How reviews are checked

Every review on Vouched comes from someone who uploaded proof that they booked. This page explains how we check reviews and what we remove.

The receipt check

When someone posts a review, we automatically check their receipt:

• A booking confirmation or proof of payment is attached.
• The receipt names the business or its handle.
• The appointment was in the last 12 months.
• The same receipt hasn't been used for another review.

Reviews that pass go live with the Vouched seal. Reviews that don't are checked by a person, usually within 48 hours. Reviews of aesthetics treatments are always checked by a person.

What we remove

• Reviews from people who weren't clients, or that use fake or edited receipts.
• Reviews written by the business, its staff, friends or competitors, or in exchange for payment or freebies.
• Personal details: phone numbers, home addresses, private people's full names.
• Abuse, hate, threats, sexual content, or anything unlawful.
• Content that is untrue and damages someone's reputation, once we've followed our complaint process.

What businesses can and can't do

Businesses can reply publicly to reviews and report reviews that break these rules, like anyone else. They can't pay to remove, hide, reorder or change reviews, and a subscription never affects a moderation decision.

Reports and complaints

• Anyone can report a review with the Report button. A review that shares personal details, or gets three reports, is hidden while we check it.
• Legal complaints go to the reviewer, who has 5 days to respond. If they don't, we remove the review. If they do, a person decides.

Ratings

A business's rating is the average of its published reviews. Every published review counts equally, and we never remove reviews to change a rating.