Every submitted review passes through an automated filter first (spam, profanity, duplicate content, competitor mentions), then a human moderation pass within a target of 24-48 hours before it publishes. Reviews are never edited by moderators — they're either approved as-is, sent back to the author with specific feedback, or rejected with a stated reason, and rejected authors can appeal once.
At a glance
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Automated screening | Spam, profanity, links, duplicate-text detection |
| Human review target | 24-48 hours |
| Edits by moderators | Never — approve, return, or reject only |
| Appeal window | 14 days from rejection notice |
| Review removal after publish | Only for policy violations or verified fraud |
The two-stage moderation pipeline
Stage one is automated: every submission is scanned for spam patterns, profanity, promotional links, and text that matches another review closely enough to suggest copy-pasting. Anything flagged here is held rather than auto-rejected, and routed to a human moderator with the specific flag attached.
Stage two is human review. A moderator checks that the review is about the actual vehicle (not the dealership, unrelated to the site, or a rant about financing terms that belongs elsewhere), that it doesn't reveal another person's private information, and that it isn't clearly incentivized (e.g., "dealer promised me a discount for a 5-star review").
What gets a review rejected
- Review is about the dealership/salesperson experience rather than the vehicle itself.
- Content is clearly incentivized or the reviewer admits to being paid or given a discount for posting it.
- Profanity, personal attacks, or another individual's private details.
- Duplicate submission — same account or same text posted for multiple listings.
- No verifiable connection to actually owning or test-driving the vehicle.
Verified owner vs. unverified reviews
Reviews from accounts with a Verified Owner badge are labeled as such and are weighted higher in the "Most Helpful" sort. Unverified reviews (e.g., from a test drive rather than ownership) are still allowed and published, but are visibly labeled "Unverified" so readers can weigh them accordingly.
| Outcome | What happens |
|---|---|
| Approved | Publishes as submitted, no edits made |
| Returned | Author gets specific feedback and can resubmit once |
| Rejected | Author gets a stated reason and a 14-day appeal window |
| Removed post-publish | Only for confirmed policy violation or fraud |
Moderators do not rewrite, soften, or remove negative content from an otherwise policy-compliant review. A harsh but honest and on-topic review is published in full — moderation checks for policy compliance, not tone.
Reporting a published review
Any reader can flag a live review via the "Report" link. Flagged reviews are re-queued for a moderator, who checks the specific complaint (e.g., suspected fake review, factual dispute, harassment) against the evidence available — a factual dispute over a spec claim alone is not grounds for removal unless it's independently verifiable as false.
Appeals process
- Rejected author receives an email with the specific policy reason.
- Author has 14 days to submit an appeal with any missing context (e.g., proof of ownership).
- A different moderator than the original reviewer re-evaluates the case.
- Appeal decision is final and communicated within 5 business days.
Frequently asked questions
How long does review moderation take?
Will a moderator edit my review before publishing?
Can a negative review be removed just because a dealer disputes it?
What's the difference between a verified and unverified review?
Can I appeal a rejected review?
Sources & further reading
Figures, prices and policy details were current at the last-updated date above. Automotive pricing, incentives and regulations change frequently — verify time-sensitive details with the linked primary sources. Read our editorial policy and fact-checking standards.
