General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums20% of Yelp reviews are fake
On Monday, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that 19 companies agreed to cease their practice of writing fake online reviews and pay hefty penalties for false advertising and deceptive business practices. Dubbed Operation Clean Turf, his investigation found that these businesses ranging from bus companies to teeth whitening services systematically tried to game the system by paying freelance writers from Philippines, Bangladesh and Eastern Europe between $1 to $10 per review. Schneidermans office cited a 2011 study by Michael Luca, assistant professor at Harvard Business School, which said a one-star rating hike on Yelp can mean a 5% to 9% rise in restaurant revenue.
But the problem is even worse than the New York investigation suggests, Luca says. The number of fraudulent reviews on Yelp rose from 5% in 2006 to 20% in 2013, according to Fake It Till You Make It: Reputation, Competition, and Yelp Review Fraud, a report by Luca that was co-written by Georgios Zervas, an assistant professor of marketing at Boston University. Analyzing an additional 316,415 Yelp reviews of Boston restaurants, 16% were filtered and identified as fake, Luca says. Fraudulent reviews are growing as more businesses become aware of the importance of social media and compete with rivals for public affection. The problem is definitely more widespread than the Attorney Generals investigation, Luca says. Thats just one small piece of the puzzle. (A Yelp spokeswoman says its software helps filter many fakes before most users get to read them.)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/20-of-yelp-reviews-are-fake-2013-09-24?link=MW_latest_news
grahamhgreen
(15,741 posts)Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)RedCappedBandit
(5,514 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)"amateur" reviews of pretty much anything.
You don't know if the "reviewer" has any expertise in the subject, connections to whatever is reviewed, or even exists.
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)...."False Reviewers".
I've noticed ...like 4-6 reviews for a laptop are VERY close to being worded the same way. (out of say 47 reviews)
I could be wrong but.. ???
FSogol
(45,357 posts)...."Fake Reviewers."
I've noticed ...like 3-7 reviews for a tablet are VERY close to being phrased the same way. (out of say 48 reviews)
I could be mistaken, but.. ??
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)LOL!
Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
Warpy
(110,907 posts)As I recall, I started to find the companies generating twaddle as customer reviews in 2003. Netvocates was one company doing this.
I never read the rave reviews on anything because of it. I go right for the complainers because if there is a significant problem with the item or service, multiple people will complain.
There will always be rave reviews generated by friends and families of small businesses like local restaurants. That's not a big problem. The big problem comes in when it's a large corporation selling stuff that a lot of people have found faulty, of poor quality and with lousy customer service and people have to wade through a lot of bogus rave reviews to find the problems.
I love complainers, in other words. They tell me which products have significant enough problems to avoid like a clothes dryer that frequently needs the drum replaced, a big ticket repair. There are other complaints I can live with or compensate for, like clothing that runs big or small.
I've actually come to believe the raves just need to be ignored. Too many of them are phony.
frazzled
(18,402 posts)First, these negative reviews are also often shills: competitors, for example; and these can be paid as well.
Also, more times than not, when I see negative reviews of, say, a restaurant, the stuff they are complaining about is so out of whack with what I even care about, or were just cranky and unrealistic (usually service issues). For equipment or technical things, there's always a few people who claim the thing was terrible and didn't work when it's clear they didn't know how to operate it. My favorite are the reviews on epicurious, where I look for recipes often. There are always people who say "meh" or "this recipe stunk" and then go on to list all the ridiculous substitutions they made (I didn't have any apples, so I used some grape jelly and the whole thing fell apart!)
You have to put on your thinking cap when reading reviews. Ignore both the raves and the pans and go with the general consensus ... making sure, at the same time, to consider whether your criteria are the same as the general reviewers'. (For example, if you're 65 and like to dine in relative quiet, don't maybe consider the reviews of the people who "loved the heavy metal background music!"--or consider them inversely, and avoid the place.)
Warpy
(110,907 posts)They always give themselves away by suggesting the "better" product.
And yes, you do have to put on your thinking cap. The fake reviews are by people who are counting on your not owning one.
frazzled
(18,402 posts)When you see a review of a hotel that has been positively rated by 765 people, and you've seen pictures, and you know the location ... and then you see a few people who say, "It was filthy! and the walls were like paper! I was up all night!"--you can be pretty sure you're dealing with someone with mental issues.
Myrina
(12,296 posts)I expected about 45-50%, honestly.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)zappaman
(20,605 posts)BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)"One time, I saw this really old guy in a wheelchair with his son (nephew? nurses assistant?) not able to park close to the entrance. I felt sorry because the guy had to use a bell to communicate."
zappaman
(20,605 posts)"This is from my second visit there.
On my first visit, I enjoyed a great meal with exemplary service. You could tell the manager really cared about the customers' experience, because I saw him sitting with one customer listening very intently to what the gentleman had to say. I had seen him take the man's order personally, so it was refershing to see management take the extra step to ensure that his customer was completely satisfied.
For my second trip, things have changed drastically. The service was pretty lackluster, and I didn't even see the same manager there. The food was just so-so as well.
Soooooo...if you're in the area and you're looking for some decent fried chicken, then by all means come check this place out.
Just don't come to expect much after the change in management."
OregonBlue
(7,744 posts)I suspect the Philippine reviewers are provided with a template of what an American would write and they seem to stick to the template pretty faithfully.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)be the ones posting those bad reviews, too.
We are getting nagged daily by one in particular.
Skittles
(152,964 posts)gollygee
(22,336 posts)the owner or manager will contact you and try to get you to delete it. (I speak from experience.) So there's pressure on both sides - creating fake ones, and getting rid of bad ones.
Link Speed
(650 posts)My biggest problem is the current steady of an ex-GF. The funny thing is that he generates these reviews while drinking.
We also sell very high-end art and outdoor decor (Think $3,000 wind chimes and $10,000 water features), so we get some negative Yelps from folks who just don't/can't get it.
I cannot understand why anyone gives any credence to anonymous reviews.
Glassunion
(10,201 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)It might even entice me to try their meatball sandwich
jmowreader
(50,451 posts)The guy who wrote that review must have a meatball for a brain.
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)writer and I see jobs posted all the time for reviews on all kinds of things and sites. Amazon reviews are often done by paid writers. Sites like oDesk often have clients looking for writers to do reviews. The jobs usually pay terrible so you get a lot of poorly written reviews.
grahamhgreen
(15,741 posts)Bonx
(2,039 posts)Also urbanspoon & tripadvisor.
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)For reviews - I don't truly trust any that are open to anybody who wants to write a review. I especially don't trust those that offer for you to be in a drawing to win money for writing a review.
For writers - there are a few good sites. Let me know if that is what you are looking for and I'll gather some links for you.
grahamhgreen
(15,741 posts)ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)some of which you have to write a sample for. Let me know if I can help by giving examples.
I don't get paid for referring people and have no financial interest in any of these companies. (Unfortunately, needed for those who would accuse me of spamming.)
Crowd Content: www.crowdcontent.com/
Textbroker: http://www.textbroker.com/
oDesk: (Has different kinds of jobs, some pay good, some fair, some terrible): https://www.odesk.com/login?redir=%2Fhome (click on signup at the top right of the page)
You might want to sign up with Freedom With Writing. Besides jobs, they will send emails with tips and articles that help you get started and find the jobs that pay the most: http://www.freedomwithwriting.com/
Hope this is what you were looking for.
Mr Dixon
(1,185 posts)I not mine but i only have 12 reviews
dembotoz
(16,737 posts)using reviews for political purposes.
i take most reviews with several shakers of salt.
KentuckyWoman
(6,666 posts)jmowreader
(50,451 posts)There are four kinds of online reviews.
The first is the fake good review, which Schneiderman's got his dander up about.
Second is the fake bad review, which your competitors and your asshole customers provide.
Then there's the real bad review.
Finally is the real good review, which is the rarest.