Product ratings are essential to every Shopee seller. They shape buyer trust, influence conversion rates, and reflect your shop’s credibility. But what happens when a review is unfair, inappropriate, or outright abusive?

While Shopee encourages honest feedback, the platform also protects sellers from reviews that violate its guidelines. Here’s a full breakdown of what counts as an inappropriate rating, how to report it, and what Shopee will (and won’t) take action on.

What Counts as an Inappropriate Rating or Review?

1. Inappropriate Language

Shopee does not tolerate language that harms, intimidates, or targets others. If a buyer uses offensive or harmful wording, the review becomes reportable. This includes:

• Profanities or vulgar language

• Hate speech directed at a race, religion, gender, or group

• Discriminatory or abusive remarks

• Threats, whether implied or direct

Any form of verbal harassment aimed at the seller, another buyer, or anyone else is considered a violation.

2. Inappropriate or Irrelevant Media

Photos and videos attached to reviews should be meaningful and related to the item purchased. A rating can be reported if the media is:

• A blank or completely dark photo

• Unrelated images or videos, such as memes, random scenery, or selfies

• Media showing something different from the actual product

Because visuals heavily influence buying decisions, Shopee removes media that misleads or adds no value.

3. Spam or Irrelevant Text

A rating doesn’t need to be long, but it should be coherent and meaningful. Shopee considers text inappropriate when it contains:

• Excessive punctuation or emojis

• Random characters like “ajdnska!!??”

• Repetitive or nonsensical words

• Content completely unrelated to the product

These reviews offer no genuine feedback and unfairly affect a shop’s rating, so sellers can report them.

4. Private or Sensitive Information

Any review that reveals personal information is taken very seriously. Shopee will remove ratings that expose:

• Phone numbers

• Home or office addresses

• Email addresses

• Bank account details or other sensitive data

And here’s the key difference: Shopee deletes these reviews automatically without needing the buyer’s consent, because privacy violations pose a risk to both parties.


 

How Long Will Shopee Take to Respond?

After a seller submits a report, Shopee generally needs up to 5 working days to review the rating. The process is manual to ensure fairness, so a short wait time is normal.

Before Reporting: Try Reaching Out First

Not every negative review is intentional or malicious. Many misunderstandings can be resolved through simple communication, and sometimes buyers are willing to update their rating once the issue is clarified.

Tip 1: Contact Buyers via Shopee Chat

A quick, polite message can make a big difference. Ask what went wrong, listen to their concerns, and offer solutions. Many buyers soften their stance when they see the seller taking responsibility.

Tip 2: Follow Up Quickly

Buyers can only edit their rating within 30 days after submission. The earlier you notice a low rating, the better your chances of resolving it.

What Shopee Will Not Remove

Some ratings feel unfair, but they don’t qualify for removal because they do not violate Shopee’s rules. These include:

• Low ratings without explanation

• Comments that are short or vague, like “okay lah,” “so-so,” or “average”

• Honest opinions that remain polite, even if they are negative

As long as the review does not contain inappropriate language, irrelevant content, or private information, Shopee will not intervene.

How Shopee Handles Inappropriate Ratings

Once Shopee confirms that a rating violates its guidelines, this is what happens next:

Shopee Will Hide Ratings That Include:

• Inappropriate language

• Spammy or irrelevant comments

• Blank or unrelated photos or videos

Hidden reviews are no longer visible to buyers.

Shopee Will Delete Ratings That Include:

• Private or sensitive information. These are removed immediately and do not require consent from the reviewer.

For All Other Violations Requiring Removal:

Shopee will ask for consent from the person who posted the rating, whether it’s a buyer or seller before permanently deleting it. This ensures fairness and transparency for both parties.

Staying Ahead With Efficient Seller Tools

Handling inappropriate ratings is part of running an online business, and Shopee’s reporting system gives sellers a fair way to deal with reviews that clearly violate platform rules. But managing these situations efficiently and keeping your shop running smoothly at the same time can be challenging when you’re juggling multiple tasks across different marketplaces.

That’s why many Southeast Asian sellers choose to streamline their daily operations with tools that help them stay organised, respond faster, and protect their shop performance. BigSeller is one of the platforms built exactly for this purpose. Beyond helping you monitor orders, listings, stock levels, and customer interactions in one place, it also offers automation features like auto review replies, overselling prevention, bulk product migration, and real-time syncing that support you in maintaining a strong shop reputation.

Try BigSeller for free today and experience how much smoother your selling routine can be.