Would you accept a full refund in exchange for taking down a TripAdvisor review?
Jul 8, 2015, 9:36 pm
#18
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,027
Jul 8, 2015, 10:07 pm
#19
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: 58,624
Honestly, I feel like it's really fair. Blunt. But fair!
Jul 8, 2015, 10:11 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,018
I turned down $500 US to take down a review. I don't want others to have to deal with what I went through. How about they give you back a good portion of your money because their service was poor? Why ask you to remove the review? Rather - I would add a second review (or EDITUPDATE) my initial review saying that the owners got in touch with me AFTER I posted this review to make things right. So they are stand up, but you should know what happened. I think that is fair
Jul 8, 2015, 10:58 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bangkok or San Francisco
Programs: United 1k, Marriott Lifetime PE, Former DL Gold, Former SQ Solitaire, HH Gold
Posts: 11,886
Wrote a three star review for a three star experience at a VRBO property five night stay in Italy. The owners had subbed out management during the period we were there and the woman they left in charge was an absolute disaster (this wasn't a flat...it was more of a small resort on Lake Como).
After reading my review, the owner emailed and apologized for the poor service we received from their sub, said they rarely take time off from the business but did during the week we were there to accompany their daughter to a sporting event, and offered a full refund...if I would take down the review, stating that a 3 star review (especially from a senior reviewer) would really hurt their small business.
On the one hand, I feel like it was a fair but honest review based on my experience.
On the other, it was clearly a bit of an outlier experience, as every other review refers to the owners/host as the gem of the property.
Unless, of course, they bribe all bad reviewers to take down their less-than 4* review....
We're talking 1300 euros.
Would you take the 'bribe?'
After reading my review, the owner emailed and apologized for the poor service we received from their sub, said they rarely take time off from the business but did during the week we were there to accompany their daughter to a sporting event, and offered a full refund...if I would take down the review, stating that a 3 star review (especially from a senior reviewer) would really hurt their small business.
On the one hand, I feel like it was a fair but honest review based on my experience.
On the other, it was clearly a bit of an outlier experience, as every other review refers to the owners/host as the gem of the property.
Unless, of course, they bribe all bad reviewers to take down their less-than 4* review....
We're talking 1300 euros.
Would you take the 'bribe?'
Jul 8, 2015, 11:14 pm
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
Of course it's legal. It's just a question of how invested OP is in maintaining the "purity" of TripAdvisor.
The owner is trying "erase" the stay, as if it never happened, by refunding the whole cost. Interesting stance, as it seems to indicate the owner is accepting full responsibility for a bad stay.
The owner is trying "erase" the stay, as if it never happened, by refunding the whole cost. Interesting stance, as it seems to indicate the owner is accepting full responsibility for a bad stay.
Jul 8, 2015, 11:21 pm
#25
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
Whats not legal?
I would take my review down for a full refund in a second. I am also a Senior reviewer (in fact in the top 1%) on TA and it sounds to me the owners want to make it right. Take the money and run.
I would not change my review to 4*. I would remove it. TA allows this.
I would take my review down for a full refund in a second. I am also a Senior reviewer (in fact in the top 1%) on TA and it sounds to me the owners want to make it right. Take the money and run.
I would not change my review to 4*. I would remove it. TA allows this.
Jul 9, 2015, 3:52 am
#28
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,438
I have turned down money offered this way through a restaurant I reviewed on TA. I did end up after much consideration taking down the review because it was unduly harsh and probably not fully warranted, but there is no way I would accept money to do so if I hadn't bothered to bring my concerns to the management on the day of my visit.
Jul 9, 2015, 3:55 am
#29
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
On principle, I would not agree to this. If they offered to refund my stay in order to earn my satisfaction, I would accept it, and amend the review accordingly. However, I would not accept direct compensation for modifying the review.
If they offered this to me, I would amend my review to include their explanation of why the service was poor. I would urge future guests to inquire whether this sub will be dealing with them. I may even add a star if I feel it is justified by the response I received to my comments, but not directly for money.
If they offered this to me, I would amend my review to include their explanation of why the service was poor. I would urge future guests to inquire whether this sub will be dealing with them. I may even add a star if I feel it is justified by the response I received to my comments, but not directly for money.
Jul 9, 2015, 6:00 am
#30
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 64
I would take the money.
I've stayed in a lot of hotels in the last year and two of them gave me terrible experiences. Absolutely deserving no stars. One hotel apologised wholeheartedly, comped our stay, free drinks, etc. BUT thing that stopped me posting a terrible ta review was that the staff went out of their way to acknowledge fault and deal with it. They managed genuine (sounding) apologies and each staff member appeared to be trying their hardest. When we checked out they had even comped our parking which we hadn't asked for, nor expected.
The other hotel, however, gave us the impression that the staff thought we were whingers. Even though we had happily stayed there for years. We were frequent travellers who, instead of an upgrade, got a terrible & noisy room. Didn't notice the noise til nighttime & got next to no sleep. When we got the manager to listen he acknowledged the noise. Tried to move us to another noisy room (acting like we were lucky because it had a sea view.) A whole catalogue of hotel failures, not helped by 5 or 6 staff members giving us inaccurate info (or possibly lying?) One even pouted as we had mentioned his inaccuracies to the manager. Looking back I wished we'd checked out then but didn't want to waste precious holiday time seeking an alternative. We got the 1st night comped & eventually moved to a quieter room. It had a sea view but was accessible so not as nice.
Reading the ta reviews I could see others had posted complaints about the same things but none of them gave less than FOUR stars. So if that hotel offered cash back I would have snapped it up. If the other customers are so stupid they give 4/5 stars, then my review would make zero difference.
BTW, the first hotel did not ask for trip adviser reviews. The other hotel had notices asking for reviews plastered all over the place. So I gave them one.
I've stayed in a lot of hotels in the last year and two of them gave me terrible experiences. Absolutely deserving no stars. One hotel apologised wholeheartedly, comped our stay, free drinks, etc. BUT thing that stopped me posting a terrible ta review was that the staff went out of their way to acknowledge fault and deal with it. They managed genuine (sounding) apologies and each staff member appeared to be trying their hardest. When we checked out they had even comped our parking which we hadn't asked for, nor expected.
The other hotel, however, gave us the impression that the staff thought we were whingers. Even though we had happily stayed there for years. We were frequent travellers who, instead of an upgrade, got a terrible & noisy room. Didn't notice the noise til nighttime & got next to no sleep. When we got the manager to listen he acknowledged the noise. Tried to move us to another noisy room (acting like we were lucky because it had a sea view.) A whole catalogue of hotel failures, not helped by 5 or 6 staff members giving us inaccurate info (or possibly lying?) One even pouted as we had mentioned his inaccuracies to the manager. Looking back I wished we'd checked out then but didn't want to waste precious holiday time seeking an alternative. We got the 1st night comped & eventually moved to a quieter room. It had a sea view but was accessible so not as nice.
Reading the ta reviews I could see others had posted complaints about the same things but none of them gave less than FOUR stars. So if that hotel offered cash back I would have snapped it up. If the other customers are so stupid they give 4/5 stars, then my review would make zero difference.
BTW, the first hotel did not ask for trip adviser reviews. The other hotel had notices asking for reviews plastered all over the place. So I gave them one.