NOTE: This policy has been updated as of October 2025.
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Instructions for posting reviews
Instructions for posting reviews:
NOTE: Only PSP members may provide reviews.
PSP REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION POLICY:
At Park Slope Parents, our goal is to be a valuable resource for making important decisions, from birthing and home renovations to birthday party entertainers to baby group meetup spots. PSP values honest, firsthand reviews and recommendations of local businesses, and we want our website to represent every member's opinions – the good, the bad, and the "meh." At the same time, we are mindful of how reviews (both positive and negative) can impact a local business, and we want to ensure that PSP remains a trusted and supportive resource in our community. PSP moderators screen all reviews before posting, and you may be asked to revise your submission to ensure that it aligns with our policy (outlined below).
Who Can Submit a Review/Recommendation
You may submit a review or recommendation if you:
- are an active PSP member
- have visited the business/used the service personally within the last year
- have no financial ties to and/or interest in the business (i.e., you are not the owner, employee, relative). Please see information here on how to work with the advertising team to spread the word to our 8,000 families.
- If you have a non-financial personal tie to the business (e.g., the owner is your friend), you may submit a recommendation as long as your personal connection is made clear in the post
- have not (or will not) receive any financial incentive in exchange for your review (e.g., discount or free product/service if you post a review)
- have not already submitted a review/recommendation of the same business within the last year
What PSP Will Accept:
- Clear and concise (ideally 500 words or less) reviews based on recent (i.e. within the last year) firsthand experience
- Honest and respectful feedback – whether positive or negative – that aligns with our policy (See below for more on PSP’s approach to reviews)
- To the extent that you have a personal tie to the business (e.g., the owner is your friend), a review that clearly states the existence of this connection
Examples of Acceptable Reviews:
"I'd like to put in a good word for the people at the Personal Touch Bookstore. I've been searching for years for an out-of-print book I loved as a child, and these guys not only tracked it down for me, but also gift-wrapped it beautifully for my child!”
"Crust Bakery just opened on my block, and the almond croissants are amazing! The owner is a dear friend of mine and fellow local parent, but I'd eat there even if we were sworn enemies!”
What PSP Will Not Accept
PSP will not post any of the following:
- Advertisements, self-promotions, marketing materials or recommendations from anyone with financial ties to the business (i.e., owner, employee, relative). Please see information here on how to work with the advertising team to spread the word to our 8,000 families.
- Reviews that are based on information received secondhand, rather than authentic, firsthand personal experiences, or reviews that appear suspicious or fake
- Repeat reviews for the same business submitted less than a year apart
- Recommendations made in return for free products or services (“get 10% off your order for posting a shout-out on PSP”)
- Reviews that accuse a business of malpractice or illegal/unethical conduct (e.g., labor law misconduct) or are defamatory or discriminatory. See below for resources to report suspected illegal/unethical conduct.
- Unsolicited negative reviews through our Anonymous Post Moderator to the Advice Group (you can post those publicly)
- Reviews about a business that is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit
- Messages on our public forums that appear to be personal attacks or attacks on businesses, which are unfairly biased, come across as excessively harsh, or are based on unrealistic expectations. Because we are a neighborhood community, it’s important to us that we foster meaningful discussions that help support a strong and healthy community beyond just our online community.
- If your review/recommendation conflicts with our policy, PSP moderators will reach out to you. They may ask you to revise so that it fits within our guidelines. Check your spam and social/promotions tabs if you’ve submitted a review as some email providers incorrectly file those emails.
Examples of Unacceptable Positive Reviews:
"Has anyone else noticed how great the food is at that new French restaurant in South Slope? Whoever owns that place is doing a wonderful service for the neighborhood--the steak frites is the best around!" [posted by the owner’s mother-in-law.]
"Looking for the perfect holiday photos? Look no further than Moment Photography – I can help you create the most wonderful memories for your family!” [self-promotion]
Negative Reviews
Bad experiences happen, and the opportunity to share them with fellow parents is critical to maintaining a community based on trust. Keep in mind that your words carry weight—we ask members to approach negative reviews thoughtfully and with the intent to inform, not harm.
NOTE: If you believe that a business is conducting itself illegally or unethically, or that you have personally experienced behavior you would like to report or file a complaint about, we encourage you to contact the appropriate organization, which may include:
- Better Business Bureau
- The Attorney General's office
- Medical complaints: New York State Department of Health, which can take effective measures.
- Non-physician complaint of a professional licensed to practice by the State of New York: Office of the Professions
- For complaints about labor law violations, including age and hour violations, harassment, discrimination, and safety issues: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
A Note About Submitting A Negative Review
Before submitting a negative review, please reach out to the business first. A conversation with the owner/manager can clear up misunderstandings or bring needed attention to a problematic situation (e.g., an employee in need of better supervision, a misguided policy, etc.). If things can be cleared up through this engagement, everybody wins. (If you do engage with a business and reach a positive resolution, feel free to post about that experience!) If, after engaging, you find the owner/manager to be unresponsive or unreasonable, we encourage you to submit/resubmit your review, including the fact that you tried to resolve the issue directly (this is especially true if it's an ongoing pattern or policy change).
Never threaten a business with a negative PSP review. Never threaten a business with “If you don’t fix this, I’ll post about this to Park Slope Parents.” This has happened in the past and does a great disservice to the trust that PSP works hard to build and maintain with local businesses in our community. Attempting to use Park Slope Parents outlets to bully a business is inappropriate, exposes PSP to unfair reputational harm, and may result in the revocation of your membership.
Examples of Acceptable Negative Reviews: (Note: All of these examples currently live on the PSP website)
“Management communicates poorly and does not value parent experience.”
“This was my first baby and I found Dr. A to be terse, often using technical language and running through important information really fast without stopping to explain. This was especially problematic when we had a test result scare, and spent a week thinking we got terrible news, only to find out that actually the results were not bad, just inconclusive. If you need warm bedside manners and a doctor who explains things thoroughly, I wouldn’t recommend Dr. A for you.”
“The director is constantly moving kids up to the next age group and is more concerned with making space in the younger classrooms (where there is a waitlist) than providing continuity of experience for the older kids. The transitions often tend to be quite abrupt with little warning. Generally speaking the director is not approachable and if/when you ask questions you usually get a very curt response.”
“The extended day felt unstructured and, on certain days, a little sloppy. The kids played on some playmats and the counselors just lined the walls looking exhausted from the day. Perhaps a little more structure would have helped everyone?”
Examples of Unacceptable Negative Reviews:
“I need to warn people about Pipsqueaks Daycare – my son attended for a few months before I found out about some really shady practices, including very clear violations of labor practices that are going on there. You’d be wise to avoid this daycare for your little one.” [accusations of labor law violations]
“The Whiskey Well would not seat our party of 15 and the hostess was especially rude when we pointed out that there were two tables available. Take your business elsewhere.” [When the party had no reservation at a venue that requires reservations]
“Just wanted people to know that Cakes Bakery wouldn’t make me a nut-free cake. We should all avoid patronizing that small business!” [In reality, a bakery that uses nuts in their kitchen cannot claim that their products are nut-free]
“I bought a $300 party dress at Party Hearty and they would not let me return it. Don’t shop at this store!” [In reality the receipt and cash register included “no returns for party dresses.”]
If we find that a negative review is problematic (using the unacceptable factors above), we will follow up with you via email. Please check your email (spam and social/promotions tabs) for messages.
How to Submit a Review/Recommendation
There are a number of ways that a review/recommendation can be shared on our website – they may come from a response posted broadly in response to a question in our advice or specialty email groups; they may come from completed surveys that PSP sends out from time to time; or they may come from unsolicited reviews/recommendations submitted directly for posting to our website.
To submit an unsolicited review/recommendation to our website, complete this form, which will require the following information:
- The name and contact information for the business
- Your name and contact information (and PSP Member ID if you have it handy)
- A review/recommendation that adheres to our review policy
- Your agreement to PSP’s Declaration of Integrity
As a reminder, all reviews/recommendations are screened by PSP moderators and may be edited for length and/or clarity and to ensure adherence to our policy. If your review/recommendation conflicts with our policy, PSP moderators will reach out to you.
FINALLY
Remember that YOU are responsible for the content of your post, not Park Slope Parents. Anti-SLAPP laws protect freedom of speech, but sometimes saying “I would not recommend this company” can be as effective as a long explanation. For some background, PSP was threatened with a lawsuit which was time-consuming and draining— here's the story in the New York Times. We’ve also been contacted by medical institutions around negative reviews (e.g., “Dr. X jeopardized my baby’s life”), so we are cautious around medical-related reviews accusing doctors of malpractice. Bottom line: Just because something is true doesn’t mean that issues won’t arise from a negative review.
To reiterate, PSP seeks to serve our community in a way that allows free speech, supports vital local businesses, and values member experiences. We greatly appreciate our members' understanding and grace with regard to this policy. Your voice is important, and we want it to be heard.
READY TO GIVE US A REVIEW? Here's what you'll need:
- Business Name and contact information about the business/provider
- Your Park Slope Parents Member ID OR the email address you receive PSP emails (only PSP members may provide reviews, so you must include this)
- Your Unbiased, even tempered Review* (Please read the PSP's Recommendation Policy)
- Your agreement to our "Declaration of Integrity"
Declaration of Integrity:
- You will be required to agree to this Declaration of Integrity. If you can't make this certification your review will not be included on the PSP website.
I AGREE TO THE DECLARATION OF INTEGRITY…. if you certify that I have no conflict-of-interest in making this entry (I are neither owner/employee/family member/best friend). I realize that false advertising is a Class A misdemeanor (Section 190.20 of the NYS Penal Law) and violations to this declaration may result in myself or the business being publicized for the violation and my membership suspended.
Have Everything? Submit your review on THIS FORM.
Please:
- Allow 2-3 weeks for your review to post (longer if the recommendation was posted to the PSP Advice Group). If it doesn't show up after 3 weeks, please email us at hello@parkslopeparents.com. (NOTE: We are updating the PSP website and so reviews posted may take longer to be transferred.)
