Your experience helps other New Zealanders make better decisions. Here's how to leave a review on RateMe.
Start by searching for the business you want to review. Use the search bar at the top of any page and type in the business name, or browse by category and location.
If you can't find the business you're looking for, you can request to add it to our platform. We'll verify the details and get it listed.
To leave a review, you'll need a free RateMe account. Click "Write a Review" on the business page and you'll be prompted to sign up if you haven't already.
All we need is your email address to create an account. This helps us verify that reviews are coming from real people and gives you control over your reviews later if you need to edit or remove them.
Give the business a star rating from one to five:
5 stars - Excellent service, exceeded your expectations
4 stars - Good service, met your expectations
3 stars - Average, nothing special but nothing wrong
2 stars - Below expectations, disappointed
1 star - Poor service, significant problems
Be honest. Your rating helps other customers and gives businesses genuine feedback they can use.
The most helpful reviews include specific details. Try to cover:
What product or service you used. When you dealt with the business. What happened during your experience. What went well or what could have been better. Whether you'd use them again or recommend them to others.
Instead of writing "terrible service", explain what actually happened - "the plumber was three hours late without calling, and when he arrived he didn't have the right parts to complete the job". That's more useful for other customers and fairer to the business.
Keep your review factual and based on your actual experience. Personal attacks, offensive language, and unverified claims aren't helpful and won't be published.
Photos can help illustrate your experience. You can attach images of the finished work, the product you received, or relevant documentation like receipts.
Make sure your photos don't include other customers' personal details or anything that would identify other people without their permission.
Check that your review:
Is based on your genuine personal experience with the business. Focuses on facts rather than personal attacks. Doesn't include offensive language or threats. Accurately describes what happened. Follows our review guidelines.
You can't review a business you haven't actually used, and you can't review your own business or one where you have a conflict of interest.
Your review goes into our verification system. We check that it's genuine and meets our guidelines. This usually takes 24-48 hours.
Once verified, your review will appear on the business page and count towards their overall rating.
The business can respond to your review. If they do, you'll get an email notification. This gives you the chance to continue the conversation if needed - maybe they've offered to fix the problem, or you want to acknowledge their response.
You can edit or delete your review any time through your account. Log in, go to "My Reviews", find the review you want to change, and click "Edit" or "Delete".
If a business has resolved an issue after you left a negative review, you can update your review to reflect that. This shows other customers that the business responds to problems.
Be specific
"Great service" doesn't tell other customers much. "The builder turned up on time every day, kept the site tidy, and finished a week ahead of schedule" is much more useful.
Be balanced
Even good businesses have room for improvement. If something was excellent but one thing could have been better, say so. It makes your review more credible.
Be fair
If something went wrong, consider whether it was genuinely the business's fault or just bad luck. A restaurant can't control the weather ruining your outdoor seating, but they can control whether the food is good.
Be honest
Only review businesses you've actually used. Fake reviews harm everyone - they mislead customers and damage businesses that are doing the right thing.
If you have questions about leaving a review, check our FAQ page or contact our support team through the main contact page.