Ratelivo is an online platform for consumer reviews of businesses. In a nutshell, it’s a place where people can rate and review companies they’ve interacted with – from local shops and restaurants to online services – and share their experiences. Our mission is to bring customers and businesses together through transparent feedback. Consumers use Ratelivo to make informed decisions (by reading others’ reviews before choosing a service), and businesses can use it to gather constructive feedback and improve their products or services. We are based in the Netherlands but serve an international audience, and our site is entirely in English for global accessibility.

Yes. Reading reviews on Ratelivo is completely free, and writing reviews is free as well. You can create a user account at no cost and start sharing or reading experiences right away. We do offer optional paid features (more on those below), but the core platform – searching companies and posting your feedback – doesn’t require any payment. We sustain the platform through these premium services and business subscriptions, which are entirely optional.

Writing a review is simple. First, search for the business you want to review using our search bar. Once you’re on the business’s page, click the “Write a Review” button. You’ll be prompted to give a star rating and write your comments about your experience. While we encourage users to create an account (it’s quick and just requires an email), we do allow you to post a review anonymously or without a full signup if you prefer. If you’re not logged in, you might just need to provide a nickname and confirm you’re a real person (via a CAPTCHA or email verification). Keep in mind, posting with an account has its benefits: you can edit or delete your review later, track feedback on it, and your reviews generally carry more weight since they’re tied to a confirmed profile. Anonymous reviews are allowed for convenience, but they may be moderated more strictly to ensure authenticity.

Yes, Ratelivo gives you the option to post reviews without showing your real name. When you write a review, you can choose a display name or mark it as anonymous. This can be useful if you’re sharing sensitive feedback and prefer not to be personally identified. However, please note a few things about anonymous reviews: (1) You still need to follow all our content guidelines – anonymity isn’t a shield for posting false or abusive content. (2) Anonymous reviews might be subject to additional verification. If someone flags your review as suspicious and we can’t verify it was based on a genuine experience, it could be removed. (3) Registered users’ reviews tend to be seen as more credible by the community, since there’s some accountability. In short, feel free to stay anonymous for privacy, but always be truthful and respectful. Our system may internally log certain info (like IP addresses) for anonymous posts to help with moderation, but publicly we will honor your anonymity.

We have clear guidelines to keep Ratelivo fair and useful. Prohibited content includes:

We take the authenticity of reviews seriously. Our approach has multiple layers:

• Community Reporting: Users and businesses can flag reviews that seem suspicious or violate guidelines. When a review is flagged, our team investigates it. We might reach out to the reviewer for verification (for example, asking for proof of purchase if a review is contested as fake). If we can’t confirm a review’s legitimacy, we may remove it to err on the side of caution.
• Automated Monitoring: We use automated systems to detect patterns of abuse – things like multiple reviews coming from the same IP in a short time, or new accounts spamming a business with positive or negative reviews. These systems help us catch likely fake reviews quickly (for example, our algorithm might filter out a flood of 5-star reviews all posted within minutes of each other for the same company, as that’s usually not organic).
• Guidelines & Enforcement: Our content guidelines (which every user agrees to by using the site) strictly forbid fake reviews. Users caught breaking this rule may have their accounts suspended. We’ve also made it against the rules for businesses to bribe or incentivize users to write overly positive reviews. If we discover a company attempting to manipulate their reputation (like offering discounts for deletions of negative reviews or planting fake positive ones), we’ll take action – including labeling their profile with a warning or removing those reviews.
• Transparency: Each review on Ratelivo shows whether the reviewer is a verified user and other context (for example, how many reviews they’ve written). While we allow anonymity, a brand-new profile posting an extreme review might be read with more caution by the community. Over time, as users build a history of reviews, their credibility increases. No system is perfect, but we’re continually refining our tools. Our goal is to have a platform where you can generally trust that the feedback reflects real customer experiences. If you ever suspect a fake, please flag it – you’re helping us and the whole community.

Businesses cannot edit or remove reviews on their own – only Ratelivo moderators can remove a review if it violates our guidelines or is proven false. This policy ensures that companies cannot simply discard negative feedback. However, businesses do have a few important tools at their disposal:

• Right of Reply: Business owners (or their official representatives) can respond to reviews publicly on their Ratelivo page. This lets them address a complaint, offer to resolve an issue, or thank a customer for positive feedback. We encourage businesses to reply in a professional and constructive manner. Many users find it helpful to see how a business reacts to criticism.
• Flagging Option: Just like any user, a business can flag a review that they believe violates policies – for instance, if they suspect a review is fake, or uses inappropriate language. When a business flags a review, it goes into our moderation queue for review. The business must select a reason (e.g., “not based on a real customer experience” or “contains offensive content”). Our team will then investigate and decide whether to remove it or let it stand. We do not remove reviews simply because they’re negative; there has to be a genuine issue (like the review is abusive or clearly not about an actual transaction).
• Resolution via Customer Service: Sometimes, issues can be resolved offline. A business might reach out to a reviewer (if the reviewer provided contact info or via a feature on our site) to address their complaint. If the issue is resolved, the reviewer has the option to update or revise their review to reflect the resolution, but that’s entirely up to the reviewer – we never force changes.
  In summary, businesses can interact and report, but they cannot pay to remove or hide reviews (that’s against our ethos – no one should be able to buy their way to a cleaner profile). Our platform aims to be impartial: the voice of the customer remains unless there’s a legitimate reason to take it down.

We offer several premium features for both regular users and businesses, designed to enhance the experience on Ratelivo:

• For Users (Premium Membership): As a reviewer, you can opt into a premium membership plan (usually a monthly or annual subscription). Premium users might get a special badge on their profile indicating their status or verified identity. One major perk is that reviews from premium members are given a “verified and stable” status – meaning as long as they follow guidelines, these reviews are not removable by standard flagging. Essentially, we prioritize keeping premium users’ content up (because they’ve demonstrated commitment to the platform), providing it doesn’t break any rules. Premium users also enjoy an ad-free experience on Ratelivo (no banner or sidebar ads while browsing). We are exploring other perks too, like the ability to see more in-depth analytics about who’s reading your reviews, or perhaps early access to new site features and invitations to beta-test improvements. “User statuses” is another feature: you earn different status levels or titles as you contribute (e.g., Bronze Reviewer, Silver Reviewer, etc.), but premium members might progress faster or get exclusive titles.
• For Businesses (Subscription Plans): Businesses can choose from different subscription tiers to better manage and promote their presence on Ratelivo. A paid business plan might include:
• Enhanced Profiles: Ability to add rich content to their Ratelivo page – like a company description, photo gallery, links to their website or social media, etc., making their profile more engaging for viewers.
• Analytics Dashboard: Detailed insights into what customers are saying. For instance, trending keywords in reviews, average ratings over time, and comparisons to industry averages.
• Review Collection Tools: Businesses might get tools to easily solicit reviews from their customers, such as automated email invitations or printable QR codes to encourage happy customers to leave a review.
• Priority Visibility: Subscribers can get a boost in search results or category pages. For example, if you search for “plumbers in London” on Ratelivo, those with a premium subscription might appear higher or with a “promoted” label (transparently indicated, of course). This isn’t about altering reviews, just giving more exposure – think of it like sponsored results.
• Advertising Opportunities: Businesses on certain plans can run ads or sponsored content targeted to Ratelivo users. For instance, a business could advertise a special discount that shows up to users browsing related categories. We plan these in a way that’s not intrusive and clearly marked as advertising.
• Dedicated Support: Premium business accounts may get faster customer service or even an account manager to help them utilize Ratelivo effectively.
• Other Ideas: We’re considering features like verified business status (to assure users the business is legit), integration capabilities (like APIs to pull reviews into their own website), and competitor insights (aggregate data how they rank among similar businesses on Ratelivo).

• Note: Using premium features does not alter our moderation of reviews. A premium business cannot delete or hide bad reviews; a premium user cannot post reviews that break rules. These features are about added functionality and exposure, not about bending the fundamental rules of fairness on the platform.

All premium features are optional. Ratelivo’s basic functions remain free so that our community remains broad and inclusive. These paid options are there for those who want a bit extra, and they help support the platform’s operations. We’ll always be transparent about what’s free and what’s paid.

We care about user privacy and comply with strict data protection laws (like GDPR in Europe). In short, here’s how we handle it:

• Personal Data Collected: If you create an account, we collect your email and a username. If you write a review, we obviously collect the content of that review. We also gather usage data like what pages are viewed, IP addresses, device info, etc., primarily for security and analytics. If you connect via social media or provide additional profile info (like a profile picture or location), we collect that too.
• How It’s Used: We use your data to run the service – e.g., show your reviews (with your chosen display name), send you notifications (like if someone responds to your review), or contact you if there’s an issue with your account. We might use your email to send newsletters or product updates, but you can opt out of those. Usage data helps us improve the site (like seeing which features are popular or detecting site issues).
• Anonymity and Privacy: If you choose to be anonymous on a review, your actual identity (if we know it) isn’t shown publicly. However, internally we might still link that review with your account or session for moderation. We never sell personal data to third parties. Businesses who receive reviews only see what’s publicly visible (they don’t get your email or full identity from us).
• Cookies: We use cookies (small text files on your device) to keep you logged in, remember preferences, and gather analytics. Our Cookies Policy (accessible on the site) explains this. You can control cookies via your browser or our website’s cookie settings.
• Data Rights: If you want to know what data we have on you, you can ask us (that’s your “access right”). You can also request deletion of your data/account if you decide to leave Ratelivo – we will delete your personal info and anonymize your reviews (or remove them if you prefer). We have a detailed Privacy Policy that covers all this. It’s always a good idea to read it (we try to keep it user-friendly).
  In essence, we only collect what we need to run the platform and improve it, we protect it carefully, and we give you control over your information. If you have any specific privacy questions or requests, you can email our privacy team at privacy@ratelivo.com, and we’ll be happy to help.

If you come across a review that seems fake, inappropriate, or otherwise against our guidelines, please use the “Flag” or “Report” feature (usually shown as a small flag icon or a “Report” link near the review). When you report a review, you’ll be asked to select a reason (for example: “This is hate speech,” “This contains private information,” or “Fake review not based on a real experience”). You can also provide a short explanation if necessary. Once you submit this, our content integrity team is alerted. They will investigate the review – this may involve checking the content, looking at technical signals, and potentially contacting the reviewer for clarification. If the review indeed violates our policies, we will remove it. If it doesn’t, we’ll leave it up. We aim to handle reports as quickly as possible (typically within a few days at most).

If you’re a business owner dealing with what you believe is a false negative review, the process is the same: report it through the platform. Additionally, you can publicly reply to the review to state your side of the story, while remaining professional (e.g., “We don’t have record of you as a customer, could this be a misunderstanding? Please reach out to us at support@ratelivo.com so we can resolve this.”). Often, a calm response can signal to readers that you, as a business, care and are proactive, even if the review stays up.

Remember, deliberately false reviews (whether overly negative or positive) are against our rules, and we absolutely remove them when confirmed. However, differing opinions or honest negative feedback are not considered false just because a business disagrees. We try to mediate fairly. If you have evidence (say, the review describes an event that couldn’t have happened), you can send that to us at support@ratelivo.com referencing the review in question. We appreciate the community’s help in keeping Ratelivo trustworthy!