Fraudulent reviews on tripadvisor, twitter etc

dacouch

superflygal wrote: »

In my opinion Next step Beauty post daily fake 5* reviews about themselves on reviewcentre. I reported them to reviewcentre who removed them temporarily, but then reinstated them! These 5* reviews by new users started appearing shortly after I linked to the original 1/5 rating on Salongeek website.......

SFG x

Just read the first page's reviews but Jadecox, Francesamariadeprez and the review on 29/01/2013 both have the same unusual use of a specific word.

The others don't use the same word so could not find a similarity.

I must say the Beauty college must also teach English Language as the reviews are all well written and the use of commas is pretty spot on...

If you have any suspicions report them to their local Trading Standards which is explain in the link I provided

nickcc

Not wishing to critisise any other posters but who really believes what is posted on the likes of Trip Advisor. This and similar sites are so open to manipulation by business owners that whatever you read must be taken with an enormous pinch of salt.

goonarmy

dacouch wrote: »

Posting fake reviews of your own business or employers business could result in customers who would not go there if there were only genuine reviews going to the business and spending their money.

The employees of the business the OP is posting about have been deleting their "reviews" and "twitter" comments and generally trying to cover their tracks.

Here's the review which was posted by the general manager who started work at the business in October 2012. Note he even mentions how good he was at serving himself.

He managed to use the same user name to review as his twitter name which clearly identifies him which then leads to his linkedin profile.

"Reviewed 28 December 2012
Came here for the first time last week and what an experience, the waiter/manager? reccommended we try the fillet steak and boy was he right! Cooked absolutely to perfection! The place was full too so getting steaks cooked right on a very busy night (which i know all too well having been burned elsewhere in the past) is not an easy thing to do. Kudos to the chef.

The ambience is lovely, the music is very befitting the tall tables and the open kitchen. The service is absolutely top class, we were greeted by a man in a waistcoat, presumably the manager who couldn't be more enthusiastic sat us down and got our first round of drinks, then a lovely waitress took us through the specials and took our order, nothing seemed to be too much trouble.

Overall, this is a real find and we will be back as often as my wallet will let us. Well done Greenwood & Brown

Visited December 2012
Value 5
Atmosphere 5
Service 5
Food 5"

This is a breach of the following specific sub rule as well as the general ethos of the relevant consumer law.

"18. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Falsely claiming or creating the impression that the
trader is not acting for purposes relating to his/her trade,
business, craft or profession, or falsely representing
oneself as a consumer."

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/cpregs/oft979.pdf

My favourite reviewers are webuyanycar http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews169436.html

No. You could never argue that you patonised an establishment for food due to a reveiw. Youd need to be hungry first. Forgot about it and live ya life.

dacouch

goonarmy wrote: »

No. You could never argue that you patonised an establishment for food due to a reveiw. Youd need to be hungry first. Forgot about it and live ya life.

Rubbish, the whole point of Tripadvisor is for people to look at what other customers opinion's are of potential restaurants which is the raison d'etre of thw website.

The government obviously think it's a problem as they fairly recent brought out consumer laws to protect consumers and specifically mentioned that it breaches this law if businesses pose as customers.

If it had no influence on customers why would the government bother and more importantly why would businesses such as the one the OP refers to post false five star reviews of their businesses/

robatwork

nickcc wrote: »

Not wishing to critisise any other posters but who really believes what is posted on the likes of Trip Advisor. This and similar sites are so open to manipulation by business owners that whatever you read must be taken with an enormous pinch of salt.

I do, although with that pinch of salt.
When I find somewhere I am interested in, I email (the method of contacting someone within tripadvisor) a question about the resort to a selection of people who have praised the resort. I also look at what other reviews the accounts have written too.

I tend to get back a selection of replies that certainly aren't shills, and obviously written by different people.

I am healthily cynical but I am sure that the resort in question don't keep a dozen accounts active just for this.

antrobus

goonarmy wrote: »

From Wiki:
Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation. Defrauding people or entities of money or valuables is a common purpose of fraud.
A hoax also involves deception, but without the intention of gain or of damaging or depriving the victim.
so its a hoax at worst.

You're basing your 'legal analysis' on what it says on Wikipedia?!?

S2 Fraud Act 2006, Fraud by false representation

(1) A person is in breach of this section if he; (a) dishonestly makes a false representation, and (b) intends, by making the representation; (i) to make a gain for himself or another, or (ii) to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss.

Therefore if (for example) the owner of a business were to post a misleading review of their own business, they would clearly be doing so in order to make a "gain for themselves", and therefore would be commiting an offence under s2.

Is that clear enough?

wdw2003

I had to smile when reading the reviews of a German language guide on Amazon. The first review was a glowing five star, with the reviewer's name being identical to the very unusual hyphenated German name of the author of the book. How she thought she'd get away with it I'll never know, but it's still there.

Having said that, I review a lot for Amazon, including on their Vine programme, and am pretty sure that the vast majority seem genuine. All it takes is a quick look at the suspicious reviewer's history to form an opinion as to whether it seems genuine.

pmduk

dacouch wrote: »

The government obviously think it's a problem as they fairly recent brought out consumer laws to protect consumers and specifically mentioned that it breaches this law if businesses pose as customers.

Governments can introduce as many laws as they like, but whilst they're cutting the enforcement agencies to the bone it's as much use as a chocolate teapot.

goonarmy

antrobus wrote: »

You're basing your 'legal analysis' on what it says on Wikipedia?!?

S2 Fraud Act 2006, Fraud by false representation

(1) A person is in breach of this section if he; (a) dishonestly makes a false representation, and (b) intends, by making the representation; (i) to make a gain for himself or another, or (ii) to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss.

Therefore if (for example) the owner of a business were to post a misleading review of their own business, they would clearly be doing so in order to make a "gain for themselves", and therefore would be commiting an offence under s2.

Is that clear enough?

In the same way that someone is basing a "fraud"accusation-which of course is libelious, on a trip adviser reveiw.:rotfl:

goonarmy

dacouch wrote: »

Rubbish, the whole point of Tripadvisor is for people to look at what other customers opinion's are of potential restaurants which is the raison d'etre of thw website.

The government obviously think it's a problem as they fairly recent brought out consumer laws to protect consumers and specifically mentioned that it breaches this law if businesses pose as customers.

If it had no influence on customers why would the government bother and more importantly why would businesses such as the one the OP refers to post false five star reviews of their businesses/

Certainly isnt rubbish, however if your saying you ONLY went some where cos of a reveiw on TA your talking rubbish. Id love to be able to worry about these sorts of things.