Safety Score Methodology
The Safety Score (0-100) combines several trust signals into one number for each gaming service. Here's what goes into it and how much each part counts.
On This Page
Overview
The SkinJudge Safety Score is one number, from 0 to 100, that sums up how far a gaming service can be trusted. Unlike a plain star rating, it accounts for:
- Time decay: Recent reviews count for more than old ones
- Multi-dimensional ratings: Trust, value, support, and speed all factor in
- External signals: Domain age, HTTPS, owner verification
Scoring Factors & Weights
1. Community Trust Rating
Average of trust ratings from community reviews, weighted toward recent ones
Formula: Sum(rating × timeDecay) / Sum(timeDecay), scaled to 0-35
2. Active Scam Reports
A penalty from open reports that fades over six months
Formula: -15 × (1 - ageInMonths/6) per active report
3. Value, Support & Speed Ratings
Average of secondary rating dimensions
Formula: ((ratingValue + ratingSupport + ratingSpeed) / 3) × 4
4. Domain Age & HTTPS
Baseline trust indicators
5. Verified Status
Whether the team has confirmed the service's identity and operation
Verification is a manual check of the service's identity, ownership, and operating history.
Calculation Examples
Example 1: Excellent Service (Score: 92/100)
- • 50 community reviews
- • Avg trust rating: 4.6/5 stars
- • Avg value/support/speed: 4.4/5
- • 0 active scam reports
- • Domain: 3 years old, HTTPS ✓
- • SkinJudge Verified service
- Trust: (4.6/5 × 100) × 0.35 = 32.2
- Scam reports: 0 × -25 = 0
- Other ratings: (4.4/5 × 100) × 0.20 = 17.6
- Domain age: 10 + 3 (HTTPS) = 13
- Verified: +10 = 10
- Total: 92.8 → 92/100
Example 2: Mediocre Service (Score: 58/100)
- • 20 community reviews
- • Avg trust rating: 3.2/5 stars
- • Avg value/support/speed: 3.0/5
- • 2 scam reports (4 months old)
- • Domain: 8 months old, HTTPS ✓
- • Not verified
- Trust: (3.2/5 × 100) × 0.35 = 22.4
- Scam reports: -15 × (1-4/6) × 2 = -10
- Other ratings: (3.0/5 × 100) × 0.20 = 12.0
- Domain age: 5 + 3 (HTTPS) = 8
- Verified: 0 (not verified) = 0
- Total: 32.4 → 58/100
Example 3: Suspicious Service (Score: 23/100)
- • 8 community reviews
- • Avg trust rating: 2.1/5 stars
- • Avg value/support/speed: 1.8/5
- • 5 scam reports (1-3 months old)
- • Domain: 2 months old, no HTTPS
- • Not verified
- Trust: (2.1/5 × 100) × 0.35 = 14.7
- Scam reports: -15 × 5 (recent) = -75
- Other ratings: (1.8/5 × 100) × 0.20 = 7.2
- Domain age: 0 (too new) = 0
- Verified: 0 (not verified) = 0
- Total: -53.1 → 23/100*
*Floor is 0, but we show 23 due to base ratings
How scores are kept up to date
How updates happen
- Not live: the number you see is a saved value, not recalculated on each page load
- Reviewed regularly: the team refreshes a score as new reviews and reports come in
- Signal changes: domain age, HTTPS, and verified status are re-checked when they change
When a score changes
When new reviews or a scam report change how a service looks, we update its Safety Score to match. The number always reflects the signals above, not just the most recent review.
Limitations & Context
The Safety Score is a useful starting point, but it should not be the only thing you check. Keep in mind:
- • New services may have low scores due to lack of review data, not because they're unsafe
- • Review bombing can skew a score before we catch it and adjust
- • Niche services with few reviews may never gather enough data for a high score
- • External factors like sudden policy changes or market conditions aren't captured
- • Score alone doesn't replace reading actual reviews and doing your own research
Our recommendation: Use scores of 70+ as a starting point, then read recent reviews (especially 1-3 star) to understand context. Always check official service websites and terms before making purchases.
Questions about the methodology?
Want to know more about how a score is put together, or think one looks off? Our editorial standards explain how we work, and the about page covers who we are.