How we moderate reviews on Industrial Connected

• • Reviews must be honest, first-hand and tied to a genuine working relationship.
• • Suppliers always have a right of reply before a review is removed for being disputed.
• • We do not edit the substance of a review. We either publish it, hold it pending investigation, or remove it.
• • We never accept payment to remove, hide or reorder reviews. Subscription tier has no bearing on moderation outcomes.
• • Decisions are documented internally and the reviewer and supplier are notified of the outcome.

A review will be removed (or refused at submission) if, on the balance of evidence, it falls into one or more of the categories below.

1. When a review is published, the named supplier is notified by email and in-app within one business day.
2. The supplier may post a single public reply directly underneath the review. The reply is shown alongside the review for as long as the review is live.
3. Replies must follow the same standards as reviews. No personal attacks, no disclosure of confidential information about the reviewer, no threats of legal action used as intimidation.
4. A supplier can edit its reply at any time. A change history is retained internally for audit.
5. If the supplier believes the review breaches this policy, it can also raise a formal dispute (see Investigation process below). The reply and the dispute are independent.

Anyone can flag a review using the report button on the review itself, or by emailing support@industrialconnected.com. Every report is logged and reviewed by our Trust and Safety team.

1. 1
   Acknowledgement (within 2 business days)

   The reporter receives confirmation that the report has been received and is under review. The reviewer and the supplier are notified that a dispute has been raised.

2. 2
   Initial triage (within 5 business days)

   We check the report against this policy and decide whether to (a) dismiss with reasons, (b) request more information from one or both parties, or (c) open a full investigation. Clear policy breaches (abuse, slurs, doxxing, obvious spam) are removed at this stage.

3. 3
   Evidence gathering (up to 10 business days)

   We may ask either party for: proof of trading relationship (PO, invoice, drawings, correspondence), project reference numbers, dated communications, or any other documentation relevant to the disputed facts. Both sides see what the other has submitted in summary form, with commercially sensitive details redacted.

4. 4
   Decision

   A reviewer who did not work on the project, will not respond, or cannot substantiate the central factual claim will have the review removed. A review that is critical but substantiated stays up. We document the outcome and the reasoning internally.

5. 5
   Notification and appeal (within 2 business days of decision)

   Both parties are notified of the outcome and the reasoning in summary. Either party may appeal once, in writing, within 14 days. Appeals are reviewed by a second member of the Trust and Safety team who was not involved in the original decision. The appeal decision is final.

Targets are best efforts. Complex cases involving legal review, NDAs or third parties may take longer. Where that is the case we will update both parties at least every 10 business days.

• • Every report, decision and appeal is logged with timestamps and the decision-maker.
• • Removed reviews are retained internally for 24 months in case of legal request.
• • Suppliers and reviewers can request the audit trail relating to their own data under our Privacy Policy and GDPR procedures.
• • Aggregate moderation statistics may be published from time to time. No personal data is shared.

To report a review, raise a dispute or request the audit trail for a decision that affects you, contact support@industrialconnected.com. For general queries, see our contact page.

This policy sits alongside our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Where there is any conflict, the Terms and Conditions prevail.