TripAdvisor 'doesn't do enough for pubs'

Licensees have complained that they find it difficult to get in touch with the review site and disagree with the criteria set for removing contentious posts.

Alan Towler, of Bristol Bar in Brighton, East Sussex, chose to sue TripAdvisor through Money Claim Direct after a rejected job applicant posted a ‘libellous’ review on the site despite having never visited the venue.

"TripAdvisor does not take allegations seriously," he said. "They ignore emails, make promises when pushed but go on to renege on them.

"I finally decided to sue them. It brought the response that, though it assumed no responsibility, it would remove the review.
It cost me £80 but TripAdvisor had to take action."

Meanwhile, Helen Wood, owner of the freehold Broad Leys in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, contacted TripAdvisor by email following one ‘libellous’ post accusing the venue of scamming a customer and one post that incited violence.

The second was removed and, after getting through to an advisor, Wood was told that the first did not fit the criteria for being removed. "It looks bad and isn’t good for business," she said. Wood had struggled to get in touch with the company.

TripAdvisor’s UK communications director Emma Shaw said: "TripAdvisor was founded on a core set of principles — giving travellers a voice with which to freely share their experiences,
promoting consumer choice in the travel industry based on honest customer feedback, and encouraging a level playing field for all travel businesses regardless of size.

"If an owner feels they’ve been subjected to an unfair review, we urge them to contact us immediately. They can report the review through the site or call our dedicated customer care line."

Call TripAdvisor on its UK helpline — 0800 098 8460.