Tripadvisor.com has started to place warning messages against properties they think have manipulated or influenced their ranking. Here's one of them:

http://tinyurl.com/laedsh

Bill

Interesting, billbarr. I'm glad that TA is at least pointing out the possibility.

You also have to wonder about the hotel's earlier way of responding to negative reviews. Does the hotel think that by posting their generic "thanks for the helpful letter" really makes us like them more? if they at least addressed the reviews points, I might think the hotel actually cared.

lcuy

Yes, their responses are a bit too much for me. Perhaps it's a knee-jerk reaction to TA's very public warning to folks who may consider booking rooms at that hotel.

Bill

the ethics of a company that would reward already happy customer to encourage their continuous support

unethical? I thought it was called "customer service!" Companies routinely reward those who are loyal - you might even participate in it by getting miles for using their credit card!

As far as "owners" writing their own reviews, that is a problem. I wrote about one spot that had some problems with "truth in advertising" and got quite a snippy email in response even tho I had made my "complaint" known while I was there and nothing was done - except a complimentary bottle of champaigne which didn't "fix" the problem.

Unfortunately what sometimes happens is that when someone gives a great review then it becomes the "in" place - at the expense of others who might be just as good or even better - and it becomes too crowded. then the OP can't get in! Way to shot yourself in the foot!

I recall being at a place that was awful - well, maybe not awful but certainly lacking for what it promised, and certainly a place I never would have chosen if the truth were told, and the travel writer, so called "critic" who was there was raving about how wonderful it was to anyone on the staff (and the staff were great - that wasn't the problem). We couldn't help but wonder if we were even at the same place!

I have been occupied with medical stuff and am happy to have this brought up as I did not know any of this.
I would not have surfed for it consequently.



Thanks.

amsdon-- very glad you find this discussion relevant.

beachplum- I do agree with your point about happy customers being rewarded. We have received discounts, special offers, and promotional items from companies we enjoyed. However, in this case, the company expected and had a way to track that these customers posted in fact good reviews in return. Not as "independent" posting as you would think.

Does anybody remember Dr. Abate? (about 6-7 years ago). He rented an apt to a Fodor's poster who then blasted his property upon return. Dr. Abate then asked hundreds of people who had rented properties from him to post in Fodor's the great experience they had. It was hilarious, unbelievable, quite the thread. Fodor's "pulled the plug" but even back then this was a hot topic. Just as relevant today.

I'm impressed with what tripadvisor is now doing. I booked one place after reading T.A. reviews and regretted it. Thanks for the link, Bill.

joe

Are they being comped by the cruise line to continue to post <u>honest</u> reviews or <u>positive</u> reviews? To me, that's a significant difference, but I'm not clear on which it is that RCCL expects.

The latter feels unethical. It positions prospects with false information. "I loved it!" is false information if you didn't. Of course, that can't be proven false, but still has a high sleaze factor. The former, to me, does too but I could be argued that an honest review is similar to a public customer satisfaction card.

I can't imagine either could be construed as illegal. Certainly not anymore than, say, a paid celebrity endorsement.

Dang it, I re-ordered by first sentence and now the rest doesn't make sense.

Turn honest and positive around. Comping for positive reviews much more unethical than for honest reviews. Neither illegal.

Would highly question CruiseCritic's commitment to their own privacy policies.

But if they've found people who already both love them and talk about it, then reward those people, is that really unethical?

Along the same lines, is there such a thing as a bad cruise on a major cruise line, if you're a cruise fan?

cocontom asked>> is there such a thing as a bad cruise on a major cruise line, if you're a cruise fan?<< Unfortunately, yes. We cruise every year, huge cruise fans. While we had the most horrendous experience with Holland America, it did not scare us away from cruising (as a matter of fact we are cruising the Med within the next couple of months), but it did discourage us from ever cruising HA. There are people who had a great experience with them and they will cruise them again. Such is life.

Astro Turfing has been going on for along time..

I find some websites worse than others..imo, Yelp is a joke and though I like Trip Advisor, it has it shortcomings too.
Expedia when you book a hotel or trip, afterwards will send you an e-mail if you would review the property or your experience..they state they do there on research on their end so you are not on the take.
Just read that a Plastic Surgery Center just was fined big time for having faux comments which turned out to be employees and friends.
Happens everywhere..Buyer beware!

OMG, Abategate, how could I ever forget it? If you type Abate into the search function at Fodors, it will bring up some old threads, although the long, major threads outlining Abategate are long gone. Whether for better or worse, there's still a functioning link to a Slate article, a "tell-all" of sorts. Abate rented a property to writer Michael Lewis several years ago (he's married to former Vee-jay, Tabita Soren)and Lewis & family used it during their (first, I think) stay in Rome. Lewis' article for Slate doesn't exactly paint Abate as the friendliest, most rational or hospitable vacation-home landlord in Rome.

Ksucat, your point is indeed very well taken. One must often take things one reads with a boulder of salt.

BC