Yes, sadly this is true with some providers…..

....some like to "discuss" the reviews #'s not to be under an 8...hell, some prob. write the review for the dude for some xxxtra favors. If they get a review # they don’t like, even though the text of the reviews is good, some will go ape shit, contact admin & whine, or even worse threaten the hobbyist w/black list or outings.

-- Modified on 1/20/2011 2:38:34 PM

....at least from my perspective....

Reviews of providers, as with any sort of review from food to movies, are a subjective assessment made by the reviewer of the services as advertised and received.  With the exception of demonstrable errors in fact, no one else should have anything to do with setting that assessment....including administrators.

What we seem to have done, however, is to try (in a well-meaning manner I believe) to tweak that system to include things such as minimum types of services required to achieve a given rating (whether or not I happen to be personally interested in those services).  Once you open the review system to manipulation...for reasons either good or bad...you've compromised the ability of that system to stand on it's own merits.  The more the system is tweaked, the more open it is to abuse in all directions....

IMHO

I didn't know you could get reviews removed.  I guess I've been lucky so far, that's to write that the men who have reviewed me really liked me.  A review is a very subjective thing, one man's 10 is another's 7.  Who knows, there is no perfect system so you just have to do the homework.  I would say overall if the reviews are good, you're probably going to have a good time.

My 2 cents.

Sunny

Many valid points made so far

In short, yes, some reviews do get taken down. They get taken down by the reviewer, as the provider cannot get that done. They are taken down or changed (with the new replacing the old) for the reasons GJ mentioned. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a quick or easy fix for preventing harassment or threats from certain providers for reviews they don't personally care for. Fortunately though, many guys will also research by sending PMs to past reviewers. Many times this will provide extremely valuable information. In short, we guys talk amongst ourselves probably about the same amount that the ladies do (some even more...LOL)

What the ladies could understand also is that we guys don't get as wrapped up about the "numbers" as much as they do sometimes. Frankly, and it has been said many times on the reviewers board, a 7 isn't bad. If you read the words describing the number it is not uncomplimentary.
It should also be said that if the reviews are all about in the same range, and there's one or two low sets, smart shoppers will click on the reviewers name and see their past reviews. Sometimes they're all low. Sometimes the reviews that person writes shows what they are like...more than the providers they see. In short...some guys are assholes and nothing makes them happy.
It's been said many times....it may not be a perfect system...but it's the best we have for now.

One final note that bears repeating is that we moderators have NO participation, control, or additional information regarding reviews. We simply police the boards, make sure posts and ads comply with rules, and keep the occasional train wrecks in check.

Good luck....and have fun out there.