Review and 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 reviews by:

  • Confirming the couple's wedding date

  • Seeking further clarification or evidence from the couple and/or the vendor

Who cannot 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, discount, or reward in exchange for their review

  • Anyone other than the married couple who experienced the service firsthand

Independence of reviews:

  • Reviews must be submitted independently and without vendor oversight.

  • Couples should not complete reviews on the vendor’s premises or during an appointment.

  • Vendors or staff must not assist, observe, or influence the review process.

 

2. Reviewer Obligations

Couples who submit reviews must:

  • Provide an honest and factual account of their experience.

  • Not include defamatory, false, or misleading statements.

  • Provide evidence of service use if requested by ABIA.

  • Avoid including personal or private information about others (e.g., contact details, financial data).

ABIA reserves the right to remove reviews that breach these obligations and may ban repeat offenders from submitting future reviews.

 

3. 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.

  • Behavioural Analysis – We monitor patterns such as inconsistent reviewing behaviour or review farming.

 

If a vendor is found manipulating reviews, consequences may include:

  • Immediate disqualification from the ABIA Awards

  • Suspension or permanent removal from the ABIA platform

  • Revocation of accreditation or partnership benefits

  • Referral to regulatory authorities (e.g., ACCC) for potential breaches of consumer law

  • ABIA reserves the right to suspend or terminate a membership if a vendor breaches ABIA’s terms, without obligation to refund any fees paid.

 

4. Transparency & Review Moderation

ABIA maintains transparency in how reviews and ratings are managed:

  • Published guidelines on moderation practices

  • Clear explanation of how ratings impact awards scoring

  • No paid prioritisation of reviews or manipulation of visibility

ABIA retains full editorial discretion over all reviews and may determine whether they are displayed, archived, or removed.

 

5. 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 must be reported via the ABIA platform or email.

  • ABIA will review the dispute within 5 business days.

  • Vendors will be notified of the outcome with a clear explanation.

⚠️ Finality Clause: ABIA’s decision regarding review moderation or disputes is final. Vendors and couples agree not to pursue claims against ABIA regarding review outcomes.

 

6. Review Policy Violations

Violations of ABIA’s Review Policy include, but are not limited to:

  • Vendors posting reviews for their own business or competitors

  • Offering rewards, discounts, or compensation in exchange for reviews

  • Using services, websites, or social media groups to buy or sell reviews

  • Requesting a couple to remove or edit a review in exchange for a refund or benefit

  • Vendors’ family members, staff, or associates posting reviews

  • Couples submitting fake, defamatory, or misleading reviews

 

7. Content Standards

ABIA reserves the right to remove or reject reviews containing:

  • False, defamatory, or misleading claims

  • Incentivised or paid-for content

  • Hate speech, harassment, or discriminatory language

  • Profanity or obscene content aimed at offending

  • Personally identifiable information (e.g., addresses, phone numbers, payment details)

  • Spam, advertising, or irrelevant material

  • Duplicate or “copy-paste” reviews from multiple accounts

  • Gibberish, meaningless, or automated content

 

8. Review Ownership & Retention

  • Reviews submitted to ABIA form part of ABIA’s proprietary review database.

  • Vendors may use their reviews for promotional purposes only while in an active partnership.

  • Reviews cannot be transferred to another business, vendor, or platform.

  • ABIA may archive, promote, or remove reviews at its discretion but will not delete reviews except where they breach this policy.

  • Reviews remain part of a vendor’s historical record and may be visible indefinitely, even after business closure.

 

9. 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, transparency, and accountability.