Ripped off in local Restaurant

missile

That was why I asked the question, but how many others will look beyond the obvious? Seems like this rougue trader has foiled the feedback system. I wonder if he will go the extra mile and start posting bad reviews about his competitors

marleyboy

Its Ironic that I or any other potential customers would be even MORE put off by reading the rogue posts in the positive feedback, than the negatives, Id be more inclined to see negative posts as, someone with a grudge against them. They must be convinced we are all just out of kindergarten. All this has succeeded in doing, is bumping the thread for ALL to see, whilst simultaneously appearing somewhat "desperate" for custom.

dacouch

Considering they have "allegedly" over charged a few customers for drinks by quite a large amount you cannot put it past them.

Its a shame as the food is actually quite good.

joroma

Dear all,

After reading the comments on this forum and on several other sites we decided to book in anyway. We had a great time and it's likely we'll be going back again too.

NB: Unfortunately/fortunately, because of a comment made later in this thread, I've deleted the review I made on Google (see quoted comment below by ChrisCobra) because it linked itself to my professional account which is irrelevant to this conversation.

Money_maker

Another newbie...

ChrisCobra

joroma wrote: »

dear all,

after reading this forum i was nervous about booking at this please but did so because we'd been wondering about it for ages. Here is the review i posted on google which i wanted to forward to anyone else looking on this forum thread for a positive review:

i had been looking online at the various reviews and booked this despite some of the negative experiences people had published. I was really happy with my decision as the service and quality of food was excellent. We were well looked after by our two waitresses and we went with all of their suggestions. A comfortable atmosphere and when we arrived the carpark was full and there was a great buzz inside. Although we booked for the evening in the winter i could see the facilities for dining outside and am looking forward to going again when the weather is a lot warmer! Don't be afraid of the bad reviews and go ahead and book yourself in!‎

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

dacouch

You have to laugh at the naivity of some businesses, by posting on MSE they have suceeded in bringing this thread back to the top and will draw more people's attention to it.

Have a read of all the nice reviews on this review site http://www.capitalfm.com/london-guide/venues/west-wickham/la-rioja/176323/ Oddly enough they are all from first time posters who never post again. Most of them coincidently post shortly after a negative review.

When your back at work next could you mention about the new law which makes it a breach of the Unfair Business Practices to post on forums pretending to be a satisfied customer when you are linked to the business.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/shopping/2009/12/firms-banned-for-posing-as-happy-customers-on-internet-forums

So to summarise this thread for anyone landing on it having google La Rioja West Wickham, allegedly one or two posters were overcharged by a considerable amount for drinks on their bill. Also have a look at the reviews on the review sites and click on the name of the reviewer to see how many other reviews they have made. If it is only one this could appear to the layman that the reviews are placed their by the business, of course they could be genuine but if a reviewer is happy would you expect them to place other reviews for other businesses...

Coopdivi

La Rioja restaurant in West Wickham Kent have a terrible reputation according to many review sites. Adding extra items to customers' bills, surly service and frequent double booking.

However, like all reputable businesses, I'm sure they take note of customer feedback. Don't they?

DVardysShadow

Coopdivi wrote: »

La Rioja restaurant in West Wickham Kent have a terrible reputation according to many review sites. Adding extra items to customers' bills, surly service and frequent double booking.

However, like all reputable businesses, I'm sure they take note of customer feedback. Don't they?

Unlikely. With rave reviews like #115, they probably don't think they need to bother. Heck, it's a lot easier to post rave reviews than to sort out your business processes.

joroma

Honestly guys - I am a real person and have no connection with the restaurant.

Before bookingI looked up the restaurant on Google and this forum came up. I always make sure that I give the nod to businesses that do a good job and given the unfortunate circumstances that others had experienced I thought I would sign up and let others know of my positive experience. There are a number of other reviews on the web that also back up what has been mentioned before but there is also a string of good ones - I took a punt and it paid off.

Don't be quick to assume that a 'newbie' is the business itself - in my situation I felt the need to update the thread with feedback from someone who has eaten there recently. I've had heaps of bad experiences and I use online website to book most of our dinners i.e. toptable.co.uk (no, I don't work for them either).