Hotel 'fines' couple £100 for bad review
Nov 19, 2014, 1:52 pm
#17
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Beware, you might get hit with a larger fine. !
Then again, not. ^
Then again, not. ^
Nov 19, 2014, 7:12 pm
#18
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How did the hotel figure out who to fine? Were the TripAdvisor reviews done under the guest's real names? (I use a handle on TripAdvisor just like on FlyerTalk.) Or were the details so specific that the hotel figured it out from that?
Nov 19, 2014, 7:25 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Portland, Oregon
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I don't know how these folks paid for their room, but I can tell you this, if it would have happened in the USA any of the major credit card companies would accept the dispute and charge it back to the vendor.
Most vendors that take credit cards have to follow VISA, Mastercard, Amex, or whatever policies....a charge like this would get charged back right away.
Most vendors that take credit cards have to follow VISA, Mastercard, Amex, or whatever policies....a charge like this would get charged back right away.
Nov 19, 2014, 7:32 pm
#20
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That would actually be an interesting challenge. The couple signed an agreement that stated that they would be fined for a negative review. I'm not sure MC/Visa/etc. could unilaterally decide it was unfair and nullify the contract themselves.
Nov 19, 2014, 8:07 pm
#22
Join Date: Apr 2014
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A story on this was on CNN today:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/19/travel/hotel-review-fine/
No comment from the hotel, but tripadvisor said:
In a statement, TripAdvisor said it deplored the practice of fining its users. "While thankfully such instances are very rare, it is completely against the spirit and policies of our site for any business owner to attempt to bully or intimidate reviewers who have had a negative experience.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/19/travel/hotel-review-fine/
No comment from the hotel, but tripadvisor said:
In a statement, TripAdvisor said it deplored the practice of fining its users. "While thankfully such instances are very rare, it is completely against the spirit and policies of our site for any business owner to attempt to bully or intimidate reviewers who have had a negative experience.
Nov 20, 2014, 4:03 am
#24
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Posts: 4,295
Maybe the hotel has so few guests that it was very obvious who the review posters were? After all, it doesn't sound like the sort of place you'd choose to go to.
Incidentally it's actually #858 out of 868, the remainder don't have any reviews and so could be quite reasonable (they certainly couldn't be much worse)
Here's #868 http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_R...e_England.html
Incidentally it's actually #858 out of 868, the remainder don't have any reviews and so could be quite reasonable (they certainly couldn't be much worse)
Here's #868 http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_R...e_England.html
Last edited by exilencfc; Nov 20, 2014 at 4:14 am Reason: investigation of worse hotels
Nov 20, 2014, 4:35 am
#25
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Maybe the EFF would be interested. Doubtful that they would be, but if they were that could be seriously problematic for the hotel.
Nov 20, 2014, 8:46 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 245
It would be fair to mention the other side of the TripAdvisor coin: there have been a number of instances where people have blackmailed establishments with the threat of a bad review.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1081...ckmailers.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1081...ckmailers.html
Nov 21, 2014, 11:16 am
#28
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I suspect that the hotel's original terms and conditions would fall foul of the Unfair Contract Terms Act and would be struck down in any court challenge. But I don't think that the credit card companies could have done a chargeback since the contract was clear on its face.
I'm mildly surprised, though, that the hotel didn't tough it out - after all, they are not strangers to bad publicity!
I'm mildly surprised, though, that the hotel didn't tough it out - after all, they are not strangers to bad publicity!
Nov 21, 2014, 2:16 pm
#29
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 201
It would be fair to mention the other side of the TripAdvisor coin: there have been a number of instances where people have blackmailed establishments with the threat of a bad review.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1081...ckmailers.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1081...ckmailers.html
Nov 21, 2014, 2:27 pm
#30
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On my next trip to Blackpool, I will carefully screen my options to make sure I stay in a Top-800 establishment. 
This hotel sounds like an utter cesspool.
This hotel sounds like an utter cesspool.