700 Hotels On TripAdvisor Mull Over Lawsuit (POLL)

Well, it was bound to happen sometime: 700 hotel, B&B and innkeepers are threatening legal action against TripAdvisor for slander, according to the Guardian.

KwikChex, a company that specializes in online reputations, is currently collecting examples of slanderous comments by users and plans to approach TripAdvisor about them. According to the Guardian, KwikChex, was fielding questionable comments every 5 minutes earlier this week.

To dissenters, the beauty of TripAdvisor is the vast amount of honest reviews--both good and bad--and you can choose to take them or leave them. Who cares if it's slander if it's just one wacky person's opinion? On the other hand, the hotels and inns in question are these people's livelihood and in theory each bad review is further damaging their reputation.

Earlier this week, we wrote of the news that a cancer patient who had taken to TripAdvisor to give a bad review while staying at a hotel was kicked out, causing a stir.

Quick Poll

Do you think hotels should sue for slander?

No, the beauty of TripAdvisor is honest opinions.

Yes, this is their livelihood. They should defend it.

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Comments

[KarlHavard]

07:35 AM on 10/06/2010

Hello, the key reason behind the legal case isn't just the reviews, it's the "endorsement" allegedly carried out by TripAdvisor. Chris Emmins of KwikChex added his comment here http://bit.ly/dw5y0q

[LittleGirl]

09:37 AM on 09/29/2010

I've used trip advisor for years and really like it. I've even found local restaurants when I moved to a new city.
The travel industry is suffering because they put too many restrictions on their 'fares' and want something for nothing. I suggest all of them remove restrictions (like forcing you to stay 2-3 nights even when you only need one) and you will see people pounding down your door steps.
Stop charging 8 bucks for toast. Stop charging me to check my email. I brought my own equipment, just give me an hour to check my mail. I might recommend your hotel!

[HighDesertBob]

04:45 PM on 09/28/2010

So, now do I get to sue hotels if their services don't measure up to their advertisements? If their pool is small and narrow when they advertise an olympic sized pool? How about when they give poor service? If I complain to them at the desk and they give me the brush off, can I sue them for not giving "5 Star Service?" I suspect not. If these clowns were really interested, they would give good service for the money, a clean room, no bugs, cheerful service and prompt assistance when they are asked. That's all travelers are looking for, value for their money.

[Chili Chili]

03:17 PM on 09/28/2010

I've used TripAdvisor for over 6 years and contributed reviews. I think it is a huge help in evaluating hotels etc. I agree with everyone you have to evaluate the source of the reviews to make much of them - does the person contribute other reviews to TripAdvisor, do the appear to be experienced travelers? do they like your types of hotels (5 star, rustic etc.). The value of TripAdvisor is you get so many reviews that, as a whole, they should give you a decent feel for the hotel. In addition, hotels are now able to write responses to reviews - I've written only a couple poor reviews (out of 45 or so) and one of those hotels responded with a false story - do I get to sue them? I also would not contribute as readily if I have to somehow "prove" I stayed there; the beauty of TripAdvisor is that it is easy to post the review. Sorry, but legally I don't think TripAdvisor should lose this case, and I hope they post the names of all those suing them so we can avoid those hotels.

[ChangingTimes]

02:56 PM on 09/28/2010

Get over it hoteliers, raise wages, invest in your product, invest in your training...

I am sick and tired of companies complaining because they get called out for crappy service. People seem to forget that hotel employees in many parts of the nation make minimum wage. For example a wage of $8.50 per hour for a Front Desk Agent in Orlando, Florida is very common. Meanwhile an amusement park employee at Disney barely break $8.00 an hour.

The flip side is that high end hotels in NYC pay something upwards of $20.00+ per hour for Front Desk. In the end, hotels and companies in the travel industry get what they pay for. If a review on TripAdvisor is negative, it is probably because of some low paid employee who is not totally focused on a hotel that is nothing more than a paycheck or a stepping stone to something else.

Hotels as with most all other travel sectors are consumed by greed, it is the bottom line. They may offer you a Customer Service Survey, or say that your "business is appreciated". However in the end to many of these businesses your service depends on how much you spend and how enthused the poor Desk Clerk are making. The surveys, the phony smiles are nothing more than psychological band aids to make the guest feel important.

[LittleGirl]

09:41 AM on 09/29/2010

The flip side is that by paying their employees more, they will HAVE to charge more per night. There are hotels that have no trouble filling up their rooms. They need to know why and it's got nothing to do with how much they pay employees.
Clean rooms.
Clean linens.
Sound proof rooms.
Internet access.
Temperature control.
Function for price.

[SERVICE800]

11:33 AM on 09/29/2010

ChangingTimes,
I couldn't disagree with you more about your comments about how surveys that are completed are just a "psychological band aid" and are not used by hotels. Being in the business of customer satisfaction measurement I see every day how seriously companies take these surveys. The time and money that goes into creating an effective survey is way to high for companies just to do it to make their customers think they care. These survey results fuel VERY large decisions that need to be made to keep customers happy. Without happy customers it doesn't matter how "greedy" hotels are they aren't going to make any money. Hotels especially rely on customer loyalty and referrals to survive.

On a side note, while there are some trolls out there that most likely are posting on some of the hotel review sites, hotels shouldn't be up in arms about these bad reviews and be using these reviews to help their business correct any issues and be able to connect with their customers.

[UNLVGOP]

11:01 AM on 09/28/2010

I work in a hotel, and occasionally read the reviews on many of those kinds of sites, and we've always gotten very good comments.

However, at the front desk, I hear some of the funniest complaints. One was when I told a guest they had to come to the front desk to pick up a hair dryer (budget hotel didn't supply them) if she wanted one. She then started yelling and calling me a racist saying we're just trying to get back at her because Obama got elected president...not joking! Only time I've hung up on a guest.

Another guy kinda complained about the blinking light on the smoke detector causing a distraction to his sleep! Oh man, gotta love those kinds of people.

[Sheiban S]

04:54 AM on 09/27/2010

I use TripAdvisor but ignore the amazing reviews or the ones that start with "worst place ever" or something to that tune. I read only the ones in-between and then make my decision.

[Galong]

10:22 PM on 09/25/2010

I know a small eco tour operator in Thailand who let a lazy employee go and soon thereafter Trip Advisor was flooded with nasty comments about her tours! With a bit of research, my tour operator friend found out that the disgruntled former employee had family and friends write bad reviews in Trip Advisor. This company runs top tours, yet few guests go the extra step to say how much they enjoyed it. They do write the company and there are stellar guest comments on her website, but not on Trip Advisor.

Personally, I don't like Trip Advisor for the above reason and because my priorities focus on environmental impact, cultural sensitivity and the like. Many of the reviews seldom touch on the subjects that matter most to me.

[Galong]

10:25 PM on 09/25/2010

I should add, the family and friends of the former employ talked about trips that my friend didn't run, doesn't offer during dates when she didn't run trips. She complained to Trip Advisor, but they refused to remove the defamatory fake reviews! I wonder how many of these 700 hoteliers have similar stories.

[tyrant510]

04:43 AM on 09/25/2010

The hoteliers have a point here. Trip Advisor needs to create a system to verify the validity of their users comments--or at least that they actually stayed at the given hotel (i.e., supplying receipts, etc.). Anybody can just post anything, even if they've never stayed at the hotel or eaten at the restaurant. Also, comments can sit on the Trip Advisor site for years--often after renovations or changes have been made. Trip Advisor owes it to the Hoteliers, and more importantly, to it's own readers. This would create a better, more accurate system that is verifiable.

[Jeffreygeez]

07:59 PM on 09/25/2010

To verify opinions????
Their stay verified, sure, but very difficult to do. How many back packers keep records of their cash payments to Hostels, and vica versa??
An opinion is just that.

[tyrant510]

03:05 PM on 09/26/2010

No. Never said they should "verify opinions". The point is, if a site allows users to post anything without any type of verfication, it weakens the very point of that site. Many sites use various different verification systems. This is not a new idea. And how's this for an idea--if you don't keep a receipt for a cash payment, then you don't get to post an opinion on Trip Advisor--have SOME standards. Otherwise, it's all just gobbledygook.

[Galong]

02:28 AM on 09/25/2010

There are also cases where hoteliers and tour operators give themselves rave reviews. Anyone can write anything about anyone. Pseudo-names are easy to use. Flooding Tripe Advisor with great reviews is just as unfair and unjustifiable bad reviews.

Personally, I wouldn't take any advice from Trip Advisor reviews. I've been to places that had oustanding reviews that were horrible and I've been on trips that got mediocre reviews that were fabulous.

Think about it this way: How many people who had a good time go to the trouble of writing about it vs how many people who love to complain write about it? Trip Advisor is just like any other media. Bad news sells.

[bobbyperu]

03:47 PM on 09/24/2010

Instead of suing TripAdvisor these hotels should maybe read the reviews and try and make improvements based on the reviews. I don't consider myself a genius, but I can read the reviews and tell when the reviewer is just a crank. Clue to using TripAdvisor: Usually the very good hotels have lots of good reviews and the very bad hotels have lots of bad reviews.

[Galong]

04:01 AM on 09/25/2010

There is certainly no flaw in your logic. However, taking human nature into consideration I think that more people tend to complain than praise. Look, for example, at HP. How many people gripe about everything under the sun on this forum vs people who say nice stuff? People like to complain and will go that extra step to complain, but might not go to the trouble of praising.

In light of this (human nature), I don't consider much of what I read on Trip Advisor very informative.

700 hotelier seems like a lot of people to be mad about the way Trip Advisor works.

[John E Hessling]

07:13 PM on 09/27/2010

As a small hotel owner, I can tell you the impact some of these posts have. The worst part about it is that these posts are out there forever more. I have had some rediculous posts impacting my hotel that were completely false and had nothing to do with the hotel. Yet five years later I have potential guests asking me to answer for them. There needs to be a check of some sort as to the validity of the claims. TripAdvisor is able to censor my managment responses. Why cant they censor the posts?

[divitius]

03:07 PM on 09/24/2010

They all love the free market til they get burned by it. Then they sue. Typical.

[momamazed]

01:22 PM on 09/24/2010

Note to hotels, b&b's and inns:

I will never stay a night in any facility that takes part in this lawsuit. I read lots of reviews and I take them all into account - sometimes it is just a whiner, but you can usually tell that by taking all the reviews as a whole. If you take away our ability to find out from other travelers how you're doing, you WILL lose business. If your business is good, enough reviewers will get the word out. If it isn't - we have a right to know.

[UNLVGOP]

10:46 AM on 09/28/2010

You can go to Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz to get reviews...those websites verify that the people posting the comments have actually stayed at the hotel, unlike TripAdvisor.

[yappnmutt]

12:59 PM on 09/24/2010

trip adviser and most of the rest of user rating services have leveled the playing field between consumers and the provider. consumers now have a better idea of what they are actually buying and the providers have a better idea of what they must provide to attract customers.

these providers would spend their money more wisely if they just improved their offerings.

[Galong]

04:05 AM on 09/25/2010

That seems fair. But, what would you say about other hoteliers spamming Trip Advisor and bad-mouthing their competition? This does happen. Anyone can write anything and anyone can have multiple user names. It's not always as cut and dry as it might seem.

This is a lot of hoteliers who are upset. There could be more to this than meets the eye.

[JScott]

12:52 PM on 09/24/2010

Whiners, quit whining and improve your facilities. Jeez just making the stuff in the hotel room work, a good cleaning decent service would do wonders, is that asking too much, apparently for some it is.