Review Dispute Policy

1. Overview

EMSGrades publishes reviews submitted by patients, family members, EMS providers, and employers. We believe strongly in the public's right to share honest experiences. We will not remove a review simply because an agency or provider disagrees with it, finds it unflattering, or disputes its characterization of events.

At the same time, we recognize that false or fabricated reviews can cause real harm. This policy establishes a fair, transparent process for agencies and providers to challenge reviews they believe violate our Community Guidelines.

This dispute process is available to:

• Licensed EMS agencies with a profile on EMSGrades;
• Individual EMS providers with a profile on EMSGrades;
• Authorized representatives of the above.

2. What We Will Consider

We will investigate a dispute and consider removing or editing a review if you provide credible evidence that the review:

• Is factually false: Contains specific, verifiable statements of fact that are demonstrably untrue (not just disputed or subject to differing interpretation);
• Was submitted by someone without firsthand experience: The reviewer demonstrably never interacted with your agency or provider;
• Constitutes a conflict of interest: The review was submitted by a direct competitor, a reviewer with a financial incentive, or a reviewer acting in bad faith;
• Contains prohibited content: The review includes content prohibited by our Community Guidelines (personal attacks, HIPAA-protected information, threats, etc.);
• Is fabricated: The review describes an event, incident, or interaction that did not occur;
• Violates our Terms of Service in any other clearly documented way.

3. What We Will Not Consider

We will not remove a review on the following grounds:

• The agency or provider disputes the reviewer's characterization of events, where no independently verifiable fact is at issue;
• The review is negative, critical, or damaging to reputation - without a specific, provable factual error;
• The agency or provider believes the reviewer's opinion is unfair or exaggerated;
• The review is anonymous or pseudonymous - anonymity alone is not grounds for removal;
• The agency or provider has received legal advice suggesting the review may be actionable - legal threats directed at EMSGrades do not constitute grounds for removal and will be handled per Section 7;
• The review is old - there is no expiration on legitimate reviews.

EMSGrades is not an arbiter of factual disputes between a reviewer and a reviewed party. Where a reviewer and an agency describe the same event differently and neither account is independently verifiable, we will not remove the review. The public is capable of evaluating competing accounts.

4. How to File a Dispute

To file a formal review dispute, email [email protected] with the subject line "Review Dispute - [Your Agency/Provider Name]" and include the following:

• The URL or direct link to the review you are disputing;
• Your full name and role (agency owner, director, provider, authorized representative);
• A clear, specific statement of why you believe the review violates our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service;
• Any supporting documentation or evidence you wish us to consider (records, schedules, communications - do not include patient-identifying information);
• Your contact email and phone number for follow-up.

Disputes submitted without the above information may not be processed. We are not able to investigate vague or general complaints - your dispute must identify the specific factual or policy violation you are alleging.

5. Our Review Process

Upon receiving a properly submitted dispute, our process is as follows:

• Acknowledgment (guideline: within 21 days of receipt): We will confirm receipt of your dispute and assign it a reference number. Actual acknowledgment may occur sooner or later depending on dispute volume and complexity.
• Initial review (guideline: within 30 days of acknowledgment): A member of the EMSGrades team will review the dispute against our Community Guidelines and the evidence provided. This timeline is a guideline only and may vary.
• Reviewer notification: If the dispute raises a credible allegation, we may contact the reviewer to provide them an opportunity to respond or provide additional context. The reviewer's identity will not be disclosed to the disputing party.
• Decision (guideline: within 30 days of initial review): We will notify you of our decision via email. Our decision will include a brief explanation of the outcome. This timeline is a guideline only and actual decisions may be reached sooner or later based on the complexity of the dispute and the volume of matters under review.

All timelines stated above are guidelines intended to set general expectations and do not constitute binding commitments. EMSGrades will make reasonable efforts to adhere to these guidelines but expressly reserves the right to take additional time as needed. We will endeavor to notify you if a significant delay is anticipated.

6. Possible Outcomes

Following our review, we may take any of the following actions:

• No action: The review does not violate our Guidelines and will remain published as-is.
• Content edit: A specific portion of the review that violates our Guidelines (e.g., HIPAA-protected information, personal identifying details) will be removed while the substantive review content remains.
• Review removal: The review is found to clearly violate our Guidelines and will be removed from the Platform.
• Account action: The reviewer's account may be suspended or terminated if the review is found to be part of a pattern of bad-faith conduct.

All decisions are made at EMSGrades' sole discretion. Our decision is final within this process.

7. Your Right to Respond Publicly

Regardless of the outcome of a formal dispute, agencies and providers with Silver, Gold, Diamond, or Enterprise subscriptions have the right to post a public response to any review on their profile. This response appears directly below the review and is visible to all users.

A well-crafted public response is often more effective than a dispute request. It demonstrates professionalism, provides your perspective, and shows the community that you take feedback seriously. We strongly encourage this approach.

Public responses are subject to our Community Guidelines. Responses that attack the reviewer, disclose private information, or contain prohibited content will be removed.

8. Escalation and Legal Notices

If you believe a review constitutes defamation or otherwise violates applicable law and you wish to pursue legal action, EMSGrades respects your right to do so. However:

• Demand letters and legal threats sent to EMSGrades do not constitute a review dispute and will not trigger our dispute review process. They will be forwarded to our legal counsel.
• EMSGrades asserts all applicable protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. § 230, with respect to third-party user content.
• Subpoenas and valid legal process seeking reviewer identity information will be handled in accordance with our Subpoena Response Protocol described in Section 9 below and our Privacy Policy.
• We will not voluntarily disclose reviewer identity information in response to demand letters, cease-and-desist letters, or informal legal threats - only in response to valid legal process.

Legal notices should be sent to:
EMSGrades LLC
8735 Dunwoody Place, Suite 5999
Atlanta, GA 30350
[email protected]

9. Subpoena Response Protocol

When EMSGrades receives a valid subpoena or court order seeking reviewer identity information, we will follow this protocol:

• Validity review: We will review the legal process for facial validity, including whether it was issued by a court of competent jurisdiction and whether it identifies the specific information sought with reasonable particularity.
• Reviewer notification: Where legally permitted, we will notify the affected reviewer of the subpoena and provide them not less than 10 business days to file a motion to quash or otherwise challenge the subpoena before we disclose any identifying information. If a court order or applicable law prohibits us from notifying the reviewer, we will comply with that restriction.
• Minimum disclosure: We will disclose only the minimum information required by the legal process. We will not voluntarily provide information beyond what is specifically demanded.
• No voluntary disclosure: We will not disclose reviewer identity information in response to demand letters, cease-and-desist letters, or informal requests from attorneys, regardless of the claims asserted. Only valid legal process (subpoena, court order, or equivalent) will result in disclosure.

This protocol applies to all requests for reviewer identity information, whether from agencies, providers, their attorneys, or government entities.

10. Corrections and Retractions

Reviewer-initiated corrections: Reviewers may edit or retract their own reviews at any time through their account. Edited reviews will display a notation that the review has been updated, along with the date of the most recent edit. Retracted reviews will be removed from public display.

EMSGrades editorial notes: In cases where a dispute investigation reveals a verifiable factual discrepancy that does not warrant full removal of a review, EMSGrades may append a brief factual note to the review. Editorial notes will be clearly labeled as added by EMSGrades and will be limited to verifiable facts (e.g., "The agency has provided documentation that the event described in this review occurred on [date], not [date as stated by reviewer]"). Editorial notes will not express opinions on the merits of the review.

The availability of corrections and editorial notes is an alternative to full removal and reflects our commitment to accuracy without unnecessarily suppressing legitimate user expression.

11. Appeals

Reviewer appeals: If your review has been removed and you believe the removal was in error, you may appeal by contacting legal@emsgrades.com with the text of the removed review, an explanation of why you believe the removal was incorrect, and any supporting information. We will review your appeal and respond within 10 business days. Our decision on appeal is final.

Agency and provider appeals: If you filed a dispute and EMSGrades decided to leave the review published, you may submit one appeal within 14 days of our decision. Your appeal must include new evidence or information not previously submitted in the original dispute. Appeals that merely restate the same arguments without new evidence will not be considered. Our decision on appeal is final.

Each dispute is entitled to one appeal per party. Further appeals on the same review will not be accepted unless the review is subsequently edited by the reviewer in a way that creates a new potential violation.

12. Disputes Filed by Individual Providers

Individual EMS providers who have a profile on EMSGrades and wish to dispute a review of their personal profile may use the same dispute process described in this policy by emailing [email protected].

The same standards apply - we will investigate disputes alleging specific factual falsehoods, prohibited content, or clear policy violations. We will not remove reviews simply because a provider disputes a reviewer's characterization of a clinical or professional interaction.

Providers are encouraged to use their public response right to provide context and their perspective on any review they believe is unfair.