Useful reviews reflect genuine experiences had by real people. That's why we have rules about who's eligible to leave a review on Trustpilot.
When can you write a review?
Our Guidelines for Reviewers set out that you can review a business if you've had a recent, genuine experience with them. It could be:
- You bought a service
Example: You got a haircut at a salon, and you can write a review about your experience with the salon.
- You browsed a website (even if you didn't complete the purchase or it was cancelled)
Example: You visited an online store, added items to the shopping basket, but left the website without completing the purchase, because of slow loading. You can write a service review about the online store and the website provider.
- You had a phone conversation, email correspondence, or online chat
Example: You purchased a TV. After 14 months, the TV breaks, and when you call the company you bought it from to get it fixed, they refuse and say it's the responsibility of the manufacturer. You can write a review of the retailer about your experience with their customer service.
- You visited a physical or an online store
Example: You visited a shoe store and spoke with an employee about a pair of shoes you liked, but they didn't have your size. You can leave a service review about your experience at the store.
- You used a business's products or services
Example: You received a bouquet of flowers as a gift from a friend, and the bouquet was delivered to you. You and your friend can review the florist, the flowers, and the courier.
- You bought a product
Example: You buy a pair of jeans in great condition at a secondhand shop. You can leave a review about the product.
Top tip: Save some documentation that shows you've had an experience (like a receipt or a screenshot of your online chat with customer service), just in case there's a question about your review after you've posted it.
What other requirements are there?
As well as making sure you fit one of the above situations, make sure your review is:
- Only about your own experience - not someone else's
- About an experience you’ve had within the past 12 months
When can't you write a review?
To ensure that all reviews on Trustpilot are based on genuine experiences, there are some situations where you can't write a review on our platform:
You've been offered an incentive
- You cannot write a review if you've been offered an incentive, such as discounts, monetary rewards, or loyalty points, in exchange for writing a review. Businesses are not allowed to provide incentives for reviews.
Been offered an incentive? Let us know.
You have a special relationship to the business
- You cannot write a review about a business or their products if you or someone in your immediate family owns or works for the business.
- You cannot write a review if the business is a direct competitor to a business you own or work for.
- You cannot write a review about your employment-related experiences with the business, such as job interviews, the business's politics, or their employment practices.
Note: If you're a former employee, you can write a review about a genuine buying or service experience you had with the business when you weren't employed there.
The topic is trending in the news or social media
- You cannot write a review about a topic that's currently trending in the news or social media. Trustpilot is not a platform for discussing political, religious, or social views; please keep the content of your review based on your personal buying or service experience with the business.
How to write a review
Check out our getting started guide for step-by-step instructions on all the basics - from signing up for a Trustpilot profile to finding a particular company and leaving a review.
Once you've written a review, you can always edit or update it.
We've put together some tips to help you write great reviews here.
Previous Quick guide to Trustpilot's Guidelines for Reviewers
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