Safety & Trust

How listings are moderated

Every provider listing starts as a community submission and is reviewed by a human before it goes live. We cross-check the contact details, look for obvious red flags, and make sure the business is actually serving the Malayali community in New Zealand. Listings that don't pass review are rejected with a note; approved listings appear in category and city searches.

Listings can be updated after they go live — either by the original submitter, by the business owner once they've claimed the listing, or by our moderators in response to a report.

Reviews are community opinions, not endorsements

Reviews on Kiwi Malayali are written by the users who post them. They reflect those users' personal experiences — not verified claims by Kiwi Malayali. We don't edit review content; we moderate only when a review breaches our Terms (for example, spam, harassment, defamation, or clearly false factual claims).

Ratings shown on provider pages are aggregates of approved reviews. A single bad review won't tank a provider's rating, and a single glowing one won't vault them to the top. We don't offer paid rankings or sponsored placements.

How to verify a provider yourself

We moderate listings, but we're not a licensing body. For anything involving money, your home, your health, or your family's safety, do your own due diligence before engaging a provider:

• Ask for licences and registrations. Electricians, plumbers, doctors, lawyers, real-estate agents, immigration advisers, and financial advisers all need a specific NZ licence — ask for the number and check it against the relevant public register.
• Ask about insurance. Public liability insurance matters for trades working on your property. Professional indemnity matters for advisers.
• Ask for references or recent work. A real provider will have names to share or photos of recent jobs. Cross-check against our reviews.
• Get a written quote. Verbal quotes are a common source of disputes. Ask for the scope, price, and timeline in writing before work starts.
• Pay safely. Never pay the full amount upfront. Deposits are normal; payment on completion is the norm for most trades.

Reporting a review or listing

If a review looks like spam, harassment, defamation, or is factually false, signed-in users can report it by clicking the Report button on the review itself. Choose a reason and tell us why. We review reports within 7 business days. If we agree the content breaches our Terms or the law, we hide or remove it. If we disagree, we dismiss the report.

For listings (not reviews), or if you aren't signed in, email hello@kiwimalayali.com with the URL and your reason. Include your name and contact details so we can follow up. Same 7-day response window.

The full takedown policy is in Terms of Service §8.

What we don't do

Being honest about this is part of being trustworthy. Kiwi Malayali is a directory with reviews — not a regulator, a broker, or a guarantor. Specifically:

• We don't guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of any service. Ratings reflect community opinion, not a pass/fail audit.
• We don't independently verify licences, insurance, or qualifications. Ask the provider directly and check public registers.
• We don't mediate payment disputes or arbitrate work quality. If something goes wrong commercially, that's between you and the provider (and potentially the Disputes Tribunal).
• We don't take commissions or referral fees. Your relationship with the provider is direct.

For how this translates legally, see the liability and governing-law sections of our Terms.

Contact

Something worth flagging? Email hello@kiwimalayali.com. For process details, see How it works, Terms, and Privacy.