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Yelp Website Accused of Extortion -- More Examples of Corrupt Review Sites

Screenshot - 2_25_2010 , 11_57_02 AM_thumb.png
This is the ugly side of review sites and of scrambling to get content into top positions in search engines.

The plaintiff claims that Yelp sales staff then began calling the hospital frequently with “high-pressure” tactics promising to move or delete negative reviews in exchange for purchasing a one-year advertising contract. The site also allegedly promised to ensure that negative reviews wouldn’t appear in Google or other search engine results.
...
During interviews with dozens of business owners over a span of several months, six people told this newspaper that Yelp sales representatives promised to move or remove negative reviews if their business would advertise. In another six instances, positive reviews disappeared — or negative ones appeared — after owners declined to advertise.
...
Because they were often asked to advertise soon after receiving negative reviews, many of these business owners believe Yelp employees use such reviews as sales leads. Several, including John, even suspect Yelp employees of writing them. Indeed, Yelp does pay some employees to write reviews of businesses that are solicited for advertising. And in at least one documented instance, a business owner who refused to advertise subsequently received a negative review from a Yelp employee.


http://www.eastbayex.../Content?oid=1176635
http://www.wired.com...or-alleged-extortion

Official reply from Yelp:


Definitely worth reading, and puts forward a reasonable case that they are not doing what they are accused of doing.

Given how many spammers and scammers are out there writing fake reviews, I do have some sympathy for their claim that they need to remove reviews aggressively if they suspect the reviews are planted.


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