Would you accept a full refund in exchange for taking down a TripAdvisor review?
Jul 31, 2015, 8:19 pm
#91
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 87
All I can think of is that joke where, at a party a man asks a young woman if she would sleep with him for $1M. "For one million, yeah, I would sleep with you".
Later he asks her is she would sleep with him for $20. She huffed and said "What kind of a person do you think I am?" He replied "We both know what kind of person you are. We are just negotiating the price".
I would never take anything to provide a good review or take down a bad one, no matter what the offer. As a Top Contributor to T/A, I have written about 150 reviews - all my personal belief. My integrity is worth more than anything.
Based on the original posting, it sounds more like a bribe than an offer of compensation for a bad experience. Were I to believe that it was an offer SOLELY for a bad experience, then I would amend the review to mention that the owner was willing to make good on my experience, his not having had the opportunity to do so earlier. I would mention the amount of compensation and would probably rate the place a star higher but the original content would not change.
On T/A, the owner can post a reply and should have - mentioning the offer of a partial refund to compensate, not to bribe. That would make me, as a reader, reconsider the value of a bad review. Instead, by offering a bribe for removal, I would consider the owner to be dishonest.
Later he asks her is she would sleep with him for $20. She huffed and said "What kind of a person do you think I am?" He replied "We both know what kind of person you are. We are just negotiating the price".
I would never take anything to provide a good review or take down a bad one, no matter what the offer. As a Top Contributor to T/A, I have written about 150 reviews - all my personal belief. My integrity is worth more than anything.
Based on the original posting, it sounds more like a bribe than an offer of compensation for a bad experience. Were I to believe that it was an offer SOLELY for a bad experience, then I would amend the review to mention that the owner was willing to make good on my experience, his not having had the opportunity to do so earlier. I would mention the amount of compensation and would probably rate the place a star higher but the original content would not change.
On T/A, the owner can post a reply and should have - mentioning the offer of a partial refund to compensate, not to bribe. That would make me, as a reader, reconsider the value of a bad review. Instead, by offering a bribe for removal, I would consider the owner to be dishonest.
Jul 31, 2015, 9:10 pm
#92
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: LAS HNL
Programs: DL DM, 5.7 MM, UA 3.1 MM, MARRIOTT PLATINUM, AVIS FIRST, Amex Black Card
Posts: 4,479
TO THE ABOVE POST:
I am also a Top Contributor to T/A. I have over 1,300 reviews. I would take the money (100% refund), pull the review, and not leave a good or bad review. I WOULD PULL IT. The owner of the property stated this was his/her first vacation/holiday for many years and the mistakes were made by a 3rd party fill-in. I give 100% honest reviews on TA and this sounds to me the owner is doing the right thing. What more than a 100% refund could the OP expect? TAKE THE $$$ AND PULL THE REVIEW!
I am also a Top Contributor to T/A. I have over 1,300 reviews. I would take the money (100% refund), pull the review, and not leave a good or bad review. I WOULD PULL IT. The owner of the property stated this was his/her first vacation/holiday for many years and the mistakes were made by a 3rd party fill-in. I give 100% honest reviews on TA and this sounds to me the owner is doing the right thing. What more than a 100% refund could the OP expect? TAKE THE $$$ AND PULL THE REVIEW!
Aug 1, 2015, 11:34 am
#95
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 63
I have done this.
Prior to our trip to Alaska in 2014, I had booked a specific helicopter pilot a year in advance, and paid him a year in advance.
When the day came he met us and said the heli was down, waiting for a part, but he could get us on a float plane. We really had no interest in going on a float plane, but there was nothing else we wanted to do, so we let him take us to the plane, dropped us off, so it had apparently been pre-arranged.
We get back from the float plane, it was OK, just meh, and there were some sales guys asking everyone who came by about booking different tours. I made the comment that we had booked the heli but X pilot said it was down. He told us the that X had had been flying all morning. Clearly he had double booked.
I was pi$$ed. I went on Trip Advisor and told it exactly like it was. Very shortly I got call from X pilot begging me to take down the negative review. That my review would drop him way down since I was a senior reviewer. He would give me a full refund, but please take it down, that was how he supported his family blah, blah, blah.
I told him exactly how I felt about what he had done. That I had been looking forward to his tour for a year. That I loved the doors off heli we did in Honolulu, was extremely disappointed with him operating his business like that, and canceling a year long pre-paid booking.
In the end I did go on Trip Advisor and deleted my review. I didn't change it, I just deleted it, so I know they can be deleted.
Prior to our trip to Alaska in 2014, I had booked a specific helicopter pilot a year in advance, and paid him a year in advance.
When the day came he met us and said the heli was down, waiting for a part, but he could get us on a float plane. We really had no interest in going on a float plane, but there was nothing else we wanted to do, so we let him take us to the plane, dropped us off, so it had apparently been pre-arranged.
We get back from the float plane, it was OK, just meh, and there were some sales guys asking everyone who came by about booking different tours. I made the comment that we had booked the heli but X pilot said it was down. He told us the that X had had been flying all morning. Clearly he had double booked.
I was pi$$ed. I went on Trip Advisor and told it exactly like it was. Very shortly I got call from X pilot begging me to take down the negative review. That my review would drop him way down since I was a senior reviewer. He would give me a full refund, but please take it down, that was how he supported his family blah, blah, blah.
I told him exactly how I felt about what he had done. That I had been looking forward to his tour for a year. That I loved the doors off heli we did in Honolulu, was extremely disappointed with him operating his business like that, and canceling a year long pre-paid booking.
In the end I did go on Trip Advisor and deleted my review. I didn't change it, I just deleted it, so I know they can be deleted.
If it was me, I would have edited the TripAdviser review if I could to indicate that the owner tried to bribe you to change your review.
DON
Aug 4, 2015, 4:49 am
#96
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 21
kokonutz - I understand your feeling a little uncomfortable with a refund .
Why not try this - or some variation of it :
The owners offer you to stay there again for the same number of days , on their account , because last time bla bla ... If you will be suitably impressed , you will edit the old review , leaving what was , but explaining everything etc. etc. , in a way that someone could not just read the old bad part . This should satisfy all sides - just owners need to know they can trust you - would seem to be pretty basic though .
Why not try this - or some variation of it :
The owners offer you to stay there again for the same number of days , on their account , because last time bla bla ... If you will be suitably impressed , you will edit the old review , leaving what was , but explaining everything etc. etc. , in a way that someone could not just read the old bad part . This should satisfy all sides - just owners need to know they can trust you - would seem to be pretty basic though .
Aug 6, 2015, 11:09 am
#97
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage,
Posts: 120
No
I'm just ornery that way. I'd wonder why they are so concerned about a three star review when all others are good and I'd wonder how many others they paid to take down. Also, I would have written that review in good faith to help other researchers, like me, make a decision. Bad karma to take it down. Next time out I get stuck in a hell hole that the owners paid off bad reviewers of.
Now, if they wanted to give me a free second visit to maybe change my mind I might be up for it. IF my mind had been changed.
Now, if they wanted to give me a free second visit to maybe change my mind I might be up for it. IF my mind had been changed.
Aug 6, 2015, 11:13 am
#98
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage,
Posts: 120
The OP
TO THE ABOVE POST:
I am also a Top Contributor to T/A. I have over 1,300 reviews. I would take the money (100% refund), pull the review, and not leave a good or bad review. I WOULD PULL IT. The owner of the property stated this was his/her first vacation/holiday for many years and the mistakes were made by a 3rd party fill-in. I give 100% honest reviews on TA and this sounds to me the owner is doing the right thing. What more than a 100% refund could the OP expect? TAKE THE $$$ AND PULL THE REVIEW!
I am also a Top Contributor to T/A. I have over 1,300 reviews. I would take the money (100% refund), pull the review, and not leave a good or bad review. I WOULD PULL IT. The owner of the property stated this was his/her first vacation/holiday for many years and the mistakes were made by a 3rd party fill-in. I give 100% honest reviews on TA and this sounds to me the owner is doing the right thing. What more than a 100% refund could the OP expect? TAKE THE $$$ AND PULL THE REVIEW!
Aug 6, 2015, 2:43 pm
#99
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: American AAdvantage
Posts: 1,045
Did you delete the review first or wait until you got the refund?
Aug 6, 2015, 6:06 pm
#100
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,585
Aug 7, 2015, 3:06 am
#104
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,578
TO THE ABOVE POST:
I am also a Top Contributor to T/A. I have over 1,300 reviews. I would take the money (100% refund), pull the review, and not leave a good or bad review. I WOULD PULL IT. The owner of the property stated this was his/her first vacation/holiday for many years and the mistakes were made by a 3rd party fill-in. I give 100% honest reviews on TA and this sounds to me the owner is doing the right thing. What more than a 100% refund could the OP expect? TAKE THE $$$ AND PULL THE REVIEW!
I am also a Top Contributor to T/A. I have over 1,300 reviews. I would take the money (100% refund), pull the review, and not leave a good or bad review. I WOULD PULL IT. The owner of the property stated this was his/her first vacation/holiday for many years and the mistakes were made by a 3rd party fill-in. I give 100% honest reviews on TA and this sounds to me the owner is doing the right thing. What more than a 100% refund could the OP expect? TAKE THE $$$ AND PULL THE REVIEW!
What I would do is leave the original review as is, but append a statement updating the reader on developments since it was posted.