How to Remove a ConsumerAffairs Review

ConsumerAffairs moderates every review before publishing and holds it for 5 business days, during which the business can respond. Here's how that works and what your options are.

Researched: October 2026

Quick overview

  • Every review goes through moderation, which typically takes 24 to 72 hours, and reviews flagged as duplicates, spam or fake aren't published.
  • After moderation, a review sits in a 5-business-day holding period in which the business can respond.
  • A business with a free basic or an Authorized Partner account can respond publicly, and can contact the reviewer through the platform.
  • A reviewer isn't obligated to remove a review at a company's request, and companies must not pressure reviewers or offer anything of value.
  • Search suppression moves a published review down in search results.

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What moderation checks

ConsumerAffairs' Moderation Team evaluates reviews and images before publishing, and not all of them are published. Its Review Guidelines rule out:

  • Profanity, threats, or personal insults
  • Sensitive personal information, such as email addresses, phone numbers, or hyperlinks
  • An incorrect company name
  • A duplicate, or a review already submitted to other sites or to ConsumerAffairs
  • Spam or a fake review, including one generated at the direction of the company being reviewed
  • Photos that are inappropriate, defamatory, obscene, or unlawful
  • Photos that violate someone's copyright, which go through the DMCA page

What you can do

A free basic account is enough to respond to reviews.

  1. 1

    Claim a free business account

    Use the Contact Us form and choose "Claim your free business account", or click "Are you this business?" on your profile page.

  2. 2

    Respond during the holding period

    After moderation, a review is held for 5 business days, during which the business can respond and resolve issues before it is posted. A public response appears under the review, one per review, and can be updated at any time.

  3. 3

    Contact the reviewer about the issue

    A business with an account can email the reviewer through the platform. ConsumerAffairs says outreach should focus on addressing the concern, and the reviewer can then update their review.

Notice: A name showing up on a review site like this one often shows up elsewhere too. Our free reputation scan can show you what else needs handling.

If the review stays

ConsumerAffairs' Review Guidelines and FAQ don't describe a way for a business to have a published review removed. A reviewer can post an update, and the original and the update appear next to each other.

Search suppression moves the review down in search results, and Google De-indexing applies where a page is eligible. We tell you which situation you're in before any work begins.

Common questions

How long before a ConsumerAffairs review is published?

Moderation typically takes 24 to 72 hours. After that, a review enters a holding period of 5 business days, during which the business can respond and resolve any issues before the review is posted. Any company with an account, free or otherwise, can choose to skip the holding period and ask ConsumerAffairs to publish the review sooner. The review is published in its original form either way.

What does moderation check?

ConsumerAffairs says review content is checked for issues such as typos, profanity, sensitive information, threats or an incorrect company name, and to identify duplicate or fake reviews and spam. Reviews flagged as duplicates, spam or fake are not published.

Can a business respond to a review?

Yes, with a free basic account or an Authorized Partner account. A public response appears directly under the review, one per review, and it can be updated at any time. A business can also contact the reviewer privately by email through the ConsumerAffairs platform.

Can the reviewer change or remove their review?

A reviewer can update the rating or review: log in with the same email, open Your Reviews, click the review, then Mark Resolved and Resolve This Review. The original and the new review and star rating then appear next to each other. A reviewer who gave the review by another means, or has trouble with their account, can email Consumer Help or use the Contact Us form.

What if a company asks a reviewer to take their review down?

ConsumerAffairs says the reviewer isn't obligated to remove or change it. Companies that work with ConsumerAffairs must follow standards that prohibit offering anything of value to influence reviews, and they shouldn't pressure consumers to remove or change reviews. Reports of inappropriate conduct are reviewed, and ConsumerAffairs may take action.

Can I get a free business account?

Yes, basic accounts are free for businesses that qualify. Use the Contact Us form and choose "Claim your free business account", or click "Are you this business?" on your profile page.

Do I pay if the review isn't removed?

Our removal services are no-removal, no-fee: you're invoiced only once we achieve the removal defined in your Service Agreement. Search suppression is billed for the work performed.

Related

Also dealing with a BBB complaint or a ComplaintsBoard listing? See our BBB or ComplaintsBoard guides, or the full Review Removal & Suppression service. Search suppression moves a listing down, and Google De-indexing covers pages that shouldn't appear in Google at all.

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