Posting guidelines

For every post

1. Post only what you experienced yourself. Not what you were told, not what you read elsewhere.
2. Say when it happened: a date, or at least the month.
3. Be specific about amounts, times and what was said or done.
4. Use photos you took yourself. Do not post photos in which other people are identifiable without their agreement.
5. Do not post anyone's personal details: a personal phone number, a home address, a vehicle number, an ID number, or a photo of a personal document. A business's own details - its name, address, phone number and opening hours - are fine. (Keeping personal details out is also an obligation under India's data protection law, the DPDP Act, not only a courtesy.)
6. One incident is one post. Repeating it does not make it count more, and duplicates are removed.

Additionally, for a warning

When you mark a post as a warning, these are shown beside it, and you are asked to agree to these guidelines before it is published.

7. Describe what happened. Do not allege a crime. "I was charged Rs 800 for an item marked Rs 200" is a fact you witnessed. "They are thieves" is an accusation, and it is the sentence that turns a review into a legal problem.
8. Name the business, never an individual member of staff. No names, no descriptions of a particular person.
9. Do not speculate about intent, ownership, licensing, hygiene ratings or legal status unless you are quoting an official record and can say which.
10. If the matter is in a court, a consumer forum, or a police complaint, do not post about it here while that is live.
11. No slurs, no threats, and nothing about anyone's religion, caste, region, gender or appearance.
12. If the business puts it right, you are encouraged to update or withdraw the post. Withdrawal is always yours to make.

What happens after you post

• A warning that names a business is read by a moderator before it is published. Expect a short delay.
• Any other post, a warning about an area, a road or a practice included, publishes straight away once a few of your posts have been approved. Until then a moderator reads it first.
• When a held warning is published, the business's verified owner on StepUpiq is told, and may reply publicly, once. The business cannot edit or remove your post.
• If your post is rejected you are told why, and you may appeal once, within 30 days of being told. If a moderator sends it back for an edit, My Posts shows you what to change.
• Rejected and withdrawn posts are kept internally, not erased, because a later complaint needs the record.

These guidelines sit alongside our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.