Community
Review Guidelines
Last updated: July 12, 2026
Reviews are the backbone of PoleStudioFinder. They help dancers pick the right studio, and they hold studios accountable for the experience they promise. These guidelines apply to every review, rating, and reply on the Service.
Write from personal experience
- You must have personally attended a class, event, or session at the studio or with the instructor you're reviewing.
- Describe what you experienced — the space, the instruction, the community, the safety practices.
- Reviews should reflect a visit in the last 24 months. Older experiences may have limited value; note the date if you include one.
Be honest and specific
- Star ratings should match the tone and substance of your review.
- Specific detail ("the intro class explained grip and bruises up front, and the studio has crash mats for inverts") is more useful than vague praise or criticism.
- If your experience improved or worsened over time, say so.
What we don't allow
- Fake, incentivized, or coordinated reviews — no reviewing your own studio, competitors, family members' businesses, or in exchange for discounts, gifts, or class credit. Studios must not solicit reviews from friends or staff.
- Off-topic content — political rants, complaints unrelated to the pole experience, or reviews of a different business.
- Personal attacks — targeting instructors or staff by name with insults, threats, or slurs. Constructive criticism of teaching or safety is fine.
- Private information — do not post other people's phone numbers, emails, home addresses, medical details, or photos without consent.
- Hate speech, harassment, or discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or body type.
- Sexually explicit or violent content, and any content involving minors in a sexualized context.
- Illegal activity — allegations of criminal conduct should go to law enforcement, not a public review. We may remove reviews making unverified criminal allegations while an investigation is pending.
- Promotional content — no linking to competing businesses, affiliate links, or personal services.
- Duplicate or auto-generated content — one review per studio per visitor. AI-generated fake reviews will be removed.
- Copyright or trademark violations — only post photos you have the rights to share.
Photos
Only upload photos you took, of the studio's public spaces, equipment, or your own class experience. Do not upload identifiable photos of other students, instructors, or staff without their consent.
Business responses
Verified studio owners may reply once per review. Replies must remain professional and follow the same rules — no personal attacks, no revealing private information about the reviewer, no threats of legal action as a means of intimidation.
Editing and deleting
You may edit or delete your own reviews at any time from your account. We do not edit review text; we may remove reviews (or portions) that violate these guidelines and notify the author when we do.
How we moderate
We use a combination of automated signals (spam detection, honeypot filters, duplicate detection) and human review. Studios can flag reviews they believe violate these guidelines via the "Report" link on any review. We aim to review flags within 5 business days. We will not remove a review solely because a studio disputes its accuracy.
Manipulation and enforcement
Coordinated review manipulation — from either studios or reviewers — may result in review removal, loss of Verified status, account suspension, or permanent ban. Serious or repeat violations may also result in loss of paid subscription features without refund.
Reporting a problem
Use the "Report" link on any review, or email trust@polestudiofinder.com with the review URL and a brief explanation. For legal notices (defamation, DMCA), include your contact information and a good-faith basis for the claim.