Long and controversial discussion on the effect TripAdvisor has on businesses, opinions on both sides.
For all it faults the Tripadvisor is working beautifully on my iphone, wherever I roam I can get room information for hostels to stay and places to eat, prices, a map and things like phone numbers and reviews, and all that fits neatly in my piocket. I am making much use of this facility. Has anyone else tried it yet?
Reply to this Jazz player, Well this is how easy it is to manipulate useless websites like Tripadvisor, I have just found this .... http://postingonlygoodreviews.com/, this website is available and these people make money because of the pathetic system that companies like Tripadvisor have in place to check anonymous reviews......only dim and silly people would trust a site like Tripadvisor.....have a nice stay........lol
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In response to: Msg #46409
Just as I have invented my ID on this site so can anyone invent an ID on trip advisor.
I own a B&B in Cornwall and a competitor who subscribes to TA gets his pals to write him great reviews. His establishment, contrary to these reviews is dire. I am surprised at how few of my customers (most of whom are returnees) have heard of TA. I refuse to subscribe to TA and I have had customers tell me they can't get good reviews of my establishment posted. Perhaps it has something to do with money??? I personally don't give a fig what is on TA; I provide good friendly service and attend to the needs of my guests, who we treat more like friends, and I am pleased to say that they respond by coming back and spreading the word. I would suggest that hoteliers worry about their businesses and stop fretting about TA's. Spend the time more positively thinking about how you can improve the experience for your guests and your business will thrive as does mine.
Reply to this I've been so busy, I haven't had time to visit here! It is amazing to read a very negative review...especially when their whining spells out how unreasonable they are...
The reviewer actually admits to being unreasonable but yet TripAdvisor allows the one star rating...why can't Tripadvisor TRUST its readers to judge the review on its merit? or would that take away some of their POWER and CONTROL? Just another flaw in TripAdvisor!
As long as businesses being hurt by Tripadvisor can hold-on...review sites like TripAdvisor will be called to task and held responsible for their editorializing...yes... they REALLY do censor business replies...and yes, they really do remove good reviews if they are suspicious...you know...too many good reviews...using their flawed algorithms...content integrity...too bad they don't know what the words mean.
I just laugh when someone makes a reservation and says they found us on TripAdvisor...what a joke...
Heard somewhere that Angies List is also under fire for all the defaming comments written on there. Anyone know anything about it?
Reply to this Schitzo why on earth do you have to accuse people of advertising and being tripadvisor staffers in disguise. Its just possible that the tripadvisor phone app is very good. I think its very good. I use the site and the app, and I have yet to come unstuck as I think I'm sufficiently intelligent to know how much store to put into reviews and how to navigate them successfully. The key is to read reviews on other sites too where people have booked and paid for a hotel, restaurant or whatever, and to also enquire on the forums for up to date information from other contributors.
I can understand people being upset sometimes, but for goodness sake don't let it eat you all up. Thats just not healthy. Move on.
Reply to this HM schotzi is desperate in his hate against tripadvisor, as are the other hoteliers including myself who have trashed tripadvisor here. whats your excuse in defending tripadvisor even after the trashing you and your "non colleague friends"...? A frequent and loyal user? dont make me laugh!
it is very interesting that you guys are using dilution as a tactic to nullify the dark side of tripadvisor.
i too agree with schotzi that it does indeed look like advertising... esp on a thread which is anti ta
I feel TA is like an annoying pest which refuses to go away (or fix itself)
You and your friends seem to follow suit
kudos hm kudos
~sits down with a cup of tea and awaits for the retaliation about to come from the pests~
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In response to: Msg #141235
Sadly like with many forums this thread seems to be denigrating into slanging matches by ignorant people who cannot make a point without being unpleasant.
Why do the un-educated plebs of this world always stoop to insults and agression to make a point. You will catch more flies with honey than vinegar!!!!.
No Doubt this comment will encourage the less refined of society into a barrage of bass insults, proving my point and indicating their lack of refinement and education.
These are probably the sort of people who run establishments which one would drive a hundred miles through a tornado to avoid!!!
Reply to this Sir Albert Hall (or anonymous as he/she would prefer to be known) having read through the last few pages I cannot see one thing that is "Refined" about your posts, it amazes me that Tripadvisor still drag out you old war dogs to try to make a mockery of of what is a serious situation for many hoteliers here, if you really consider calling us "uneducated", "plebs" and "ignorant" makes you any better than anyone else on here then you are sadly mistaken.
I have today (because of my many many threads on sites like this and posts on many anti Tripadvisor forums been contacted again today by another company offering to post positive reviews on Tripadvisor so that my rating can be the best around (Not that it is bad anyway).
They obviously charge for this service but the reason that they have decided to do this is because they know how easy it is to manipulate sites like Tripadvison, any old email address and that is all you need and good enough to ruin a reputation or enhance it by telling lies and being deceitful which fools the silly silly Tripadvisor luvies that believe the words "Reviews you can trust"
Does this not make a mockery of Sir Albert Hall's Tripadvisor? I think so....
The website address is www.onlinereputationgroup.com hopefully Mel will allow this as it is relevant to this thread, however I will understand if she feels it is necessary to remove it. ;-)
.
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In response to: Msg #141441
Far from making a mockery,your post reinforces what I have said, perhaps you misunderstood. I did not call you rude ignorant stupid or any other insult. only those "people who cannot make a point without being unpleasant". Perhaps you are including yourself in this description, but I see nothing unpleasant in your reply!. I am not a TA "warhorse" , I have nothing to do with TA in fact if one of my recent guests had not drawn my attention to this site I would not have known of its existance. I have survived in business very well for 40 years without TA and I find your thought that TA can ruin someones reputation a bit surprising. What really counts is that you give good service at a reasonable price, and treat your guests with respect. If you know you have done this and someone gives you a bad review, their words will usually indicate the type of person they are and the good reviews will shine through. My point initially was that unless you pay to advertise with TA you will find it very difficult to get your good reviews posted, and nothing I have read on many forums has so far contradicted this.
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In response to: Msg #141443 My business is contacted every day by people that are certainly being severely damaged by malicious, fake and grossly misleading reviews posted on TA (and other resources). We have spent 8 months anlaysing the issues and have this week launched an entirely new offensive to tackle the growing problem - this time working with the likes of the ASA in the UK and the FTC in the USA. We are also filing an internet harassment charge in the USA. this represents only a small piece of what we are having to do to tackle this issue - and all the cases we have and their consequences clearly show that it is not a trivial problem. I would however say that I have never seen evidence that you have to 'advertise'(i.e., pay TA) to see good reviews published - in fact the ease of which you cam post good reviews is one of the things that is so wrong with TA and their easily manipulated rankings system. I would also like to point out that the fake positive and negative posts and distortions of true standards will get worse if Google do continue to roll out their 'Hotel Finder' resource - it is even worse in terms of abuse than TA - and then still links to TA. This is something that we are tackling right now.
Regards,
Chris Emmins
Reply to this TripAdvisor was offering money to Indians to write a review. Isn't this illegal or a violation?
They can offer inducements while the hotel owners are refrained from doing the same.
There are emails from TripAdvisor wherein they have solicited reviews. Wouldn't this be considered evidence of malpractice?
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In response to: Msg #141452 Our understanding was that TA have offered a number of incentives for people to post reviews on TA India. It is not illegal, provided the reviews are genuine, although it is a questionable practice - and evidence suggests that it was (understandably) abused. Ironically, TA have alos come under assault when the participating businesses running the incentive schemes failed at times to deliver the incentive reward.
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In response to: Msg #141453
The point is fair play. TA penalises hotel management if they offer inducements to get reviews while TA encourages people to post review, perhaps not true in exchange for inducement.
Can't this be made an issue?
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In response to: Msg #141443
Your comment " I find your thought that Tripadvisor can ruin someones reputation a bit surprising" I have to ask you why!
Tripadvisor allow anyone to post a review even if they have never stayed at the establishment, you can post a review as long as you have an email address, no other verification is needed......so anyone who phones and asks you for a special deal or asks you if they can bring 6 little puppies with them to stay in their room which if you refuse they are then allowed to post a review claiming that you are rude and unhelpful. anyone who abuses your staff, steals your towels and picks fights with your other guests can then leave you a scathing review because you ask them to behave themselves, I recently had a bad review left for me because the guy did not read my confirmation email properly, when the mistake was pointed out to him (That he had made) he informed me that I should adopt the attitude "The customer is always right" and told me "You have just earned yourself a bad review on Tripadvisor"
I ALWAYS have CCTV over my reception area, Tripadvisor have chosen to not only ignore my management response but have ignored the proof sent to them.
And you are surprised at my thought!
I have been posting on here from the beginning of this thread and have been reading the horror stories on here and other forums, perhaps before posting people should properly acquaint themselves with the contents of this thread.
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In response to: Msg #141458 The Indian incentives issue has been raised before. There are two aspects. The first, which is TA's defence, is that they provide incentives for all posts, not just positive. This differs from the cases where businesses have offered rewards for just good reviews. The second though, is that categorically, if you carry out such an exercise as inducement to post in a country like India without bothering to authenticate, it is inevitable that you will get yet more fake reviews - so it is unquestionably bad practice . It is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of double standards, inconsistencies and misleading claims by TA. We have now made formal complaints to the ASA in the UK and FTC in the USA and are following up, as requested with the evidence from our analysis. Caterer & Hotelkeeper are publishing an article this week (already online at caterersearch.com.) Further actions are also taking place.
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In response to: Msg #141488
Sorry to be nitpicking. But I have seen the concerned email that TA sent to its registered members in India.
Only reviews are sought - not posts.
See this link
http://www.tripadvisor.in/vpages/IndiaTimes.html-p3967
Reply to this Yes - I have seen this - and also other incentives with voucher companies and an airline. When I said posts, I was referring to posting reviews. Their argument is that they are encouraging all reviews whether positive or negative and are not seeking to influence the nature of the comments.
Reply to this Is it true that kwikchex allegedly tried to track down a destination expert by phoning around all the places they had reviewed?
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