In Rift, as in most other games of this type (MMO), you will need to level, so a Rift level guide will be of assistance as you go through this process.
Your character starts naked (almost) at level 1, and the aim is to get it to the highest possible level. In Rift, at the moment, this level is 50.
You might want (or need) a guide to level up to 50 as easily, quickly and efficiently as possible.
You will find there are many different guides available. Some are free; others will cost you money. So, what should you expect of the latter? And to what should you pay attention when making a choice?
Most of the guides available will offer you more than just a leveling guide. They'll give you different bonuses: A platinum guide (the currency in Rift is platinum); a builds guide; some pvp guides; dungeon guides or warfront guides etc.
Check out how many bonuses you obtain for your money, and how valuable they seem to be to you. Don't hesitate to take your time and compare them all.
Another important thing: MMO's are constantly patched, and Rift follows this rule. Patches are applied for several reasons. They can be used to correct bugs, or to start or finish particular updates (add new temporary content or withdraw it when the time has passed). They can also be used to add new dungeons or zones, or to change something regarding the classes.
In Player vs. Player, in particular, the classes (or callings) need readjustment. Possibilities range from being removed, changed or made stronger. Statistics about attack power, spell power, endurance or any other statistic are continually changing, so there is as much balance as possible between the classes.
This is why, when your Rift level guide offers you builds for rogues, mages, clerics or warriors, you have to initially see when it was originally sent. Was it prior or posterior to a patch - and which patch? There is absolutely no reason to follow a build for patch 1.2, when the latest patch is 1.5. Too many things might have changed in the meantime.
So you will need to keep an eye on Rift's homepage to see the latest patch number before you follow a build, or whatever guide to which you're referring. Even a platinum guide doesn't have the same value after a patch update. There may have been changes in certain drops, or other possibilities that might radically change part of the economy.
For the same reason, check if the guide offers you free updates, and for how long they will continue. Is the offer for lifetime updates, or only until a new version of the game comes on the market?
Most of the guides offer you a money-back guarantee. The big advantage of this is that, if you purchase a product that isn't satisfactory, you can always ask for a refund.
Make sure that the Rift level guide you are looking at buying offers you a money-back guarantee, in case you receive outdated or incorrect information.