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A TIME FOR PROOF

Published: 07/09/2011 - Filed under: Editor's Note »

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It will be interesting to see how TripAdvisor, the extremely popular travel review website of Expedia, will emerge from the imminent investigation by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) into claims that many of the published comments are false.

Last year, KwikChex.com, which aids companies manage their online reputations, was vigorously pursuing TripAdvisor to account for what it deemed as “fake and defamatory reviews” posted about a number of hotels and restaurants. Now having gotten the ASA involved and initiating enquiry represents somewhat of a victory for those who feel they have been maligned, not only unfairly but worse, by what they have perceived as "contrived" criticism.

Note that ASA will not be able to investigate for themselves the veracity of the reviews, but the burden of proof will instead fall on TripAdvisor’s shoulders.
If it is not able to, then the reviews will be deemed to be spurious and have to be removed.

Kwikchex.com asserts that TripAdvisor does not bother to verify the some 50 million reviews that appear on the 18 sites, covering 27 countries, that it runs. However, TripAdvisor has insisted it does, as well as relying on its large and active community of 40 million monthly visitors to spot suspicious content. A "he said-she said" situation at the moment, obviously. But all should be revealed in the weeks ahead, we hope, for everyone's benefit, especially the consumer. You...me.

At stake here is not only hefty investment on the part of travel and hospitality providers to build up their brands and good names, but also the hard earned wherewithal of travellers all over the world, many of whom are not on corporate accounts, and just wish for a quality and value-for-money experience.

Let's hope everyone concerned remembers that.

Margie T Logarta

Managing Editor, Asia

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