Genuine experience only
Every review must come from someone who personally shipped a vehicle with the company. No proxies, no representatives, no guesses.
Legal document
Review Guidelines
Effective: January 1, 2026Last updated: January 1, 2026Version: 1.0
What this document coversThese guidelines explain what makes a valid Transportvibe review, what gets removed and why, how fraud is detected, what rights companies have to dispute reviews, and how our moderation process works. Reviews are the foundation of this platform. These rules exist to protect their integrity - for customers who rely on them, and for companies that earn them honestly.
Three principles behind every decision we make about reviews
Fair to both sides
Reviews are not removed because a company dislikes them. But we investigate genuinely disputed facts and correct real errors where evidence supports it.
Integrity over volume
A smaller number of honest reviews is worth more than a large number of manipulated ones. We prioritise accuracy over quantity at every decision point.
01
Who can leave a review
Transportvibe reviews must come from real customers who personally experienced an auto transport shipment. Specifically, you must have personally arranged or received a vehicle shipment using the company you are reviewing.
You are eligible to review if you:
- Hired an auto transport company directly and were the customer of record
- Received a vehicle that was shipped on your behalf and were present at delivery
- Arranged a shipment as the designated agent for the vehicle owner (e.g. a spouse or business associate), provided the vehicle owner has given you permission to review on their behalf
You are not eligible to review if you:
- Work for or have a financial relationship with the company you are reviewing
- Work for or have a financial relationship with a competitor of the company you are reviewing
- Were paid, offered a discount, or promised any benefit in exchange for leaving a review
- Did not personally arrange or receive the shipment described in the review
- Are submitting a review on behalf of someone else without their explicit consent
One review per shipment
Each shipment generates the right to one review per reviewer. You may not submit multiple reviews for the same shipment or create multiple accounts to submit additional reviews of the same company.
If you used a company multiple times, you may review each separate shipment. We may ask you to confirm shipment dates and routes if we have reason to investigate duplicate submissions.
02
What makes a valid review
A valid Transportvibe review is one that reflects a genuine, honest, and firsthand account of an auto transport experience. It does not need to be positive — negative reviews are as valuable as positive ones, provided they meet these standards.
Content requirements
- Based on personal experience: The review describes what actually happened during your shipment — not what you heard from someone else or read elsewhere
- Factually grounded: Specific claims about the company (pricing, timing, communication, vehicle condition) can be supported by your experience even if not documented with receipts
- Your own words: The review is written by you and reflects your own assessment, not a template provided by a third party
- Relevant to the company: The review addresses the company's actual services — not unrelated complaints, industry grievances, or experiences with other companies
- Complete enough to be useful: We recommend including your route, vehicle type, transport type (open/enclosed), whether the price held, pickup and delivery experience, and whether you would use the company again
What you must confirm
By submitting a review, you confirm under the terms of our Terms of Service that the review is genuine, that you were not paid or incentivised to submit it, and that it does not contain knowingly false statements. Reviews are email-verified before publication.
Writing a helpful reviewThe most useful reviews mention: the route (from/to cities), vehicle type, whether the quoted price matched what you paid, pickup and delivery timing, how communication was during transit, vehicle condition on arrival, and whether you'd use the company again. Specific details help future customers more than general impressions.
03
What is not allowed
The following types of content are not permitted on Transportvibe and will be removed if identified. In serious cases they may result in account suspension and legal action.
Allowed
Honest negative reviews based on real experience
Criticism of pricing, communication, timing, or condition
Describing a dispute or unresolved complaint
Comparing your experience to a previous company
Mentioning refunds, credits, or discounts you received after a complaint
Describing the behaviour of specific drivers or staff (without using full names)
Strongly worded but factually grounded criticism
Not allowed
Reviews from people who did not personally ship with the company
Paid, incentivised, or solicited reviews (positive or negative)
Reviews submitted by company employees or their associates
Reviews submitted by competitors or their representatives
Knowingly false statements of fact
Defamatory, abusive, or threatening language
Personal information about employees (full names, home addresses)
Discriminatory language targeting race, gender, religion, or other protected characteristics
Content copied from another platform or another person's review
Promotional content or links to third-party websites
A note on negative reviews
Transportvibe does not remove reviews simply because they are negative, strongly worded, or critical of a company. A review that says "this company is a scam" based on a genuine experience with a price change at pickup or a delayed delivery is a valid review - even if the company disputes the characterisation. What matters is whether the underlying experience is real and honestly described.
Defamatory content vs. strong opinionThere is a difference between a strong negative opinion ("worst experience I have ever had - avoid at all costs") and a false statement of fact ("this company stole my car" when the car was delivered late but was not stolen). The former is an opinion and is protected. The latter, if knowingly false, may be removed and could expose the reviewer to legal liability.
04
Review examples - what passes and what doesn't
Valid review
"Shipped my 2022 Civic from LA to Dallas in March. Quoted $950, paid $950 - no change at pickup. Driver was professional and called me 30 minutes before arrival. Car arrived with a small scratch on the rear bumper that was not there before. I documented it on the BOL. Company eventually paid the claim after about 3 weeks. Would use again but factor in some patience for claims."
Why it passes: Specific, firsthand, factually grounded. Includes both positives and negatives. Mentions a dispute but describes it accurately. The reviewer would know these details.
Valid review
"Price went up $400 on the day of pickup. Driver said the carrier rate increased and Montway told me to pay the driver or the car would not be loaded. I felt pressured and paid. Would not use again. Three stars because the car arrived on time and undamaged - but the pricing issue is unacceptable."
Why it passes: Specific, firsthand, factually grounded. Includes both positives and negatives. Mentions a dispute but describes it accurately. The reviewer would know these details.
Valid review
"Difficult experience but they made it right. Pickup was 4 days late with no proactive communication - I had to chase every update. When I complained, they apologised and gave me a $150 credit. Car arrived in perfect condition. Communication is their weakness but they do seem to care about resolving problems."
Why it passes: Specific, firsthand, factually grounded. Includes both positives and negatives. Mentions a dispute but describes it accurately. The reviewer would know these details.
Not Valid
"My cousin used this company and said they were terrible. They apparently lost her car for a week and charged her $500 more than quoted. Stay away from these people - they are thieves and crooks."
Why it fails: Not firsthand and includes unsupported accusations. The reviewer did not personally arrange or receive the shipment described.
Not Valid
"Amazing company! Best experience ever! 10/10 would recommend to everyone!!! They are the best auto transport company in America and everyone should use them for all their car shipping needs!"
Why it fails: No specific shipment details and may match incentivised or solicited promotional language.
Not Valid
"I have never used them, but everyone knows they are criminals. Any company with prices that low must be a scam. Avoid them."
Why it fails: Not firsthand and contains unsupported factual accusations about criminal conduct.
05
How moderation works
1
Submission & email verification
After you submit a review, we send a verification email to the address you provided. The review is not published until you click the verification link. This confirms a real person with a real email address submitted the review.
Verification email sent immediately · Review held until confirmed
2
Automated fraud and pattern checks
Our fraud detection system analyses the submission for: patterns matching known fake review templates, IP address clustering (multiple reviews from the same source), submission timing anomalies, language patterns associated with incentivised reviews, and duplicate content from other platforms or previous submissions.
Runs immediately after verification · Flags suspicious submissions for human review
3
Content policy check
The review is checked against our content guidelines — for prohibited content, personal information, defamatory statements, promotional material, and relevance to the company being reviewed.
Automated + human review for flagged submissions
4
Publication
Reviews that pass all checks are published, typically within 2–4 hours of email verification. The company's TrustScore is updated in real time when a new review is published. You receive a confirmation that your review is live.
Usually within 2–4 hours of email verification
5
Ongoing monitoring
Published reviews continue to be monitored. If a pattern emerges that suggests a previously published review was fraudulent, or if a valid dispute investigation reveals factual errors, we may re-evaluate and update the review's status at any time.
Continuous · No time limit on monitoring
06
Fraud detection
Transportvibe takes review fraud seriously because fake reviews undermine the entire purpose of the platform — and because they harm customers who make decisions based on them and companies that have earned honest ratings.
What we look for
- Coordinated review campaigns: Multiple reviews from the same IP address or device within a short time window targeting the same company
- Incentivised review patterns: Language patterns, review timing, and reviewer metadata that suggest reviews were submitted in exchange for discounts, refunds, or other benefits
- Competitor reviews: Reviews submitted from email addresses or IP addresses associated with competing companies or their employees
- Template submissions: Reviews that match known fake review templates or are near-identical to reviews on other platforms
- Account clusters: Multiple accounts created to review the same company, particularly when created in a short window
- Suspicious timing: Sudden spikes in review volume for a company, particularly around reputation-sensitive events
What happens when fraud is detected
When our system flags a potentially fraudulent submission, a member of the Transportvibe moderation team investigates. Depending on the findings:
- The review may be held and not published pending investigation
- Published reviews found to be fraudulent are removed without notice
- The reviewer's account may be suspended or permanently banned
- If a Company is found to be coordinating fake reviews, their profile is suspended, subscriptions cancelled, and the conduct reported to the FTC and FMCSA where appropriate
- Reviewers who submitted genuinely fraudulent reviews may be contacted and required to remove the review; persistent fraudsters may face legal action
Companies: do not ask your customers to review youWhile it is permissible to remind customers that Transportvibe accepts reviews, you may not offer any incentive (discounts, refunds, credits, gifts) in exchange for a review. You may not ask customers to leave a 5-star review specifically. Doing so violates FTC guidelines on endorsements and Transportvibe's policies, and we actively investigate such practices. If we identify a pattern, we will investigate and may suspend your profile regardless of whether the individual reviews were positive.
07
Review removal
Reviews are removed when:
- The review was submitted by someone who did not personally ship with the company
- The review was paid, incentivised, or coordinated
- The review contains knowingly false statements of fact (not strong opinions — false facts)
- The review contains defamatory, threatening, abusive, or discriminatory content
- The review contains personal information about employees (full names, contact details, home addresses)
- The review was submitted in violation of our Terms of Service or these guidelines
- A court order requires removal
- The reviewer requests removal of their own review (subject to review integrity considerations)
Reviews are not removed when:
- The company disputes the rating or disagrees with the reviewer's characterisation
- The company claims the reviewer's experience was atypical
- The review is negative, strongly worded, or damaging to the company's reputation
- The company believes the reviewer is wrong about what happened
- The company requests removal without providing evidence of a guideline violation
- The review has been resolved — e.g. the company later compensated the customer
For companies: disagreement is not a basis for removalWe understand that negative reviews are frustrating, especially when you believe the reviewer's account is inaccurate or unfair. The appropriate response is to use the Company Response feature to present your perspective publicly. Requesting removal without evidence of a guideline violation will not result in removal. Contacting reviewers directly to pressure review withdrawal is a violation of our Terms and may result in your profile being suspended.
08
Dispute process
Companies with claimed profiles may formally dispute a review they believe violates these guidelines. This is a process for identifying genuine guideline violations - not a general appeals process for negative reviews.
1
Company
Submit a dispute
Log into your company dashboard and use the "Dispute this review" option on the relevant review. You must provide: the specific guideline you believe was violated, your evidence or reasoning, and any supporting documentation. Disputes submitted without specific grounds are not investigated.
2
Transportvibe
Acknowledge and assess
We acknowledge all disputes within 5 business days. We assess whether the dispute raises a credible claim of guideline violation. Disputes that do not identify a specific violation are closed without investigation and the company is notified.
3
Transportvibe
Investigate
For credible disputes, we investigate: we may contact the reviewer for additional information, review shipment metadata, compare IP data, and apply our fraud detection analysis. We do not share the company's dispute with the reviewer unless necessary for the investigation.
4
Reviewer
Reviewer opportunity to respond
In cases where a reviewer's identity or experience is genuinely in question, we may contact the reviewer to provide supporting information - such as a shipment date, vehicle, or route confirmation. Providing false information at this stage constitutes a Terms violation.
5
Transportvibe
Decision
We issue a final decision: the review remains published, is modified (for factual corrections agreed by both parties), or is removed if a guideline violation is confirmed. Our decisions are final. We notify the Company of the outcome. Investigation timelines vary but we aim to resolve disputes within 21 business days.
Transportvibe does not share reviewer email addresses or personal details with companies during or after a dispute process. Companies that contact reviewers directly using information obtained outside the Platform to pressure them are in violation of our Terms and may have their profile suspended.
09
Company responses
Companies with claimed and verified profiles may respond publicly to any Verified Review on their profile. A company response appears directly below the reviewer's text and is visible to all Platform users. Done well, a public response is one of the most effective tools a company has to demonstrate professionalism and accountability.
Response standards
- Professional and respectful: Responses must be courteous, even when the review is strongly negative or you believe it is unfair
- Factual: If you are correcting a factual error, state the correction clearly and specifically — not generally
- Relevant: Responses should address the review, not use the space to promote your company generally
- No personal information: Do not include the reviewer's full name, email, or contact details in your response
- Not threatening or intimidating: Any response that could be read as threatening, intimidating, or designed to pressure the reviewer will be removed and may result in profile suspension
What a good response looks like
The best responses acknowledge the reviewer's experience, take accountability where appropriate, explain what happened from the company's perspective without dismissing the reviewer's account, and describe any steps taken to resolve the issue or prevent recurrence. Customers reading reviews look at company responses closely — a defensive or dismissive response often does more damage than the original review.
Tip: use responses strategicallyResponding to negative reviews thoughtfully — especially critical ones — signals to prospective customers that you take service quality seriously. A company that responds professionally to a 2-star review often comes across better than one that ignores it. Our data shows that companies with consistent, professional response histories convert at higher rates from the Compare page.
10
How TrustScore is affected
Every Verified Review published on Transportvibe contributes to that company's TrustScore. Here is how:
- All valid reviews count: Positive and negative reviews are weighted equally based on their recency and the reliability of the reviewer (verified email, no fraud flags)
- Recency weighting: More recent reviews are weighted more heavily. A review from last month matters more than one from two years ago. This ensures TrustScores reflect current company performance
- Volume threshold: Companies need a minimum number of reviews before a TrustScore is published — this prevents a single review from creating a misleading score
- Removed reviews: If a review is removed for guideline violations, it is also removed from the TrustScore calculation retroactively
- External reviews: Aggregate scores from Google, Trustpilot, BBB, ConsumerAffairs, and Yelp are incorporated into TrustScore as a weighted component alongside Transportvibe verified reviews
- Fraud penalties: Companies found to have coordinated fake reviews may have their TrustScore suspended entirely while investigation proceeds
TrustScore is updated within minutes of a new review being published or removed. The detailed methodology — including category weights (pricing accuracy, vehicle condition, communication, delivery timing, pickup timing, issue resolution) — is available on the How TrustScore works page.
11
Reporting a review
If you see a review on the Platform that you believe violates these guidelines, you can report it using the "Report this review" option that appears on every published review, or by contacting us directly.
Who can report a review
- Anyone can report a review they believe violates our guidelines — customers, companies, or general Platform users
- Companies with claimed profiles have additional dispute tools in their dashboard
What to include in a report
- The URL or identifying details of the review you are reporting
- The specific guideline you believe has been violated (see Section 3)
- Any evidence or reasoning to support your report
What happens after you report
All reports are reviewed by Transportvibe's moderation team. We do not provide detailed updates on investigation outcomes to reporters (other than to companies who have filed formal disputes through the dashboard process). If a review is removed following your report, the review will simply no longer be visible on the Platform.
False reportsSubmitting false or bad-faith reports — for example, reporting competitor reviews solely to try to get them removed — is a violation of our Terms of Service and may result in account suspension. Our moderation team can identify patterns of bad-faith reporting.
12
Contact us
For questions about these guidelines, to report a review, or to escalate a moderation concern:
Transportvibe - Review Integrity Team
- Reviews
- reviews@transportvibe.com
- Fraud reports
- fraud@transportvibe.com
- General
- hello@transportvibe.com
- Mailing
- Transportvibe, Inc., 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, USA
- Response
- Review reports: within 5 business days. Disputes (dashboard): within 5 business days to acknowledge, 21 business days to resolve.
Transportvibe, Inc.
These Review Guidelines are effective as of January 1, 2026 and apply to all reviews submitted to or published on the Platform from that date.
v1.0 - January 1, 2026