NO Bad Reviews Or I Will Fine You!

[jazzy_dave]

Here is a good example of a bad review gone sour - the couple got fined a hundred quid for giving a Blackpool hotel a bad review. Outrageous!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30100973

Comments

[missdiane.livejournal.com]

Is that real? If so, I hope that the article goes viral enough that it kills the business of that place

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, been on all the news channels in the UK.

Or an old Red Skelton joke come to life.

[msstacy13.livejournal.com]

-How was your stay in our hotel?

-Fine.

-£100.

[msstacy13.livejournal.com]

But this would explain the hotel's fine reputation.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Normally, I would be on the hotel's side, as having been a leasing agent, I realize that the people who write reviews are usually dissatisfied. There is often no recourse for the targeted properties, as most reviews are posted anonymously. However, I don't understand how the hotel could charge for receiving a bad review. To me, it is a violation of rights. The hotel should be focused on improving their service.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Quite right. I cna see this business closing down and quite right too.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

'people who write reviews are usually dissatisfied'

Not always true. We've used the Italian hotel booking site venere.com for years and always do reviews as they've yet to let us down with a hotel. We'll try to mention both the good and (occasionally) less good things about any hotel we visit, but the less good are often minor and have often been corrected next time we visit which proves that the businesses both listen and act.

That's how it should be done!

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

*points to icon*

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

"How to win friends and influence people."


Not.

Not to far in the future, this is going to be a case study in Management classes the world over as a perfect example of "what not to do", just like the United Airlines guitar-breaking case was.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

There's also the Streisand Effect when something like this gets amplified on Slashdot. This hotel is going to be up to its proverbial armpits in bad reviews in the very near future from people who've never stayed there. It might be dishonest of the reviewers, but no more than the dishonesty that the hotel is perpetrating.

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

That deserves a great big WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How can that possibly be legal.
And how stupid can they be? This is going to give them more bad press then a bad review any day. IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs, Jon

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

They have had to back done and refund the couple. Still, the damage is done. This has gone viral. IDIOTS just does not cover it!

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

Well, they are getting what they deserve. :o

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

If the TSA have got involved it isn't legal and probably criminal.

How to destroy a business in one easy lesson.

[coming42.livejournal.com]

This is all over the national news. I saw a broadcast this morning on BBC News and heard it talked about on BBC Radio Sussex. The proprietor of this hotel will no doubt regret his action as it will now undoubtedly go viral on social media.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I am sure it can't be legal; and if it somehow is, as no-one has thought to make it illegal, then I guess it soon will be!

As Simon Calder said on the Beeb a few minutes ago you can't expect the Ritz at £39 a night for two of you - so perhaps this is how the proprietors make their money!

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Typical Londonite Beeb middle class comment!

It was Blackpool and Blackpool is cheap and cheerful, but even so. Last Blackpool hotel I stayed in for a conference some years ago was cheap and really pleasant (and got a good review. :o)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Even in Blackpool out of season (which this wouldn't have been, now I think of it, as it is still Illumination Season into November) I think I would expect to pay more that £19.50 each for B&B unless staff were being seriously underpaid or there weren't enough of them.

However this hotel sounds well below anyone's acceptable standards no matter how little it charged, if the reviewers were right. And the idea of actually taking money from people for writing bad reviews... words almost fail me!

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

What happened to freedom of speech?

And, as you say, outrageous to be charged for a bad review.

EDIT: And I read a review of an eatery today and it was enthusiastically positive and of their own volition, so it can be done!

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

A hotel in New York state did this same thing, and their Yelp account got pounded by some hilarious negative reviews. Yelp froze their account, then deleted all of these spam reviews (some 900 in one day), then the next day another 900 appeared.

When this hits Slashdot, their Yelp page will become quite entertaining to read.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

That was outrageous!! Thought they found a way to stop bad reviews. In the end though they had to pay back the fine and now the news is out that not only are they sucky, they're also bullies.

*HUGS*

[bondo-ba.livejournal.com]

Well, the management of that hotel is in for some serious jail time - you just can't DO that. WIll be fun to watch them fall.

[ba1126.livejournal.com]

The proper response is to apologize to guests who were dissatisfied, fix the areas they mention were negative and offer to give them a discount on a return stay.

[howlin-wolf-66.livejournal.com]

They're entitled to leave a bad review. If you can't stand the heat... then don't run a bloomin' business!!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Charging a fine for a bad review is equivalent for giving money back or a discount for a good review. Which ought to be illegal.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

They backed down and had to refund the £100 fine, but now it has gone national they will find it difficult to find new customers now.