20/10/2025
Thereâs been a LOT of talk lately about reviewers, reviews, and all the drama that seems to follow. So, we figured itâs time to set the record straight, because we are NOT all the same. Hereâs a little bit more about us:
Haunts should support each other. Period.
Weâve always believed that this industry works best when we all lift each other up. If we see haunts tearing others down over scores, awards, or shady posts, donât be surprised when our teams skip visiting. We want to support those who support the industry.
Threatening to ban us.
If youâre a haunt and you want to talk down to us, or threaten to ban us because you didnât like your score⌠so be it. We keep a âDo Not Hitâ haunt list for a reason, and weâd be more than happy to add your name to it. Respect goes both ways. Always feel free to reach out if you have questions about scores. Banning isnât necessary. All of our reviews are written in a positive light, no matter what score was given, and we try to keep constructive criticism as friendly as possible as well.
Our reviews take time.
We donât just pull numbers out of thin air. Every single review is built from an actual score sheet, full of weighted questions, formulas, and categories. We use decimals because we like to be detailed, which is also why it takes a long time to write reviews like ours.
Our scores are weighted, not random.
We polled over 2,000 customer reviews several years ago and weighted the categories they mentioned the most more heavily. Cast and Scare Factor weigh more heavily than Costuming or Customer Service. Theyâre also important to us, but when looking at customer reviews, they mentioned actors and scariness more. And⌠Itâs in our name: The Scare Factor - so weâre looking for scariness!
And yes⌠we DO try to get them live fast.
We try our best to get all of our reviews live as quickly as possible. We want those reviews to be relevant while the seasonâs still rolling, not weeks later when nobodyâs open anymore.
We are NOT like other reviewers.
Weâve seen plenty of people out here chasing clout, talking down to haunts, or acting like they own the industry. Nope. Not us. We donât do this for fame, we donât play favorites, and we donât hand out perfect scores just to keep access. Every score we post comes straight from the same structured system, no games, no BS, and no, we donât take money for âtop spots.â Thatâs not to say they all do, either, but we have seen all of this from some.
And for the love of pumpkins⌠we donât score food trucks!!
Weâll mention them in reviews (because who doesnât love a good funnel cake?), but they do NOT affect the score. If you look at our score sheets, which are literally attached to every review, thereâs no category for food trucks.
Integrity > Influence. Always.
Weâve seen people try to manipulate access or inflate scores just to stay in good graces. Thatâs not how we roll. The Scare Factor has built its name on being honest, fair, and consistent, even when itâs not the popular opinion. When a haunt earns a high score, itâs because they earned it when we visited.
âReviews donât matterâ? Letâs talk about that.
Reviews do matter. Especially when theyâre posted to a website that gets the kind of traffic ours does, weâre not just posting them here on Facebook and hoping the algorithm decides to show them to the right people. Every review we publish goes on TheScareFactor website, where itâs searchable on Google, not just for a week, but for years. That visibility helps fans find haunts, and it helps haunts reach new audiences long after the seasonâs over.
Free tickets.
We do NOT get free tickets to all of the attractions we visit and review. Just the other day, someone well-known in the industry made a post about how âall reviewers just want free ticketsâ when just that night, before the post was even made, one of our teams was at this personâs haunt doing a review, and they had just purchased $60 fast pass tickets per person to get in! That is absolutely not true. While theyâre much appreciated when offered, we always tell the haunts theyâre not required.
Scare Factor Teams.
People do actively try to say theyâre with us to try to get into haunts for free. If a Scare Factor team shows up to your haunt, please ask them for their ID card to verify theyâre a legit team. We all have them, and thatâs what theyâre for. Also, we sell our merch, so just because theyâre wearing a Scare Factor shirt does not mean theyâre with us. Please double-check if you donât know, or send us a message directly.
Stay scary out there, and please enjoy the last few weeks of haunt season! đđ
