First rule of thumb: as you are about to write the review, ask yourself do you want to hurt this dive business? If the answer is yes, take a deep breath. Step away from the keyboard. Return twenty four hours later, and ask yourself again, do I want to hurt this business? Until the answer is "no", you should not write the review, for as long as your intention is malicious, your objectivity will be skewed, your judgment will be impaired, and hyperbole and dishonesty are more likely to rear their ugly heads.

Only when your intention is to help bridge the gap between consumer and business, or to help the dive operator improve on their facilities or service, are you ready to write your negative review.

The goal has to be socially contributory and positive because dive operators, like people, are all flawed.  They have to have the opportunity to fix what may be wrong with them without facing unfair attacks.

If in doubt, don't do it.

SCUBADVISER DOES NOT TOLERATE FAKE REVIEWS.  THIS IS FRAUD, WHICH WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY.

Most reviews that we receive are genuine, but a few fake ones have been received.  It’s an occupational hazard with a site like this.  While we make every effort to prevent them from ever appearing on the site, sometimes they slip through.  Please alert us to any reviews which seem suspect.  We will then challenge the reviewer and remove the review if it proves to be fake.

A Cautionary Note

Defamatory comments can result in legal action being taken against the author - and that information, concerning the identity of the reviewer, would be released upon receipt of a court order requesting such details.

Posting or arranging the posting of false information for commercial advantage (ie. businesses posting fake good reviews about themselves or posting fake bad reviews against a competitor) is a criminal act in many countries and can result in prosecution.