Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using RateMyVSO.net ("the Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Site. We reserve the right to update these terms at any time, and your continued use of the Site constitutes acceptance of any changes.

2. About the Site

RateMyVSO is operated by RateMyVSO LLC, a Georgia limited liability company. The Site is a veteran resource platform that provides:

• A community-driven platform for veterans, their families, and caregivers to find and review VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representatives
• A Condition Lookup tool that translates VA diagnostic code rating criteria into plain English
• Data analysis and insights derived from publicly available Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) decisions, Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports, VA Annual Benefits Reports, VA Inspector General reports, and VA PACT Act performance data
• Secondary condition and PACT Act presumptive condition reference tools
• A community feature allowing veterans to anonymously share claim outcomes

The Site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or any government agency.

3. User Accounts

To submit reviews, share claim outcomes, respond to reviews, or send messages, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information during registration
• Maintain the security of your password and account
• Accept responsibility for all activity that occurs under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

4. User-Generated Content

By submitting reviews, claim outcomes, responses, messages, or other content ("User Content"), you agree that:

• Your reviews reflect your genuine, honest experience with the representative or organization
• Your claim outcome submissions accurately reflect the results of your VA disability claim
• You will not post false, misleading, defamatory, or fraudulent content
• You will not post content that is abusive, threatening, obscene, or discriminatory
• You will not impersonate another person or misrepresent your affiliation
• You will not post personal information about others without their consent
• You will not use the Site for commercial solicitation or advertising
• You grant RateMyVSO LLC a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display, reproduce, aggregate, and distribute your User Content on the Site

Claim outcome submissions may be displayed in aggregate form only. Individual claim outcome submissions are never displayed publicly. Users who submit claim outcomes anonymously will not have their identity associated with the submission in any public-facing display.

5. Review Guidelines

Reviews should be:

• Honest — Based on your actual experience with the representative or organization
• Relevant — Focused on the quality of service, communication, expertise, and outcomes
• Respectful — Constructive criticism is welcome; personal attacks are not
• Original — Written by you, not copied from other sources

We reserve the right to remove reviews that violate these guidelines. Each user may submit one review per representative or organization. Reviews are subject to moderation.

6. VSO Representative Accounts

VA-accredited representatives may claim their profiles by providing verification of their VA OGC registration. Claimed representatives may:

• Respond to reviews on their profiles
• Submit profile updates (subject to admin approval)
• Upload a profile photo (subject to admin approval)
• Tag their areas of specialty

Representatives must not attempt to manipulate ratings by soliciting false reviews, creating fake accounts, or intimidating reviewers.

7. Prohibited Content

The following content is prohibited and will be removed. Repeated violations may result in account suspension:

• Personal information about others (phone numbers, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial information)
• Protected health information or details of specific VA claims that could identify another individual
• Threats, harassment, or intimidation
• Incentivized or compensated reviews (reviews written in exchange for payment, discounts, or other benefits)
• Reviews by individuals with a competitive or financial interest in the outcome
• Content that impersonates another person
• Spam, advertising, or promotional content
• Fraudulent claim outcome submissions intended to distort aggregate statistics

Reviews are automatically screened for patterns that may indicate personal information (such as phone numbers or Social Security numbers). Flagged content may be held for moderator review.

8. Content Dispute and Takedown Procedure

If you believe a review on RateMyVSO contains false statements of fact about you, you may submit a formal dispute by contacting us with the following information:

1. Your full name and your relationship to the profile in question
2. A link to or identification of the specific review you are disputing
3. A clear description of which specific statements you believe are false
4. An explanation of why the statements are factually inaccurate (not merely unfavorable)
5. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your dispute is accurate and that you are the person affected or authorized to act on their behalf

Upon receiving a valid dispute, RateMyVSO will:

• Acknowledge receipt within 5 business days
• Review the disputed content against our guidelines and the information provided
• Make a determination within 14 business days
• Notify the disputing party of the outcome

RateMyVSO is not obligated to remove reviews that express subjective opinions, even if unfavorable. Opinions such as "this representative was unhelpful" or "I had a poor experience" are protected speech and are not subject to removal through this process. This procedure applies only to claims of specific, verifiable false statements of fact.

If you believe your profile has been fraudulently claimed by another person, please contact us immediately with proof of your identity.

9. Content Moderation

RateMyVSO reserves the right to review, approve, edit, or remove any User Content at our sole discretion. We are not obligated to monitor all content but may do so to ensure compliance with these terms. Moderation decisions are final.

10. Data and Information Disclaimer

The Site provides data, statistics, and analysis derived from publicly available government sources. You understand and agree that:

• Diagnostic code information, rating criteria translations, C&P exam tips, and evidence guidance are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal or medical advice
• BVA decision analysis, grant rates, denial patterns, and evidence insights reflect historical appeal-level outcomes and do not predict or guarantee the outcome of any individual claim
• Statistics from GAO reports, VA Inspector General reports, VA Annual Benefits Reports, and VA PACT Act performance dashboards are sourced from publicly available government documents and are presented as-is
• Secondary condition relationships, PACT Act presumptive condition lists, and associated evidence guidance are informational and should be verified with a VA-accredited representative before filing
• Community-reported claim outcome data reflects self-reported submissions from users and has not been independently verified
• The Site is not a substitute for professional legal counsel, medical advice, or accredited VSO representation

11. Intellectual Property

The Site's design, code, original content, data analysis, and plain-English translations are the property of RateMyVSO LLC. Government source data — including VA OGC Accreditation Database records, BVA decisions, GAO reports, VA Inspector General reports, VA Annual Benefits Reports, and PACT Act performance data — is in the public domain. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from the Site's original content, analysis, or design without written permission from RateMyVSO LLC.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Site is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not guarantee that:

• The Site will be available at all times or free from errors
• User reviews or claim outcome submissions are accurate, complete, or reliable
• Representative data is current or error-free
• Diagnostic code information, rating criteria, or data analysis is complete, current, or error-free
• BVA insights, grant rates, or statistical analyses will predict or reflect the outcome of any individual claim
• The Site will meet your specific needs or expectations

RateMyVSO does not provide legal advice, claims assistance, or veteran services. Reviews, ratings, data analysis, and statistics are presented for informational purposes and do not represent official VA assessments or recommendations.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, RateMyVSO LLC, its members, employees, and operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Site, including but not limited to loss of data, reliance on reviews, reliance on data analysis or statistics, decisions made based on information found on the Site, or the outcome of any VA disability claim.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless RateMyVSO LLC, its members, employees, and operators from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Site, your User Content, or your violation of these terms.

15. Privacy

Your use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your information.

16. Governing Law

These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia, United States. Any disputes arising from or relating to these terms or your use of the Site shall be resolved in the appropriate state or federal courts located in the State of Georgia.

17. Contact

If you have questions about these terms, please contact us.

RateMyVSO LLC
Georgia, United States