Directories – Is paying for a manual review bad?

If a directory charges a fee to do a manual review and the directory is relevant to your sites topic, pay the fee.  This is a business decision, not a search decision.  Yes, you are spending money for a link on a web page.  But that page is a relevant directory.

There are paid directories that you MUST avoid.  If anyone can pay to get a link and there is not a clear topic, then listen to your inner radar and avoid it.