Review Guidelines & Ratings Policy
Our commitment to authenticity
ABIA is committed to showcasing genuine wedding experiences. Our review policies are in place to ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity. We do not allow commercial relationships to influence ratings or the way reviews are presented.
1. Who can leave a review?
We want every review to reflect a genuine wedding experience. That’s why only verified married couples who have personally used a vendor’s services or products are eligible to leave a review.
We may verify this by:
• Confirming the couple's wedding date
• Seeking further clarification or evidence from the couple and/or the vendor
Who can’t leave a review?
• Vendors reviewing their own service or a competitor’s
• Employees, associates, or family members of a business
• Individuals who did not use the service directly
• Reviewers who received an incentive or reward in exchange for their review
• Anyone other than the married couple who experienced the service firsthand
2. Preventing Fake or Misleading Reviews
ABIA uses a multi-layered verification process to protect against fake, misleading, or biased reviews.
Our process includes:
• AI Detection – Flags suspicious activity such as multiple reviews from the same IP, sudden rating spikes, or unnatural language
• Manual Moderation – Our team cross-checks dates, vendor records, and review content
• Vendor Confirmation – In some cases, vendors may be asked to verify whether a couple used their service
• Community Reporting – The ABIA community can flag suspicious reviews for further investigation
• Behavioral Analysis – We monitor patterns such as inconsistent reviewing behaviour or review farming
If a vendor is found manipulating reviews, they may face:
• Immediate disqualification from the ABIA Awards
• Temporary or permanent removal from the ABIA platform
3. Transparency & Review Moderation
ABIA maintains transparency in how reviews and ratings are managed:
• Clear, published guidelines on moderation practices
• Transparent explanation of how ratings impact awards scoring
• No paid prioritisation of reviews
4. Vendor Rights & Dispute Resolution
Vendors have the right to:
• Respond professionally to all reviews
• Flag reviews they believe are inaccurate or in violation of policy
• Retain legitimate negative reviews (ABIA does not remove valid feedback)
If a review is disputed:
- The issue is reported via the ABIA platform or by email
- ABIA conducts a review within 5 business days
- The vendor is notified of the outcome with a clear explanation
5. Review Policy Violations
Violations of ABIA’s policies include, but are not limited to:
• A vendor posting a review for their own business or a competitor’s
• Offering rewards, discounts, or compensation in exchange for reviews
• Using services, websites, or social media groups to purchase reviews
• Requesting a couple to remove or edit a review in exchange for a refund or other benefit
• A vendor’s family member or employee posting a review for their business or a competitor
6. Disputing a Customer Review
As Australia’s largest wedding review platform, ABIA protects a couple’s right to express their honest experiences, positive or negative.
We reserve the right to remove content that includes:
• False or misleading descriptions of the service
• Incentivised content (discounts, freebies, or refunds)
• Profanity or obscene content aimed at offending
• Duplicate content posted multiple times or from multiple accounts
• Gibberish or meaningless content
Tips for Vendors:
• Only report reviews that clearly violate ABIA policies
• Don’t report a review just because you disagree with it
• ABIA typically doesn’t get involved in factual disagreements without solid evidence
• Be patient—review assessments can take several business days
Our Mission
ABIA Weddings will always prioritise consumer trust while championing credible, quality-driven wedding professionals. Our goal is to elevate standards in the Australian wedding industry and marketplace through authenticity and accountability.
