Draft. Not legal advice. Counsel review pending.

Brand Response Policy

Beta draft -- Last updated September 2026

Tried is an independent consumer product database. Ratings and reviews belong to the people who wrote them -- not to the brands being reviewed. This page explains exactly what brands can and cannot do on Tried.

What brands CANNOT do

Pay to change ratings. Tried's rating system is a straight average of independent user ratings. No payment, partnership, or sponsorship will ever move a rating. There is no mechanism to purchase a higher score, and if we discover an attempt to do so, we will remove the listing and publish a transparency notice.

Remove or suppress negative reviews. Honest negative reviews are protected. A brand claiming a review is "unfair" or "inaccurate" is not grounds for removal. The threshold for moderation is violations of our content rules (illegal content, harassment, clear fabrications) -- not brand unhappiness with a score.

Buy placement. Rankings on Tried are algorithmic and based on community rating activity, recency, and engagement. There is no sponsored placement, no paid top-of-list, and no "featured" tier that money can buy.

Pressure users directly. Brands may not contact Tried users outside of the Service to threaten, intimidate, or incentivize them to change or delete their reviews. If we learn this is happening, we'll note it publicly on the brand page.

Influence moderation behind the scenes. Brand representatives do not have elevated moderation access. Flagging a review puts it in the same queue as any other flag; brand identity does not weight the decision.

What brands CAN do

Claim their brand page. Brand representatives can verify ownership by signing in with a domain-matching email address (e.g., an @acmeco.com email for the Acme Co brand page). Verified status is shown on the listing.

Edit brand information. Verified brand representatives can edit the factual brand info block -- name, description, website, product categories, and imagery. They cannot edit ratings, reviews, or the rating average.

Respond to reviews. This feature is in development. When it ships, verified representatives will be able to post a single public reply to any review, attributed to their brand. Responses are subject to our content rules and can be reported like any other content.

Request DMCA takedown of clearly copied content. If a review reproduces substantial portions of copyrighted content verbatim (e.g., copied from another publication), a brand rights-holder may submit a DMCA notice via our DMCA policy. This applies only to genuine copyright claims -- not to honest consumer opinion.

Submit factual corrections for moderator review. If a review contains a demonstrably false factual claim (not just an opinion), brands may flag it with supporting documentation. A moderator will review it; the moderator's decision is final.

Transparency

We believe brand and consumer interests are better served by a platform where trust is structural, not negotiated. If you're a brand representative with questions, email hello@sugarcap.com. We'll explain exactly how a policy applies to your situation.

If you're a user who thinks a brand is trying to game the system, report it -- we take it seriously.