HOW THE SITE IS RUN
Editorial Policy
The rules Othakadai.com follows for sources, ratings, independence, money, people and corrections.
- Independence
- Disclosure of money
- Right of reply
- Corrections
SCOPE AND SOURCES
What the site publishes and where it comes from
Applies to every page on Othakadai.com, now and in future.
What kinds of information does the site publish?
Five kinds: published sources, platform ratings, public listings, local insight, and notes from a visit or local feedback.
Each kind is described on the Sources & Methodology page. Some statements may come from word of mouth, local field feedback and people’s opinions and suggestions. A listing with no note about a visit or local feedback may not have been visited.
How are sources chosen?
Official records come first, then major news outlets, then listings.
- Where sources disagree, the site may show each figure with its source
- Where no public source was found, the site may say so instead of guessing
- Ratings and reviews come only from platforms whose terms allow them to be shown, and are credited to them
INDEPENDENCE AND MONEY
Rankings, advertising and commissions
What can and cannot be paid for.
Can a business pay to be ranked or listed?
A business cannot buy a position in any recommendation, ranking or listing.
- Any paid or sponsored placement is labelled “Sponsored” next to the listing
- Businesses may voluntarily contribute towards the upkeep of the site; a contribution never changes a rating, ranking or recommendation, and any business that has contributed is labelled “Supporter” on its listing
- No payment is accepted to remove accurate ratings or accurate criticism
- Gifts and free services of value, if any, are disclosed and do not change a rating or recommendation
- Othakadai.com does not write, buy or swap reviews
What about introductions, bookings and property enquiries?
Othakadai.com may introduce you to an owner, agent, broker or business. If it earns a fee or commission, it tells the people involved before they proceed.
A fee or commission never changes a rating, ranking or recommendation.
What are the conflict-of-interest rules?
If the editor has a personal or financial interest in a business or property that appears on the site, it is disclosed on that listing.
- The editor does not use recommendations to settle personal disputes
- A listing affected by a conflict is marked, or left out
BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE
How the site writes about businesses and people
Facts, opinion, and the right to respond.
What does the site say about businesses?
It publishes ratings and review counts from public platforms, and factual details such as address and timings.
- Reviews belong to their platforms and to the people who wrote them. The rating and review count are shown, credited to the platform with a link, sometimes with the editor’s average of recent reviews and a short summary, in the editor’s own words, of what reviewers mention; review text is not copied
- The site does not publish allegations of crime or misconduct against a named person or business
- Opinions and suggestions may be labelled as the editor’s
- Unless a listing says a registration or licence was checked, it may not have been checked
What does the site say about individuals?
It does not publish the private details of individuals, such as home addresses, phone numbers or family details, without their agreement.
Is the site neutral?
It aims to be neutral and avoids political, religious and other sensitive commentary. Recommendations rest on the evidence described on the sources page.
Can a business or person respond or ask for a change?
Yes. Use the takedown and correction steps.
- Factual errors are corrected once shown against a source
- Closed or moved businesses are removed at the next update
- Requests to remove personal information are acted on
- An accurate third-party rating is not removed because it is unwelcome; it is updated when the platform’s figure changes
FEEDBACK, CORRECTIONS AND LIMITS
Feedback, corrections and what is not guaranteed
How to contribute, how errors are handled and what the site does not promise.
Does feedback change a rating or recommendation?
Feedback can start a check. It never changes a rating or recommendation by itself; the evidence decides.
How your details are handled is in the Privacy Policy.
How are corrections handled?
Each request is checked against its source, and the page is corrected if it is wrong. A correction is made quietly or noted on the page, depending on how serious the error was.
There is no fixed deadline, because some checks may depend on official offices. Serious errors are corrected as soon as they are confirmed.
Want to raise a concern about a listing or a statement?