Anonymous reviews
Anyone can leave a review on most platforms - whether they used the service or not. There's no verification, no skin in the game.
The Fortuna Trust System
Trust Points that
actually mean something
Every review on Fortuna is weighted by real verified spend. No anonymous clicks. No incentivised five-stars. Just verified transactions, rated by both sides.
A real example
The Shed at Dulwich
London, 2017
Journalist Oobah Butler listed his garden shed as a London restaurant on TripAdvisor. Starting at number 18,149, he used staged food photographs, fabricated reviews, and a policy of being "always fully booked" to manufacture the appearance of exclusivity and demand.
Within months, The Shed at Dulwich climbed to number one on TripAdvisor - the highest-rated restaurant in London. It had never served a single meal. When Butler opened it for one night, guests were served supermarket ready meals on a garden shed floor.
The platform's entire ranking system had been gamed without a single real transaction. That is the fake review problem - and it is not limited to restaurants.
Source: Forbes·The Washington Post·London Evening Standard
Review farms
Businesses pay for fake five-stars. Competitors pay for fake one-stars. The entire system is gameable with a credit card.
No accountability
The reviewer faces zero consequences for a dishonest review. The business has no recourse. Trust is destroyed for everyone.
The Fortuna answer
On Fortuna, you can only leave a review if you completed a verified transaction. Your review is weighted by how much you spent. A $500 transaction carries 10× the weight of a $50 transaction.
The business also rates you. Both scores are permanent, public, and tied to your member identity. There are no anonymous reviews. There are no review farms. There is no way to game it without spending real money - which means real accountability.
The Shed at Dulwich reached number one on TripAdvisor without serving a single meal. On Fortuna, that is structurally impossible - because no transaction means no review.
The formula
Spend × Score = Trust Points
Every transaction converts to a trust point delta using the spend amount as the weight. A neutral score (5) earns zero points - neither positive nor negative. Scores above 5 earn points. Scores below 5 deduct them.
Amount Spent
500
Score 8 multiplier
+60%
Trust Points
+300 pts
Example: $500 transaction rated 8/10 (Excellent) → +300 Business Trust Points to the vendor
ScoreMultiplierLabelEffect
10+100%ExceptionalEarns points
9+80%OutstandingEarns points
8+60%ExcellentEarns points
7+40%Very GoodEarns points
6+20%GoodEarns points
50%NeutralNo change
4-20%Below AverageDeducts points
3-40%PoorDeducts points
2-60%Very PoorDeducts points
1-80%UnacceptableDeducts points
0-100%FraudulentDeducts points
Two-way accountability
The business rates you too
Every transaction generates two reviews. The client rates the vendor. The vendor rates the client. Both scores are permanent and public, and whichever member is rated below 5 gets the same 7 days to put it right. This creates genuine accountability on both sides.
Client rates Vendor
Affects Business Trust Points
Your rating of the service goes directly to the vendor's Business Trust Points. A score of 8+ earns them significant points. A score below 5 deducts points and opens a dispute window.
Score 9 on $1,000 spend → vendor earns +800 Business pts
Vendor rates Client
Coming with List Your Property
When the List Your Property feature launches, businesses will also rate you as a client - were you respectful, did you show up, did you honour the terms? Member ratings will determine how prominently your property listing ranks in the community.
Member Trust Points activate with the List Your Property
Why this eliminates fake reviews
You can only review a transaction you completed - no transaction, no review.
Your review weight is proportional to your spend - small amounts carry small weight.
Your identity is tied to your review - no anonymous attacks, no fake five-stars.
The vendor rates you back - bad-faith reviewers accumulate a poor personal score.
All reviews are permanent - there's no deleting a bad review after the fact.
The make-it-right window
7 days to fix it
When either side gives a negative score (below 5), the member it was given to has 7 days to contact the other and resolve the issue. This isn't about suppressing bad reviews - it's about giving anyone a fair chance to make things right before the deduction is permanent.
Negative review submitted
Day 0Either side gives a score below 5. The negative trust point delta is calculated and a dispute window opens immediately, against the member the score was given to.
The rated member reaches out
Days 1-7The member the score was given to contacts the other directly to understand the issue and offer a resolution - a refund, a redo, or a genuine apology.
Dispute resolved
Within 7 daysIf a resolution is submitted, the negative delta is softened by 50%. The review remains - but the effort to put it right is recognised.
Window expires
Day 7+If no resolution is submitted within 7 days, the full negative delta stands permanently. No exceptions.
Why not just let members delete bad reviews? Because that defeats the purpose. The dispute window isn't about suppression - it's about resolution.A member who genuinely fixes the problem deserves partial credit. A member who ignores it doesn't.The review always stays. The score reflects the outcome.
Business trust levels
From Newbie to Featured
Business Trust Points follow a six-level progression. Levels are earned - not bought. The only way to advance is through genuine, verified transactions and member endorsements. Higher levels mean higher placement in search results and recommendations.
Newbie
Level 1
0 - 999 pts
Traveller
Level 2
1,000 - 4,999 pts
Explorer
Level 3
5,000 - 9,999 pts
Guide
Level 4
10,000 - 24,999 pts
PRO
Level 5
25,000+ pts
Featured
Level 6
Invited by Board
Favourite Places - automatically curated
When you give a score of 8 or above on a transaction, that place is automatically added to your Favourite Places - a public list of your highest-rated experiences. It's not a wishlist. It's a verified record of places you've actually been to and genuinely loved. The higher your spend, the more weight your recommendation carries.
System features
Everything in one system
Transaction-gated reviews
Only members who completed a verified transaction can leave a review. No transaction, no voice.
Weighted scoring
Your spend determines the weight of your review. A $1,000 transaction carries 10× the impact of a $100 one.
Bilateral ratings
Clients rate businesses after every transaction. When List Your Property launches, businesses will also rate members - determining how property listings rank.
7-day dispute window
Negative scores open a 7-day window for the vendor to contact the client and resolve the issue.
Dispute resolution credit
Vendors who resolve disputes within 7 days have their negative delta softened by 50%.
Favourite Places
Scores of 8+ automatically add the venue to your public Favourite Places - a verified travel record.
Six business levels
Newbie to Featured - earned through genuine verified transactions. Higher levels mean higher placement in search results. Featured is by Board invitation only.
Badges and milestones
Businesses unlock achievement badges as their Trust Points grow. Each badge is tied to a verified threshold.
Permanent record
Reviews cannot be deleted. The dispute window allows resolution - not erasure. Accountability is permanent.
A community built on verified trust
Every transaction you complete contributes to a provider's Trust Pts - and to the integrity of the community. The more the community transacts honestly, the more every recommendation on Fortuna is worth trusting.