Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: This FAQ was originally written in Japanese, but has been translated into English for our users’ convenience and reference purposes. Should the contents of this FAQ conflict with the original Japanese version, the Japanese version controls.
Cigar Map displays comments and reviews (“Reviews”) by users who have used a cigar-related facility (“Cigar Venues”), along with Cigar Venue rankings and utilizing location data to provide you an easy and convenient means to enjoy your cigars. Here we will answer some of the questions you may have regarding our Review and Ranking systems.
- Q1: All the Reviews are written under an alias, and I have no idea who the people writing the Reviews are. Can I trust them?
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Although the Reviews are written under usernames, we take the following precautions to ensure that the Reviews are being written by genuine customers who have actually been to and used the Cigar Venue.
- All Reviews are checked by both the system and the moderator team. Suspicious (malignant) accounts and Reviews are deleted accordingly.
- We collect reports on individuals or organizations offering to manipulate Reviews and Rankings from various Cigar Venues.
- We read all Reviews and enforce our Terms of Use and Review Guidelines.
- Q2: Do you delete negative Reviews for Cigar Venues paying for advertising?
- Cigar Navi operates from a neutral standpoint; we will never delete or censor a Review for only being negative or inconvenient for a Cigar Venue. Also, although we provide services where Cigar Venues may display advertisements for a fee, they will not have administration powers to edit or delete Reviews.
- Q3: What if Cigar Venue employees are writing Reviews about their own place?
- We strictly forbid employees, owners and other affiliated personnel to submit Reviews about their affiliated Cigar Venue.
- Q4: Do you delete negative Reviews?
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We will never delete a Review for simply being negative towards a particular Cigar Venue. Cigar Navi’s Review Guidelines are focused on making Reviews as informative for other users as possible, and only if they violate the Guidelines do we delete or request users to edit their Reviews.
Click here for the Review Guideline - Q5: How useful can Reviews be if everyone has different tastes?
- Cigar Navi allows users to find Cigar Venues favored by those with similar preferences. When reading through Reviews, you may come across a user who shares your tastes and preferences. By clicking on that user’s name, you will be able to view that user’s profile and Reviews, increasing the chances of finding a Cigar Venue matching your needs.
- Q6: Do you just average out the Review scores to give a Cigar Venue its rating?
- We do not use a simple average to rate a Cigar Venue; instead, each Review affects the rating differently. Cigar Navi uses a special algorithm to give users who submit reliable Reviews more weight in the ratings, meaning higher ratings increases the chance you too won’t be disappointed with the Cigar Venue. We also constantly modify our algorithm to improve our ranking system.
- Q7: Do Cigar Venues paying for Cigar Navi’s services get better ratings?
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We apply the same algorithm for both Cigar Venues paying for our services and those using Cigar Navi for free. We operate from a neutral standpoint, and will never control the ratings.
Also, although Cigar Venues wishing to display advertisements on Cigar Navi may pay to do so, they will never be able to change their ratings. - Q8: Everyone is giving (Cigar Venue) good Reviews, why does it have a 3.0 / no rating?
- Cigar Venue ratings are not a simple average, and therefore may not increase their rating despite being Reviewed positively by many people. Cigar Navi uses a special algorithm to give users who submit reliable Reviews more weight in the ratings, and Cigar Venues without Reviews from such users may not increase or receive a rating. We are constantly modifying our algorithm to make sure higher ratings means a lower chance that you’ll be dissatisfied with a Cigar Venue.
- Q9: This Cigar Venue has only a few Reviews but has a really high rating. Can I trust it?
- Even with a small number of Reviews, a Cigar Venue with a 3.5 rating or more is one you’re unlikely to be dissatisfied with. Cigar Navi uses a special algorithm to give users who submit reliable Reviews more weight in the ratings, so even a few Reviews may boost a Cigar Venue’s ratings. It also means that a Cigar Venue with a 3.5 rating or more can be trusted reliably regardless of the number of Reviews submitted. We are constantly modifying our algorithm to make sure higher ratings means a lower chance that you’ll be dissatisfied with a Cigar Venue.
- Q10: I can recommend this Cigar Venue to anyone, but Cigar Navi’s ratings don’t say so. Why?
- It is likely the Cigar Venue has a “normal” rating on Cigar Navi due to the lack of reliable Reviews. And, even a fantastic Cigar Venue may be overlooked if it has not yet received a high rating. We look forward to your Review!
- Q11: Are Cigar Venues using Cigar Navi for free at a disadvantage in the rankings?
- Cigar Venue rankings will always be fair and neutral, regardless of your relationship with Cigar Navi. Although we do provide advertising services on our website for a fee, we do not provide services for gaining an advantage in or manipulating our rating system and rankings.