TripAdvisor reviews used by travelers to blackmail hotels
November 23, 2011 | Hotel Marketing
Guests are using the threat of a bad review on TripAdvisor to blackmail hotels into giving discounts or upgrades - even when there is nothing wrong with their stay. Hotel owners claim the site’s model is unfair as it allows anonymous reviews, often without supporting evidence.
Adam Raphael, editor of Good Hotel Guide, said: ‘I have heard of cases of people calling a hotel and threatening a filthy review before they have even arrived in the hope of getting a discount.’
TripAdvisor said: ‘We take allegations of blackmail by guests very seriously. Not only is it strictly against our guidelines, it may also be illegal.’
A bad rating on the site can cost a hotel tens of thousands of pounds in lost bookings. The owner of a hotel in Sussex, which is still involved in legal action, said a guest asked for almost £1,000 claiming he had suffered food poisoning. When the hotel refused to pay - after evidence from other diners showed that the meal he had eaten had not caused the illness - he posted a damning review.
Get the full story at Daily Mail
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