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Originally Posted by Marsden
(Post 17847511)
Agreed: TA (and many other sites) could do a lot of good by permitting users more flexibility in sorting through reviews.
Wow, I've never seen that, quite. Next you'll be telling me Consumer Reports has been assimilated. Consumer Reports isn't perfect neither.. I like to go through its information for raw data and usefull suggestions.. but it can be outright wrong as well.. |
Just in case someone really did think this was just a TripAdvisor problem
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/te...eviews.html?hp |
I was looking at TripAdvisor this morning and noticed three new, nearly identically horrendous reviews of a truly fabulous restaurant from newbie reviewers. IMO TripAdvisor should mark these types of reviews as possibly shillish (not sure if that's a word), and give the public the option to either include them in the search results or not. I would also like an option to exclude all reviews by posters with less than 5 to 10 reviews, say.
Another thing TA could do is simply create an audit capability. Give reviewers the ability to submit proof that they actually visited the hotel/restaurant in question, then put a big gold star on those reviews with a title like "Certified Review" |
Originally Posted by mcgahat
(Post 15487666)
I really dont use the rankings listed on TripAdvisor but believe the reviews and info is extremely valuable when making a decission on where to stay. I just look at the individual reviews and judge for myself who has valid complaints etc. I post a lot on TripAdvisor and find it the best site out there for getting info on a property. I think they are doing a better job these days of trying to make sure fake reviews are not posted but it is obviously difficult to police.
As far as Tripadvisor no longer being reliable. It has never been 100% reliable and never will be as it is end user generated content. Garbage in, garbage out. Nothing stopping someone from giving a 1 star review to a great hotel because they didnt take the mayo off their burger like they ask. Nothing stopping someone from giving a 1 start property 5 stars because they had indoor plumbing. I just read the reviews and go from there. I have never agreed with their rankings and never really understood exactly how they derived them. The thing that's annoying me about TripAdvisor right now are those stupid pop-up windows that ask me to rate everything in my local area. First, pop-ups are a pain in the butt anyway. Second, I haven't been to a lot of those places. Third, even if I do rate some, I get the same pop-up next time, so what's the use of a rating that could involve the same person - maybe someone with nothing much else to do- entering ratings for the same thing over and over again. |
Originally Posted by lancebanyon
(Post 17974003)
I was looking at TripAdvisor this morning and noticed three new, nearly identically horrendous reviews of a truly fabulous restaurant from newbie reviewers. IMO TripAdvisor should mark these types of reviews as possibly shillish (not sure if that's a word), and give the public the option to either include them in the search results or not. I would also like an option to exclude all reviews by posters with less than 5 to 10 reviews, say.
Another thing TA could do is simply create an audit capability. Give reviewers the ability to submit proof that they actually visited the hotel/restaurant in question, then put a big gold star on those reviews with a title like "Certified Review" One thing I DID noticed was that for those properties I've been giving a review which was way off the average (Either positive or negative) it took 2-3 days longer to post it, and this happened a few times already for me. If a property is on average 4.x, and I'm giving it 1 or 2 points only, it might trigger manual double-check of my review (At least that's the behaviour according to my experience) - just as well if you're giving a property a 5 points one which is ranking at 2.x in average... |
Serious Reliability Problem
I have first hand experience and knowledge that tripadvisor is no longer reliable in regard to restaurants - the most bizarre situation is reviews that exist for restaurants that..... Don't!!
They have been advised by myself and others that restaurants we know of have been long closed (permanently) but the reviews still exist like strange phantoms.... Multiple contacts via their site but no action and inattentiveness. It would probably be wise to check the date of the reviews and without question, one should call the establishment and verify they actually exist! |
Originally Posted by twilly
(Post 18152470)
I have first hand experience and knowledge that tripadvisor is no longer reliable in regard to restaurants - the most bizarre situation is reviews that exist for restaurants that..... Don't!!
They have been advised by myself and others that restaurants we know of have been long closed (permanently) but the reviews still exist like strange phantoms.... Multiple contacts via their site but no action and inattentiveness. It would probably be wise to check the date of the reviews and without question, one should call the establishment and verify they actually exist! |
Sometimes TA listens. Recently I've pointed out one questionable review to them which was then removed after a week, and also a couple of reviews that were for the wrong restaurant. However, I also identified a restaurant that was closed and reopened under new management with a new name, but that one they didn't change.
On an aside, I'm learning something about how people rate reviews as useful. For one hotel recently I only wrote a couple of brief sentences and yet 3 people found it useful. Others I'll write a couple of paragraphs and nothing. I suspect most people don't want to read a detailed accounting of each of your nine courses on the degustation menu; they'd rather know quickly whether you recommend it or not and why. |
Originally Posted by lancebanyon
(Post 18158276)
On an aside, I'm learning something about how people rate reviews as useful. For one hotel recently I only wrote a couple of brief sentences and yet 3 people found it useful. Others I'll write a couple of paragraphs and nothing. I suspect most people don't want to read a detailed accounting of each of your nine courses on the degustation menu; they'd rather know quickly whether you recommend it or not and why.
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I think they're going the "credentialing" route by loading up on icons (or other dingbats) with reviewers. Ebay did that sort of thing with their sellers in addition to feedback rating, i.e. if someone has a high number, is a power seller, top-rated seller, has a certain color star, etc., then the icons go with the username and the implication is that the trust level should be higher. With TA I can see that happening based on review numbers and especially helpful votes.
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Originally Posted by YuropFlyer
(Post 18153771)
Sorry to interrupt your rant.
It has now been verified that tripadvisor.com is NOT removing restaurants that have long been closed. There is also an establishment that was a B&B that was closed long ago but also exists like a ghost on the tripadvisor site. If you would like to waste massive amounts of time and gas to drive to South Central PA from the urban areas of BWI/DCA to delight in the Culinary mastery that is the "Serenity Station" in Seven Valleys, PA..... Be my guest - We'll watch as you have the "confused look" at a boarded-up restaurant. Even better, there's an auction next month selling off the property. tripadvisor's failure to realize restaurants exist in a "dynamic" state is becoming readily apparent..... Just another internet site that is dying..... |
TripAdvisor under fire over fraud detection
The Telegraph: TripAdvisor under fire over fraud detection
Looks like this is the tripadvisor.co.uk site - I guess business owners realize there's some impact with TripAdvisor reviews... Pressure is growing on TripAdvisor, the travel review website, to improve its screening procedures following the emergence of new evidence of hoteliers attempting to manipulate their ratings and of fake reviews going up unnoticed. A restaurant that is not even open is currently ranked 17th best in London, and two Telegraph Travel readers have been offered £180 to delete a negative view they posted of a hotel in Gloucestershire. |
I posted a very negative review of a property I stayed at last month outlining very specific complaints. Within 2 or 3 days of my review being published "someone" posted numerous stellar reviews countering each of my negative examples. So many positive reviews were published in fact, my negative review was immediately buried to page 4 or 5. The positive padding was so blatant it made me laugh.
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Originally Posted by FetePerfection
(Post 18250727)
I posted a very negative review of a property I stayed at last month outlining very specific complaints. Within 2 or 3 days of my review being published "someone" posted numerous stellar reviews countering each of my negative examples. So many positive reviews were published in fact, my negative review was immediately buried to page 4 or 5. The positive padding was so blatant it made me laugh.
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Originally Posted by srdshelly
(Post 17974384)
This is truly the key to using TripAdvisor. Look at the details of the review for why people rate a place high or low. Are these the features that really matter to you? What are the things that you personally really care about, and how do the comments treat these? I have definitely been steered toward or away from places because of comments in TripAdvisor, but it's only one resource.
The thing that's annoying me about TripAdvisor right now are those stupid pop-up windows that ask me to rate everything in my local area. First, pop-ups are a pain in the butt anyway. Second, I haven't been to a lot of those places. Third, even if I do rate some, I get the same pop-up next time, so what's the use of a rating that could involve the same person - maybe someone with nothing much else to do- entering ratings for the same thing over and over again. |
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