General

What is WineSpy?

WineSpy is an online resource that helps people find the best places to eat, shop, sip, relax and play, based on the informed opinions of a vibrant and active community of people in the know. WineSpy is the fun and easy way to find, review and talk about what's great — and not so great — in the worldwide wine scene.

Is WineSpy free?

Yes! Other than certain advertising features on the site, WineSpy is free.

Why use WineSpy?

WineSpy stands out from traditional word of mouth:
• By creating an easy and fun way for influential people to share opinions on the places they know and go.
• By fostering a vibrant community of movers and shakers who feel connected to both WineSpy and others in their community.
• And, by connecting the well-written and insightful reviews to the actual human beings who wrote them — what we call Taste and Tell.

Who uses WineSpy?

Everyone likes to spy now and then, but WineSpy's main users include:
• Locals who are in the know about what's cool and what’s hot in their community and enjoy sharing this knowledge.
• Fun people who have visited a place or used a service — and want to share their real-life experiences and opinions with friends and other people.
• Visitors who want to quickly get an insider's perspective.
• Anyone who wants to find current and reliable reviews about something in a given destination or area.

What should I be reviewing on WineSpy?

WineSpy is meant for just about any sort of business or destination. Our biggest categories are wineries, hotels, restaurants, bars, salons and retail businesses, but
you can also use WineSpy to find reviews of everything, from theaters and museums.

Who can see me and my reviews?

Visitors to WineSpy can see your first name, last initial (Jeffry R.) and can read your reviews. Only registered spies may vote on your reviews ("Useful", "Funny", "Cool”) or send you messages.

Can business owners message me after I review their business?

Business owners are real people too and sometimes they'd like to reach out to the people who have reviewed their business. We've created a feature that allows business owners to privately message those who have reviewed their business. If you'd prefer not to be contacted by business owners, you may change your settings here.

Is WineSpy in my area?

While WineSpy was started in Napa Valley, we're fostering active communities around the world. You can expect to find us in your area soon if we're not there already.

What is the "WineSpy Special Agent Task Force"?

The WineSpy Special Agent Task Force is our way of recognizing and rewarding those spies who are active publishers and role models, both on and off the site.

Special Agent classification is based on a number of things, some of which include well-written and personal reviews of businesses and services, being accountable for those reviews (use of a real name and photo, etc.), creating useful lists, voting on reviews, complimenting other spies, and good citizenship on Spy Talk.

When the thousands of readers who visit WineSpy see that Special Agent badge on a member's profile, we want them to be confident in the knowledge that it stands for all that WineSpy - and the WineSpy community - can be!

If you think you or someone you know might qualify as a Special Agent in the WineSpy Task Force, send us an email telling us why to HQ@WineSpy.com!

For more on the WineSpy Special Agent Task Force, visit http://www.WineSpy.com/special-agents.html

What are "Sponsored Results"?

When you do a search or look at a business you may see Sponsored Results, these are advertisements paid for by businesses. For more information on opportunities for businesses to enhance their profile on WineSpy, please visit http://www.WineSpy.com/business.html.

I'm a business owner and some reviews disappeared from my business' page. What happened?

Spies may come or go for a few different reasons:
1. A spy may have removed his or her review.
2. WineSpy may have removed the review for violating our Review Guidelines or Terms of Service. See related FAQ here.
3. The review may have been suppressed by WineSpy's automated software system. This system decides how established a particular spy is and whether a review will be shown based on the spy’s involvement on WineSpy. While this may seem unfair to you, this system is designed to protect both consumers and businesses alike from fake reviews (ie, a malicious review from a competitor or a planted review from an employee). The process is entirely automated to avoid human bias, and it affects both positive and negative reviews. It's important to note that these reviews are not deleted (they are always shown on the spy’s public profile) and may reappear on your business page in the future.

Note: Our support team cannot manually restore reviews that are not currently displayed, should you contact us about missing reviews you will receive the information above.

Will WineSpy remove bad reviews if a business pays for sponsorship?

In a word, no. Reviews of WineSpy sponsors and non-sponsors are treated identically, and any complaints are handled by the same user support team, operating under the same Review Guidelines and Terms of Service. While non-sponsors receive free email support, sponsors also have an account manager they can contact. Account managers do not handle complaints about reviews, and any complaints they receive about specific reviews are handed off to the user support team. Only a member of the user support team can remove a review and this team is not part of the sales organization. Please note that members of our user support team do not receive compensation tied to sales performance. This is our version of checks and balances. As you probably realize, negative reviews are a normal part of doing business (what company has never had an upset customer?), so you shouldn't be surprised if you find the occasional negative review on your own page. While it's important to look for patterns in your reviews (unfriendly staff, poor parking, too crowded), you should take any individual perspective with a grain of salt.

Does WineSpy allow sponsors to move bad reviews to the bottom of their page?

Absolutely not. Sponsors can highlight a single review at the top of their page, which is clearly marked with a heading denoting their sponsorship, and that the review has been chosen as the business owner's favorite. Following that, review order is determined by a combination of recency and user voting, and this methodology is applied to all businesses, sponsors or not.

I'm a regular user (not a business owner) and my review isn't showing on a certain business's page when I'm logged out, but I still see it on my profile. What happened?

Some reviewers are more credible than others. For the most part, users can decide for themselves which spies they trust the most. We remove some of the guesswork by screening out reviews that are written by less established users. The process is entirely automated to avoid human bias, and it affects both positive and negative reviews. Since a user can become more or less established over time, your reviews can disappear and reappear over time, as well. Either way, we never actually delete your reviews, and they can still be found on the your personal profile page. This system proves frustrating for some because it sometimes affects perfectly legitimate reviews. The flip side is that it helps protect against fake reviews from malicious competitors and disgruntled former employees. In our opinion, this is a perfect balance that works well for business owners and consumers alike, but we welcome any thoughts you might have about how to refine the balance further.

How do I get the Useful, Funny, Cool buttons at the bottom of my reviews?

Logged in users can vote for reviews they think are: Useful, Funny or Cool. When you are logged in, you will only see the "Edit" and "Remove" links below your reviews because you can't vote on your own reviews. But others will be able to vote for your review. Once your review starts to get votes, you will see the Useful, Funny and Cool vote counts at the bottom of your reviews.

What is the source of business attribute information such as $$$, Parking, Good for Kids, etc.?

Certain subjective business attributes (price range of a business, kid-friendly, attire, etc.) are voted on by spies who have reviewed the business. These attributes can change over time as more people review the business. Other more objective attributes (accepts credit cards, wheelchair accessible) can be set by the business owner if he/she has signed up for Business Owner's Account.

How is the review ordering for a business determined?

WineSpy attempts to show reviews that help consumers make informed decisions. The order is determined by recency, user voting, and other review quality factors, which is why an older review may appear before a newer one. This method is applied to all businesses, sponsors or not. Keep in mind when viewing a business, you can also sort the reviews a few ways - including by date, votes and wine bottle rating.
How is the ranking of search results determined?

WineSpy search results are based on an algorithm that is designed to provide the best results based on a number of different factors including but not limited to the number or reviews and the wine bottle rating of a business and the text of the reviews themselves. We are constantly working on improving our search results so that we can deliver the most relevant results to our spies.

Profile

How do I verify my WineSpy account?

When you've completed the registration process, you will receive an email with a special link. Click it to verify your account. When the verification message arrives in your email inbox, click the verification link, or copy and paste it into your browser. Your account will be verified at this point. If it doesn't work please let us know.

How do I change my basic account information?

To edit your profile or to change your account preferences, log in and click on the "Account Settings" link that appears at the top of any page. You will be able to edit your account preferences here.

How do I change my email address?

Your email addresses and password are found under "Account Settings" which appears in the upper right section of any page. Click that link and you will be taken to your Account Settings page or click here to go directly to your email addresses where you may edit any of your current settings.

Who can see my name?

Only your first name and last initial (Josh B.) will appear on the site. For more information about our use of your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Can I spy under multiple accounts?

No. It's not ok for you to write multiple reviews from multiple accounts about the same business, so we delete multiple accounts when we see them.

What is a Shadow?

Spies can "monitor" you (see the "Monitor This Spy" links on user profiles) and in doing so they become your shadow. You won't be able to see their identity, but they are showing their appreciation for your passionate reports and they'll also see your reviews first when browsing any businesses you've reviewed.

What does "Monitor This Spy" mean?

By clicking this link on a spy's profile you'll be showing your appreciation for their reports by becoming their Shadow. Also, you'll see their reviews first whenever you browse a business they've reviewed.

What are Bookmarks?

Similar to bookmarks in your web browser, bookmarks on WineSpy are a way for you to mark a business or review so you can remember to come back to it later. Bookmark buttons are conveniently located at the top of each business listing and at the bottom of business reviews. Clicking on a bookmark button adds that business to your list. You and others may look at your bookmark list by going to your profile and clicking on the "Bookmark" tab at the top of the profile. Users can always see their own bookmarks but may want to keep it private and prevent others from seeing it. "Private" can be clicked at the top of their listing. "Make Public" is the default and will allow anyone to see your bookmark list.

How do I remove a Contact?

Click on the "Account" link (upper right), then click on "Manage All Contacts," pick the Contact you wish to remove, scroll down and click the "Remove Contact" button.

Writing Reviews

What makes for a great review?

WineSpy reviews are useful, funny and cool because people like you take the time to share thoughtful insights on local businesses and services. The best reviews are personal and knowledgeable, and have a tendency to offer helpful suggestions, perhaps even an insider secret or two. The most useful reviews sometimes make mention of unique qualities that make the business special or the type of person who might also like this business. You can write a review update when you have a new experience to share about a business, but updating with only a superfluous rehashing of your original experience isn't useful, funny, or cool.

What should I review?

Any business, service or place with a physical address is fair game for being reviewed on WineSpy. Think: wineries, restaurants, shops, bars, salons, spas, hotels, B&Bs, parks, galleries, theaters, museums etc.

Can I review a business I'm connected to?

You should not review your own business or a business at which you have been or are currently employed.

What if the business I'm reviewing gave me something for free or at a discount?

You should never accept freebies or discounts in exchange for reviews. For example, if a bar owner offers you a free drink in exchange for a 5-star review, you should not accept his or her offer. Of course it's ok if you were given something for free or at a discount independent of your review, but you should always disclose any special treatment, gifts, or discounts in your review. For example, if the restaurant manager gave you free appetizers on opening night, you should include that information in your review. Spying is about real, honest reviews, so while we're happy you had an extra special experience, we ask you to tell us (your fellow agents) the whole story.

What if I had a bad experience? Can I say something negative?

Sure. We want to hear about your good experiences and your bad ones. Be sure to include all the relevant facts and details. But whether it's a positive review or a negative one, please keep in mind that your opinions are generally protected but posting false information can have legal ramifications.

Does WineSpy ever remove reviews?

Rarely. But in some cases a member of the WineSpy team will remove a review (and will typically email the writer to let them know) if it doesn't follow these guidelines:
• Conflicts of interest. Your reviews should be unbiased and objective. If there's any hint of a conflict, please don't post the review. For example, owners shouldn't sing the praises of their own businesses or bash their competitors, and spies shouldn't comment on their current or former employers.
• Secondhand experiences and rumor. For example, you can't give a winery a bad review because your coworker complained about his cabernet. Your review must be about your personal experiences, not someone else's.
• Personal attacks. We can handle strong language, but there's no need for lewdness, hate speech and other displays of bigotry. Your friends probably know when you're being funny, but the millions of people who read reviews on WineSpy may not.
• Relevance. Reviews aren't the place for rants about a business's employment practices, political ideologies, or other matters that don't address the core of the normal customer experience.
• Plagiarism. Use your own words to tell us about your experience with a local business, but don't lift something from another website.
• Blank reviews. A review without text is like a day without sunshine. Don't be bashful, exercise your brainpower and write!
Additionally, a very small number of reviews may be suppressed by our automated software system that determines which reviews are shown on a business page. This system is designed to protect consumers and businesses alike from fake reviews (ie, a malicious review from a competitor or a planted review from an employee).

Invite

How do I recruit friends?

WineSpy is so much better when the people you know are here. So invite all your friends, family and workmates! Click on the "Recruit Friends" tab in the header of any page on WineSpy, and enter the email addresses of the people you'd like to invite to join your network. We've already created an invitation message for you, but feel free to personalize it. The invitation will automatically contain your first and last name as entered in your WineSpy account settings, and will contain your email address in the "From:" line. When you're finished customizing your message, just click "Send." The invitation will include a link that brings your friend to WineSpy, where they'll be able to read more about why WineSpy is the fun and easy way to make, recommend and talk about what's great in their world. If they accept your invitation, they'll automatically appear in your network.

Privacy

What does WineSpy do with my personal information?

We take privacy very seriously and we hate spam even more than you do. Please take the time to review our Privacy Policy so you can see exactly what we do with your personal information. If you receive spam from another WineSpy agent, or if you receive a message that is harassing, abusive, or contains a violation of our Terms of Service, please forward the message to Admin@WineSpy.com.

Membership

How do I cancel my WineSpy membership?

To cancel your WineSpy membership, please click here. If you don't mind telling us, we'd love to hear why you want to leave. While WineSpy continues to evolve your feedback makes a big difference. If there's something you found unsatisfactory about WineSpy, tell us about it and we'll do our best to try to do better.

Local Business Photos

What kind of photos should I attach to business listings?

Photos should be broadly representative of the business and not an extension of your review. Think about how best to capture newcomer’s first impression of the business.
On rare occasions, we remove content that doesn't follow these guidelines:
• Irrelevance. Photos of the interior and exterior of a business are great, but close-ups of you and your friends are better uploaded to your account profile.
• Malicious captions. Feel free to describe your photo, but your review is the best place to express your opinion.

Spy Talk

What is Spy Talk?

Spy Talk is a place for fun, open, honest and real discussions about the goings on in your community. And while it's easy to quickly engage and post on Spy Talk, remember anyone in the community can read your responses.

What should I post on Spy Talk?

We'd love to hear about...

• Special information: Who has the best deal?
• Share your local knowledge: Know an answer to a question on Spy Talk? Disclose!
• Celebrity spotting: "I just saw George Clooney at Cakebread." Imagine it. All the best local conversations being driven by you and spies like you.

What's not OK on Spy Talk?

We all want WineSpy to be a vibrant and healthy local community, so this means living with some common sense social norms that we like to think of as Spy-worthy behavior. Bad behavior makes Spy Talk less fun for everyone, so avoid the following:

• Vicious or lewd name-calling
• Threatening anyone with harm
• Incessantly harassing or fighting with others
• Hate speech (racial slurs, bigotry, etc.)
• Posting personally identifiable information of other spies (full names, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses)
• Posting on Spy Talk under multiple identities by the same person
• Unwelcome promotion of a business or event
• Posting off-topic Spy Talk posts
• Generally, not being cool

When we are made aware of spies engaging in these behaviors, we have no choice but to consider taking action including possible suspension of the offending spy’s account. So, please, let's all keep it civil and enjoy this open forum for local discussion.

WineSpy for Businesses

You own or manage a business and you've been spied?

That's exciting! For more tips on how WineSpy can help put you into the game, please visit our WineSpy for Business resource located at