Fake Review Policy

Legal Basis We Follow

  • Consumer Protection Act, 2019: fake or deceptive reviews are treated as an unfair trade practice.
  • Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020: sellers and platforms must not pose as consumers or publish misleading reviews.
  • BIS IS 19000:2022 standard for Online Consumer Reviews: principles for collection, moderation, and publication that curb deceptive and paid reviews.
  • Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021: upon lawful notice, unlawful content (including fraudulent reviews) must be acted on swiftly.

What We Do Not Allow

  • - Paid, bartered, or incentivised reviews that mislead or hide the relationship.
  • - Reviews written by non-customers, competitors, or agencies pretending to be customers.
  • - Bulk/duplicate submissions, astroturf, or coordinated manipulation.
  • - Content that includes personal data, abuse, or is unrelated to a genuine product/service experience.

How RatingIcon Tackles Fake Reviews

  • - Identity checks (soft KYC): email or mobile OTP verification tied to a unique review record.
  • - Proof-of-experience signals: order/invoice reference, booking ID, ticket number, or visit timestamp where applicable.
  • - Anomaly detection: machine-learning and rules to flag velocity spikes, unusual IP/device patterns, copy-paste text, and sentiment extremes.
  • - Conflict screening: checks for reviewer–business affiliation and agency/competitor footprints.
  • - Geo & device sanity checks: IP range, device fingerprint, VPN/TOR detection (privacy-preserving and compliant).
  • - Rate limits & cool-offs: caps on daily submissions, per account and per location.
  • - Two-step moderation: automated scoring → human review for high-risk or escalated cases.
  • - Traceable audit trail: every edit, hide, or takedown is logged with reason codes.

Double-Checking & Dispute Resolution

  • - Verify & Re-verify: flagged reviews are re-verified with the reviewer; failure to respond leads to removal.
  • - Right to Reply: businesses can publicly respond; personal attacks or intimidation are prohibited.
  • - Evidence Requests: for contested reviews, both sides may submit proof (redacted invoices, chat logs, etc.).
  • - Independent Panel Escalation: tough cases go to a neutral moderation panel for a final call.
  • - Legal Compliance: we honour lawful orders/notices under applicable Indian laws and cooperate with authorities.

Transparency for Users

  • - “Verified Experience” labels where proof checks pass.
  • - Clear timestamps and any material connections disclosed.
  • - No review buying/selling; no review suppression deals.
  • - Easy reporting: users can flag a review for investigation with one click.

Reporting a Suspected Fake Review

  • - Use the “Report” option under the review and choose a reason.

  • Our team investigates within defined SLAs; outcomes (kept, edited, or removed) are shared with reasons.