🏁 Why Transparency Matters
In 2025, online reviews are more influential than ever — yet not all review platforms treat transparency the same way.
Some filter, hide, or rank reviews to influence perception.
At Rated Stores, we believe every review should be visible, verifiable, and counted fairly.
This page explains exactly how our system works to ensure that both businesses and customers can trust what they see.
⚙️ How Our Review Scoring System Works
When a business receives a review, it shouldn’t be at the mercy of hidden algorithms or commercial influence.
Our scoring system is designed to reflect genuine customer satisfaction, not paid placements or selective moderation.
Key Principles:
- No pay-to-influence: Business subscriptions never affect ratings.
- Weighting for recency: Newer reviews slightly influence scores to reflect current performance.
- Consistency over volume: Businesses with steady positive feedback are rated more reliably than those with erratic highs and lows.
- Algorithmic fairness: Our algorithm flags patterns of manipulation or suspicious activity, ensuring a true reflection of trust.
Our goal isn’t to inflate numbers — it’s to show an honest picture of real customer experience.
🧩 How it works:
1️⃣ Review collected
2️⃣ Authenticity verified
3️⃣ Trust Score calculated
Each review adds to a business’s profile transparently and equally.
🔍 Verified Reviews and Fair Moderation
Fake reviews damage both consumers and genuine businesses.
Rated Stores uses a multi-layer verification process to ensure reviews are legitimate and balanced.
Verification Process Includes:
- IP and behavioural checks for suspicious patterns
- AI-assisted content analysis for authenticity
- Manual review of flagged submissions
We never remove or hide reviews simply because they are negative.
Instead, we focus on ensuring every review meets community standards for honesty and relevance.
Dispute Resolution
When a business disputes a review, our team investigates objectively — balancing fairness for both the reviewer and the business.
Transparency in moderation means every decision can be explained, not hidden. We only assess reviews if the company has integrated their website via our official integrations, this allows us to check validity of reviews without the company's involvement.
🧮 Open vs Closed Platforms
Many review websites are closed systems, meaning they control how reviews appear and which are displayed.
At Rated Stores, we follow an open approach that prioritises transparency, fairness, and visibility for all.
We believe businesses should never have to pay for their honest reputation to be seen.
Learn more about how this approach compares in our Open vs Closed Review Platforms guide.
🤝 The Business Transparency Promise
Transparency works both ways — for businesses and their customers.
That’s why we’ve created a promise that ensures a fair and equal experience for every business listed on Rated Stores.
Our Commitments:
- All businesses access the same analytics and scoring tools
- Paid plans never influence visibility or weighting
- Reviews remain visible even if a business cancels their plan
- Our algorithm applies equally to every business — no exceptions
Fairness is not a feature. It’s the foundation of how Rated Stores operates.
📊 Algorithm Transparency and Updates
Our Trust Scoring Algorithm isn’t a secret formula to hide behind — it’s a living system that evolves with feedback, data, and technology.
We publicly share the principles behind our updates to maintain trust.
Algorithm updates are guided by:
- Real-world trends in online review behaviour
- Advances in AI and pattern detection
- Community feedback from businesses and users
Each update is carefully tested to maintain consistent scoring and prevent unfair fluctuations.
🧠 Educational Resources and Tools
Transparency extends beyond our platform — it’s something we actively teach and encourage.
Here are resources to help businesses and users understand reviews better:
- 🧮 Review Score Calculator — Estimate how review averages are affected by ratings mix.
- ⭐ Review Stars / Rich Snippet Guide — Learn how structured data helps reviews appear in Google results.
- 🔍 Fair Review Platform Comparison — Explore how transparency differs across review sites.
These tools not only help users but also reinforce Rated Stores’ position as an educational authority in fair reviews.
💬 Your Right to Honest Reviews
Every consumer deserves honest, transparent reviews — and every business deserves a fair chance to be represented accurately.
At Rated Stores, transparency isn’t an afterthought — it’s the backbone of everything we do.
We don’t just talk about fairness; we prove it through open algorithms, unbiased visibility, and full accountability.
Explore our reviews, compare platforms, and see how transparency makes all the difference.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does Rated Stores verify reviews?
We use a combination of automated detection systems and manual checks to identify authentic reviews and flag potential fraud.
Q: Can a business remove a negative review?
No. Reviews can only be removed if they breach our content guidelines — not because they’re negative, this process is done only if the business has integrated their website with our platform via official integrations. This allows us to verify reviews without the company's involvement.
Q: How is Rated Stores different from Trustpilot or Feefo?
Rated Stores does not offer paid moderation or removal of reviews, ensuring every business is judged by the same transparent standard.
Q: What makes Rated Stores a fair review platform?
Our scoring model treats every review equally, avoids paid bias, and publishes clear information about how ratings are calculated.
🔗 Related Pages
Last updated: October 2025
Rated Stores — Building Trust Through Transparency