Review Guidelines
Help create a trustworthy platform by following our community guidelines. Your honest feedback helps others make informed decisions when choosing a dealership.
← Back to DirectoryWhat Makes a Great Review
Based on Real Experience
Share details about your actual visit, purchase, or service experience with the dealership.
Specific and Detailed
Include specific information about services, staff, facilities, or processes that others would find helpful.
Balanced and Fair
Mention both positive aspects and areas for improvement to give a complete picture.
Respectful Language
Use constructive, professional language even when sharing negative experiences.
Helpful Context
Include relevant details like timing, which department you worked with, or type of service received.
Recent and Relevant
Focus on recent experiences that reflect the current state of the dealership.
Review Standards
Reviews Should:
- • Be based on genuine personal experiences
- • Focus on the dealership's services, staff, and facilities
- • Use constructive and respectful language
- • Provide helpful information for other customers
- • Include specific details about your experience
- • Reflect recent interactions with the dealership
Reviews Under Review:
- • Reviews that seem overly promotional or fake
- • Reviews posted by dealership employees about their own workplace
- • Reviews that focus mainly on pricing disputes
- • Reviews that lack specific details about the experience
- • Reviews with potential conflicts of interest
What We Don't Allow
Reviews Will Be Removed If They Contain:
- • False factual statements about services, pricing, or policies
- • Personal attacks on individuals by name
- • Profanity or inappropriate language
- • Discriminatory or hateful content
- • Defamatory claims without supporting evidence
- • Spam or promotional content
- • Reviews not based on actual experience
- • Personal information (phone numbers, emails)
- • Legal threats or accusations of criminal activity
- • Content that violates privacy
- • Duplicate reviews from the same person
- • Reviews incentivized by the dealership
- • Unsubstantiated claims about business practices
- • Off-topic or irrelevant content
Legal Notice: False statements of fact may constitute defamation and could result in legal action. Always distinguish between factual claims (which must be true) and personal opinions (which are protected speech).
Example Reviews
"I purchased a used Honda Civic from this dealership last month. The sales representative, Mike, was knowledgeable and didn't pressure me. The financing process took about 2 hours, which was reasonable. The service department scheduled my first oil change quickly and explained the maintenance schedule clearly. The waiting area was clean and comfortable. My only suggestion would be better communication about wait times during busy periods."
"These people are the worst!!! Don't trust anything they say. The salesman John is a liar and tried to rip me off. Avoid at all costs! Go to [competitor name] instead - they're much better."
Issues: Uses emotional language, makes personal attacks, lacks specific details, promotes competitor
Our Moderation Process
Review Submission
Your review is submitted and enters our moderation queue.
Content Review
Our team reviews your submission against our guidelines (typically within 24-48 hours).
Decision & Notification
You'll receive an email notification whether your review is approved or needs revision.
Publication
Approved reviews are published and become visible to other users on the dealership's page.
User Responsibilities & Legal Compliance
By Submitting Reviews, You Agree:
- • To be truthful and accurate in all statements of fact
- • To clearly distinguish between factual claims and personal opinions
- • That you have personally experienced the services you're reviewing
- • To hold Dealer Essential harmless from any claims arising from your content
- • That Dealer Essential may investigate suspicious or disputed reviews
- • To cooperate with any legitimate investigation or legal process
Content Rights & Platform Usage:
- • You grant Dealer Essential a perpetual, worldwide license to use your content
- • We may edit, format, or remove content that violates these guidelines
- • Reviews may be used for marketing, analytics, and platform improvement
- • You remain responsible for the accuracy of your factual claims
- • False information may result in account suspension and legal action
Account Verification & Enforcement:
- • We may require verification of your identity and transaction history
- • Fake accounts or fraudulent reviews will result in permanent bans
- • Repeat violations may result in legal action for damages
- • We cooperate fully with law enforcement investigations
Important Legal Disclaimers
Platform Limitations:
Content Disclaimer: Reviews represent individual user opinions and experiences. Dealer Essential does not verify the accuracy of all user-submitted content and is not responsible for any decisions made based on reviews.
No Warranty: Reviews are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any review content.
Third-Party Content: We are not responsible for content posted by users or any damages arising from user interactions with dealerships.
Limitation of Liability: Dealer Essential's liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.
Good Faith Moderation: While we moderate content in good faith, we cannot guarantee that all harmful content will be detected or removed immediately.
Reporting & Dispute Resolution
Report Problematic Content:
If you believe a review violates our guidelines or contains false information:
- • Contact us with specific details and evidence
- • Provide documentation supporting your claims
- • Allow 5-10 business days for investigation
- • False reports may result in restrictions on your account
Legal Compliance & Dispute Resolution:
Jurisdiction: This platform operates under U.S. law. By using our service, you agree to exclusive jurisdiction in State of Texas courts for any disputes.
Binding Arbitration: Disputes under $10,000 must be resolved through binding arbitration rather than court litigation, except for claims of intellectual property infringement.
No Class Actions: You agree to resolve disputes individually and waive any right to participate in class action lawsuits.
Updates: These guidelines may be updated periodically. Continued use constitutes acceptance of changes.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have questions about our guidelines or need help with a review, our support team is here to help.