1. Why is Tes introducing a Reviews Amnesty?
Recent guidance from the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has clarified that online marketplaces must take stronger steps to ensure reviews reflect genuine, unincentivised customer experience.
While the Tes Author Code has always required you to solicit only genuine reviews, this guidance means Tes must now take more consistent and visible action to prevent and remove reviews that could mislead buyers. The Reviews Amnesty is a fair, time‑limited step to help you align with these expectations before formal enforcement begins.
2. What is the Reviews Amnesty?
The Reviews Amnesty is a time‑limited, one‑off window during which you can address any reviews on your resources that may not meet current standards.
During the Amnesty:
- There are no penalties or sanctions
- You can remove reviews yourself where possible
- You can flag reviews you are unable to remove so Tes can review them
3. Which reviews should I remove or flag during the amnesty?
You should remove or flag reviews that:
- Were written by you or by another account you control
- Were part of a review-for-review or reciprocal approach
- Were written by friends, family members, colleagues or associates
- Were given in exchange for free resources, discounts or other incentives
- Relate to a significantly different version of a resource than the one currently available***
*** This refers to cases where a Resource Display Page (RDP) has been reused for a substantially different product, which is not permitted. It does not include resources that have been incrementally improved over time while remaining on the same topic.
If you’re unsure whether a review falls into one of these categories, we recommend flagging it during the amnesty so it can be reviewed.
4. Can I remove reviews myself?
Yes. If you’re able to remove a review directly, please do so during the amnesty period.
If you can’t remove a review yourself (for example, because you no longer have access to the account it was left from, or because it was left by another author you’re no longer in contact with), you can flag it by providing a list of the relevant reviews before the amnesty ends. Tes will review these cases and take appropriate action where needed.
Please provide the following information on the list:
- Resource ID (this is the 8-digit number at the end of the URL)
- Reviewer Name
- Reason for removal (e.g. self-review, outdated, reciprocal)
If you are unable to remove a non-compliant review, we can help. Please download the below template, complete the required fields, and submit your completed spreadsheet via the webform below before the end of the amnesty period.
Please note that flagging a review does not guarantee it will be removed, particularly where it reflects genuine customer feedback.
5. Can I use the amnesty to remove negative or low rated reviews?
No. The Reviews Amnesty is not intended to remove genuine customer feedback, including negative or low‑rated reviews.
Reviews that reflect a genuine users experience at the time of download may remain in place following review.
6. Can I still ask customers to leave reviews?
Yes. You can still invite genuine users to leave a review.
However, you must not:
- Offer incentives or rewards in exchange for reviews
- Encourage reviews through reciprocal or “review‑for‑review” arrangements
These expectations will be set out clearly in the full review policy.
7. Will Tes continue to leave reviews on my content?
Previously, when a resource was included in Tes blogs and collections, Tes staff sometimes left a 5‑star review to recognise its quality. Under current CMA guidance, reviews and star ratings must reflect genuine customer feedback, so Tes has stopped leaving staff‑written reviews and will be removing previously published staff reviews. This does not affect how resources are selected to be featured.
8. Do I need to remove review incentivisation from my content?
Yes. During the amnesty, we ask that you remove any incentivisation of reviews from anywhere on Tes, including:
- Resource files
- Resource descriptions or previews
- Shop descriptions, cover images or profile content
To protect the integrity of reviews and align with CMA guidance, we have made the decision to prohibit incentivisation of reviews. Incentivisation is arranged by individual authors and typically takes place outside of the platform, which means we cannot reliably identify or distinguish incentivised reviews from non‑incentivised ones. This lack of visibility creates a risk to the authenticity and trustworthiness of reviews, and for this reason incentivised reviews are prohibited.
9. Should I report other authors during this amnesty?
No. The amnesty applies to all authors equally and is focused on giving everyone the opportunity to review and address their own content.
During the amnesty period, Tes will not act on reports relating to other authors’ historical review activity. Reporting and enforcement will begin once the amnesty has ended and the full review policy is in place.
10. What happens after the amnesty ends?
Before the amnesty ends, Tes will publish a comprehensive review policy aligned with CMA guidance.
After the amnesty:
- Tes will begin active monitoring and enforcement
- Reviews that breach the policy may be removed
- Repeated or deliberate misuse of the review system, or failure to deal with historical reviews may result in sanctions
11. Why is Tes taking this approach?
The amnesty allows Tes to take a fair and proportionate approach, giving you time to self‑correct and understand expectations before enforcement begins. This helps protect trust in the marketplace while supporting you through the transition.
12. Where can I find more information?
If you would like to understand the expectations in more detail, you can read the CMA’s official guidance on online consumer reviews. This explains what counts as a genuine review, how reviews are treated and what is expected of sellers and content creators when requesting or managing reviews for their products.
You can read the CMA guidance here: Fake Reviews Guidance.