At Yelp, we're dedicated to connecting people to great local businesses, and also protecting them from misleading practices to manipulate ratings and reviews. Today, we are releasing a new round of 149 Consumer Alertsto expose extreme attempts to influence business ratings and reviews on Yelp, such as paying for positive reviews. The Consumer Alert will be clearly posted on affected Yelp listings for 90 days.
Why do we do this? We want to make sure consumers have the best information to make informed decisions. Yelp's automated software and team of investigators work around the clock because we believe consumers deserve to know when this kind of activity is taking place behind the scenes to mislead them.
Consider these examples:
Cross Country Moversin San Francisco tried to condition a reimbursement on a user's promise not to write a 'negative' review.
Arris' Bistroin Jefferson, Missouri was encouraging 5-star reviews on Yelp in exchange for points in their rewards program leading to free drinks, appetizers, and more
Mattress Disposal Plusin Marietta, GA offered a user $5 for a positive Yelp review.
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Yelp's efforts are a part of our larger Consumer Protection Initiative, including theLIVES open data standard, integrating restaurant health scores, and ourProPublica partnership, incorporating health care statistics into Yelp business pages of medical treatment facilities, and more. We are constantly looking for ways to ensure the integrity of information on Yelp, including tips from the community. If you suspect suspicious activity,please let our team of investigators know.
Yelp! Inc. published this content on 04 August 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 07 August 2017 17:09:01 UTC.
Original documenthttps://www.yelpblog.com/2017/08/consumer-alerts-protecting-peace-mind
Public permalinkhttp://www.publicnow.com/view/CDA5DA7F81FA7D6F5E53DF751A49EDD1D5071D63
Yelp Inc. connects consumers with local businesses. The Company's advertising products enable businesses of all sizes reach a large audience, advertise their products and drive conversion of their services. It offers a range of free and paid advertising products to businesses of all sizes, which include CPC Advertising (Yelp Ads) and Multi-location Ad Products. Its business page products include Free Business Account, Upgrade Package, Branded Profile, Enhanced Profile, Verified License, Business Highlights, Portfolio, Yelp Connect, Logo and Nearby Jobs. In addition to its advertising products, it also offers features and consumer-interactive tools to facilitate transactions between consumers and the local businesses they find on Yelp. It offers subscription services, licensing payments for access to Yelp data and other non-advertising, non-transaction arrangements. It sells its advertising products through online, its Website and Yelp for Business app, and indirectly through partners.
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