ReviewTop6 publishes independent reviews of brands, online stores, software and services that US shoppers buy from. This page explains exactly how those reviews are researched, scored, kept up to date and paid for, so you can judge how much weight to give them.
Research-based, and we say so
Most ReviewTop6 reviews are research-based. That means we have not bought or tested the product ourselves. Every review says this in a note at the top. We don’t describe unboxing, testing or long-term use unless it actually happened. If a review is ever based on hands-on use, it will be clearly labeled as hands-on.
What we research
For each brand or product, the ReviewTop6 Editorial Team collects and compares:
- Specs and features. Taken from the manufacturer’s or provider’s own product pages, manuals and documentation, and compared with similar options.
- Pricing. Current list prices, plans, fees, renewal rates, shipping costs and typical discounts, checked on the official site on the date shown on the review.
- Policies. Returns, refunds, warranties, money-back guarantees, cancellation terms and shipping times, read from the brand’s published terms.
- Customer feedback. Recurring praise and complaints from public review platforms such as Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), app stores and retailer reviews. We look for patterns across many reviews rather than single stories, and we favor reviews a platform marks as verified purchases.
- Safety and regulatory information, where relevant. For example FDA notices for supplements, FTC actions, or SEC and FINRA resources for financial products.
Where possible, reviews list their main sources at the end so you can check them yourself.
How we score
When a review shows a score, it is an overall rating out of 5 from our editors. It weighs the same five areas for every brand:
- Value for money: what you get for the price, including fees and renewal costs.
- Quality: specs, materials, features and reliability signals in the research.
- Support and warranty: how easy it is to get help, return an item or make a claim.
- Customer satisfaction: the balance of praise and complaints from real customers.
- Ease of use: how simple it is to buy, set up or get started as a first-time customer.
Scores compare a brand with its direct alternatives in the same category, not with every product on the site. Not every review shows a score. Every review still gives our verdict, who the brand is best for and when you should skip it. Our Top 6 picks rank the highest-scoring reviews.
Affiliate links and independence
ReviewTop6 is free to read. We earn money through affiliate links, so if you buy through some links on the site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Pages with affiliate links include a short notice at the top.
- Brands cannot pay for a review, a higher score or a place in our Top 6 picks.
- Partners do not see or approve reviews before they are published.
- Whether a brand has an affiliate program does not change how we research or score it.
Read our full Affiliate Disclosure for details.
Updates and corrections
Prices, plans and policies change often. Every review shows the date it was last updated. When we update a review, we recheck pricing and policies and revise the verdict or score if the facts have changed. Reviews of brands that no longer meet our standards, or that have closed, are removed or redirected to a relevant alternative.
If you spot something that is wrong or out of date, please contact us. We review every correction request and update the page if we confirm the error.
Who writes our reviews
Reviews are researched and written by the ReviewTop6 Editorial Team and published under that name. We don’t use invented author personas or claim credentials we don’t have.
What our reviews are not
Our reviews are general consumer information. They are not medical, financial, legal or tax advice. For health, money and investment decisions, please talk to a qualified professional.