address concerns respectfully.
Offer to continue the conversation privately when appropriate.
Explain improvements that have been made.

Businesses should never:

Post misleading responses.
Harass reviewers.
Threaten legal action simply because a review is negative.
Reveal private customer information.

Reporting Reviews

If you believe a review violates these guidelines, you may report it for review.

Reporting a review does not guarantee its removal.

Each report is reviewed individually based on these guidelines.

Review Moderation

ShopYellowPages may remove or restrict reviews that violate these guidelines.

Examples include:

Fake reviews
Spam
Duplicate reviews
Fraudulent activity
Offensive or abusive content
Reviews unrelated to the business
Reviews submitted in violation of our Terms of Service

We do not remove reviews simply because they are negative or because a business disagrees with the customer’s opinion.

Authenticity Matters

We believe authentic reviews help strengthen trust within our communities.

Businesses are encouraged to request honest reviews from customers, but should never attempt to manipulate ratings or influence review content.

Likewise, customers should only review businesses based on their own genuine experiences.

Legal Requests

In certain circumstances, ShopYellowPages may remove or restrict review content to comply with applicable laws, court orders, or legal obligations.

Our Goal

Our review system is designed to help consumers make informed decisions while giving businesses a fair opportunity to build their reputation through excellent products, services, and customer experiences.

We believe honest, respectful reviews help strengthen both local businesses and the communities they serve.

Related Policies

For additional information, please review our:

Right to Respond Before Removal

Whenever practical, businesses may be given an opportunity to respond to or clarify concerns before ShopYellowPages takes moderation action on reported reviews. Our goal is to promote fairness, transparency, and constructive communication whenever possible while protecting the integrity of the review system.