When you're looking for genuine business reviews in New Zealand, you've got options. Here's why more Kiwis are choosing RateMe over international platforms.
RateMe is 100% owned and run in New Zealand. We're not a multinational with a token NZ presence - we're a local business built specifically for the New Zealand market.
That means we understand how business works here. We know that a tradie running late because of Auckland traffic is different from one who just doesn't show up. We understand seasonal businesses, regional differences, and the expectations Kiwi customers have.
When you contact our support team, you're talking to people in New Zealand who understand the local context. We're in the same time zone, we speak the same language, and we get it.
We don't list international companies unless they have a genuine New Zealand operation. This isn't a global platform with a NZ section tacked on - it's built from the ground up for New Zealand businesses serving New Zealand customers.
That focus matters. You're not wading through reviews of overseas companies or trying to work out if a review is relevant to the NZ branch. Every business on RateMe operates in New Zealand.
Our verification process is designed for the New Zealand market. We check every review before it goes live.
Some international platforms have been caught up in fake review scandals - businesses buying positive reviews, competitors posting fake negative ones, or review farms creating hundreds of fake accounts. We've built our system specifically to catch and prevent that.
Here's what we don't allow:
Businesses can't pay to hide negative reviews. Businesses can't buy positive reviews or offer incentives for reviews. Competitors can't post fake negative reviews. Review farms and fake accounts get detected and banned.
Every review on RateMe comes from a verified account and goes through our checking process. If something looks dodgy, we investigate it properly.
What you see is what you get. We don't manipulate which reviews show up first based on who's paying us. We don't hide negative reviews for premium customers. We don't weight recent reviews more heavily just because a business has signed up for a paid plan.
The overall rating you see is calculated from all legitimate reviews - positive and negative. Recent reviews appear near the top because they're most relevant, but you can see the full history.
If we remove a review, it's because it broke our guidelines, not because someone paid us to remove it.
When you create an account on RateMe, your data is held in New Zealand under New Zealand's Privacy Act 2020. We're not shipping your personal information offshore to servers in other countries with different privacy laws.
That matters for privacy, and it matters for legal protection. If something goes wrong, you're dealing with a New Zealand company under New Zealand law.
Every time you use RateMe instead of an international platform, you're supporting a New Zealand business and keeping that money in the local economy.
But it goes further than that. The businesses listed on RateMe are New Zealand businesses - small operators, family companies, and local enterprises. By helping customers find good local businesses through genuine reviews, we're supporting the whole ecosystem.
International platforms take their profits offshore. We reinvest ours here.
Customers can use RateMe completely free. Search for businesses, read reviews, leave reviews - no cost, no catches.
Businesses get a free basic listing with all the core features. We offer premium options for businesses that want extra features, but the fundamental system - getting reviews, responding to them, being findable by customers - that's free.
We're not trying to squeeze every dollar out of small businesses. We make money by providing value, not by holding reviews hostage.
Our platform is designed around how New Zealanders search for and choose businesses.
We understand that recommendations from your mates still matter here. We know that regional differences are significant - what works in Auckland might not work in Invercargill. We recognize that many Kiwi businesses are small operations run by people who don't have time for complicated systems.
That's why RateMe is straightforward. No complicated dashboards, no confusing pricing tiers, no American-style aggressive marketing tactics. Just honest reviews presented clearly.
More New Zealand businesses are claiming their RateMe listings every week. More customers are choosing to search RateMe first when they need a reliable business.
That's not because we've got a massive marketing budget - it's because the platform works. Customers find what they need. Businesses get genuine feedback and new customers. The system is fair and transparent.
Word spreads when something actually works properly.
Choosing RateMe over international alternatives means:
Your data is protected under New Zealand law. The platform understands the local market. Money stays in the New Zealand economy. Small Kiwi businesses get a fair go. You're dealing with a local company if anything goes wrong.
We're not claiming to be perfect, but we are claiming to be genuinely committed to doing this properly for New Zealand businesses and customers.
RateMe is New Zealand-owned, focused on New Zealand businesses, transparent about how we operate, and committed to keeping reviews genuine. We don't play games with ratings, we don't ship your data offshore, and we don't rip off small businesses.
If that sounds like the kind of platform you'd rather support, we're here.