Yelp Controversy: Online Rating System in Question

Yelp lacks transparency

Dawn, the "elite" said, "As for 'Scouts,' etc... Yelp has been very transparent on how that works."

Actually, they only admitted that scouts exist after being caught in a lie. Yelp is not transparent, and therein lies the major problem with their site. Transparency is a must in today's business environment, and that is why yelp is struggling to repair its horrible reputation.

They refuse to provide an explanation for reviews that have been removed, they refuse to explain their "algorithm", even in laymen terms, and they refuse to change their anti-business sentiment. It isn't just business owners that are upset, as they receive plenty of negative reviews from their own yelpers, including some elite. Yelp is in serious trouble.

blogorama of CA @ Apr 25, 2009 18:42:01 PM

Yelpers need to take off the blinders please

Since when are small business owners your enemy? We are the foundation of your community, we employ your sons and daughters, your retired grandfather, and you think that just because Yelp is being criticized, called to the carpet that this is some master plan to censor you or that we, the small businesses are just whining? Not true. This is about fairness and public practices. Yelp deceives the public, and “yes” Yelper fans, they are deceiving you as well.

This may come as a surprise to those that love to post reviews on Yelp but you ARE being censored and deceived and you should be as upset as the small businesses you seem to so eagerly like to put down. Their CEO claims that we small business people, we just don’t “get” Yelp, we are not savvy to the internet, simply not true. My partner is actually a former Microsoftie, writes code, creates websites, is an internet guru. We are a mostly web driven business so we DO “get it” when it comes to the web. 90% of our clients find us on the web.

As a small business person in Seattle, Washington I am fortunately the benefactor of all good reviews on Yelp with the exception on one 3 star review which I still found helpful. I have 2 5 star reviews written by 2 elites! Which according to Yelp is a really good thing. That said, don’t think for a minute that your reviews are not censored. The fact that Yelpers write reviews that never get posted, even though they are perfectly legit, is a form of censorship. I started out with 12, 5 star reviews, and a few months ago got one bad (bogus) review. "Ok" I can deal with that but when I refused to pay to be a sponsor, suddenly that BAD, outdated review becomes the billboard review on my review page, the very top. Good reviews have now dwindled down from 12 good reviews to 9 good reviews. Once again I get call again to be a sponsor from Yelp. I politely decline, feeling like a hostage and that their promise to move the bad review if I paid was extortion, the thought of paying felt worse than the review. My reviews dwindle down to 8, 5 star reviews, the outdated one bad review still at the top.

Finally I write Yelp a letter, mail it, sprinkled it with some legalize and a week later, the bad review is removed, as it should have been because it violated all their policies which they seem to ignore. But my 5 stare reviews are still dwindling, now down to 7 reviews. With each refusal to be a paid sponsor for Yelp my stars shine a little less on Yelp. And perhaps even your review Yelper fan has been removed. How is that an honest review page when Yelp is stacking the deck? Good reviews are not always posted and obviously at times even removed. So in a way, you, the Yelper are censored and I the small business person am being cheated also. And by the way, Yelp IS a business too so if you really want to “stick it to us”, the small business community, Yelp should not be excluded

PupsUP of WA @ Mar 31, 2009 21:58:44 PM

The "ranking" theory

I have to comment that you checking for who has the most ranking may not be all that accurate. I have no idea how many comments my company would have if Yelp would leave them up so know that if your "favorite" resturant has 250 reviews, there is a good chance that that resturant is also a paid sponsor. Read on to my story:

Hate to disappoint the "Yelpers" but the blinders have to come off.

Since when are small business owners your enemy? We are the foundation of your community, we employ your sons and daughters, your retired grandfather, and you think that just because Yelp is being criticized, called to the carpet that this is some master plan to censor you or that we, the small businesses are just whining? Not true. This is about fairness and public practices. Yelp deceives the public, and “yes” Yelper fans, they are deceiving you as well.

This may come as a surprise to those that love to post reviews on Yelp but you ARE being censored and deceived and you should be as upset as the small businesses you seem to so eagerly like to put down. Their CEO claims that we small business people, we just don’t “get” Yelp, we are not savvy to the internet, simply not true. My partner is actually a former Microsoftie, writes code, creates websites, is an internet guru. We are a mostly web driven business so we DO “get it” when it comes to the web. 90% of our clients find us on the web.

As a small business person in Seattle, Washington I am fortunately the benefactor of all good reviews on Yelp with the exception on one 3 star review which I still found helpful. I have 2 5 star reviews written by 2 elites! Which according to Yelp is a really good thing. That said, don’t think for a minute that your reviews are not censored. The fact that Yelpers write reviews that never get posted, even though they are perfectly legit, is a form of censorship. I started out with 12, 5 star reviews, and a few months ago got one bad (bogus) review. "Ok" I can deal with that but when I refused to pay to be a sponsor, suddenly that BAD, outdated review becomes the billboard review on my review page, the very top. Good reviews have now dwindled down from 12 good reviews to 9 good reviews. Once again I get call again to be a sponsor from Yelp. I politely decline, feeling like a hostage and that their promise to move the bad review if I paid was extortion, the thought of paying felt worse than the review. My reviews dwindle down to 8, 5 star reviews, the outdated one bad review still at the top.

Finally I write Yelp a letter, mail it, sprinkled it with some legalize and a week later, the bad review is removed, as it should have been because it violated all their policies which they seem to ignore. But my 5 stare reviews are still dwindling, now down to 7 reviews. With each refusal to be a paid sponsor for Yelp my stars shine a little less on Yelp. And perhaps even your review Yelper fan has been removed. How is that an honest review page when Yelp is stacking the d

PupsUP of WA @ Mar 31, 2009 21:54:34 PM

Yelp Hurts Small Business For It's Own Profit

Yelp reviews cannot be trusted, and neither can Jeremy Stoppelman. Search for Yelp on Google News to see story after story recently detailing the facts in California, Chicago and New York. Check the comments sections in these articles for even more stories of reputations of people and small businesses damaged by misinformation spread by Jeremy Stoppleman and Yelp. Stoppelman gallingly claims to be doing a favor for small businesses while he tries to squeeze personal profits out of a machine that damages them. Most recently he can be found on his blog crying that his poor unprofitable 31 million dollar venture capital company (fueled by ANONYMOUS user’s baseless attacks on small companies) is being criticized by "anonymous" small business owners. Real people who work hard to make their businesses survive, in spite of damage done by Yelp in it’s quest for massive profit.

S. Itchynose of IL @ Mar 10, 2009 23:52:11 PM

Alternative

We are another San Francisco based reviews startup and we don't believe the extortion allegations against Yelp either. For business owners looking to hedge a little bit, here's an alternative service to get listed: www.rateitall.com/promote

lawrence of CA @ Mar 10, 2009 20:05:53 PM

Yelp is Garbage

Yelp will review, hide, and manipulate reviews. The site treats users like criminals...and the talk section is brutal.

The site was once useful however now people just write crap reviews so they can up the review count and try to get to elite. Its a really silly game just backfiring as the quality of review declines.

Jeremy S of CA @ Mar 10, 2009 13:20:47 PM

Elite

I am an Elite yelper and I reviewed an establishment well based on my experience at an Elite event and I was contacted by my CM and my review was removed. My bad, lesson learned, and I never did it again. Events, instead, are reviewed as their own separate entry and serve as a gateway to inspire Yelpers to visit the venue separately and formulate a unique opinon then.

Of COURSE events are meant as marketing vehicles. It is a business and a business must make some money, but it is not nearly as nefarious as you're suggesting.

As for "Scouts," etc... Yelp has been very transparent on how that works.

The fact is, businesses who get negative reviews, in most cases, earn them. Perhaps those businesses should focus on improving quality and service to inspire better reviews instead of whining about it.

Then again, the most infamous places are doing well too, because Yelpers keep wanting to know if they're actually THAT bad...

Dawn Elizabeth of MA @ Mar 10, 2009 10:40:50 AM

That sounds scary!

Mafia! That's a pretty bold statement, but I see what you're saying.

Jim of CT @ Mar 09, 2009 14:30:58 PM