News
Reporting on fraud, review manipulation, misleading information and the work of protecting consumers and honest businesses.
219 articles in in-the-media
Online, peer-to-peer review sites like TripAdvisor hold immense sway over the reputations of hotels and resorts. But with many in the industry complaining of malicious or fraudulent reviews, Chris Lo asks if these sites are doing enough to protect hotels and travellers from misleading or defamatory material. Excerpt (f
Duncan Bannatyne‘s robust response to a negative review regarding one of his hotels posted on TripAdvisor has received widespread support from the industry. The owner of four hotels and Dragons’ Den star writes in this week’s Caterer Viewpoint that he is "well placed to lead the campaign for more protection again
KwikChex features at 23 minutes into the programme. More information…
Credits: The Sydney Morning Herald By: Ellen Creager "Now, a British reputation management company, KwikChex, is gathering unhappy hotel owners and travel providers in a group to fight back. It’s threatening to file class action suits in Britain and the United States for defamation and libel unless TripAdvisor changes
One of the most popular programmes on British television featured a report on the problems with unverified ‘reviews’ last night (Thursday 18th Nov). The One Show highlighted the cases of hotel owners that have had malicious allegations posted against them on the TripAdviosr site, visited owners to get to the trut
KwikChex was interviewed by ABC News and gave them many examples of the flaws surrounding unverified comments sites, demonstrating how they can be abused by rogue posters and ABC have now reported on the issue and the actions being led by KwikChex.
"It was billed as a masterclass: a chance for the hospitality trade to learn how to get the most out of the global travel review site TripAdvisor over lunch at a luxury hotel in London. In the end, TripAdvisor staff ended up facing a barrage of tricky questions from hoteliers, bed and breakfast owners and […]
1st Nov 2010 "Camelot Castle’s owner John Mappin has enlisted the help of an ‘online reputation management company’ after his hotel received a series of bad reviews on TripAdvisor. The jewellery magnate, who has been a Scientologist for 20 years, claims he is the victim of a smear campaign by opponents of the controver
26 Oct 2010 "TripAdvisor, a U.S.-based company that has become a popular source for travelers seeking allegedly unbiased reviews on travel destinations and accommodation, is in a controversy over fake review entries. Fraudulent contributions have been made on the free travel guide and research website, misleading reade
26 October 2010 "This situation has been brewing for years. Kwikchex’s business is accrediting companies with positive reputations, and working to protect them from defamation. The hotels they are representing are hotels with good reputations, but some very nasty reviews.Kwikchex states that they are not trying to stif
25 Oct 2010 "On the home page for a travel outfit called Cooking Vacations, tourists are beckoned by the image of fun tools they can wield on their Euro excursions: two forks, a spoon and a knife. But company owner Lauren Birmingham Piscitelli uses another implement to describe her experience with TripAdvisor.com, whic
25 Oct 2010 "The 35 million hotel reviews posted on TripAdvisor reveal everything from snooty staff to filthy toilets, and sometimes the reviewer’s overly picky standards. But those comments can also cross the line between honest criticism and unsubstantiated, inflammatory claims, with potentially damaging consequences
