Log inMore and more fake hotel reviews on Holidaycheck? Booking portal again sued manipulation agency
Berlin, April 11, 2019 - The number of fake hotel reviews on the holidaycheck.com booking portal may be higher than previously thought. Once again, the majority of the company belonging to the Burda Group is suing an agency for allegations of manipulation. According to the MDR, according to a report by the consumer program "Voss & Team", a network of fake reviews has been uncovered and legal proceedings have been brought. Holidaycheck sales manager Georg Ziegler, who is also president of HSMA Germany, is said to have made it clear that the MDR reporting was explicitly the reason for an internal review. The question remains: Why is Holidaycheck only now reacting to the known allegations?
The defendant marketing agency had already assured Holidaycheck in 2016 to only ask real customers for reviews. "With the 2018 MDR research and with the help of the hoteliers, we have now been able to collect enough evidence to refute this legal insurance from 2016 and actually file a lawsuit," said Ziegler to the MDR at Holidaycheck one obviously does not take action against the often suspected manipulation.
Fakes have only recently become known on a large scale. Holidaycheck is taking action against the Five Star Marketing agency, which offers good hotel reviews from EUR 12.50.
"We would also like to take the current case as an opportunity to create even more awareness of the topic and simply provide for case law in this specific case," said Ziegler to the MDR.
Now eight employees should search their own platform for hotels that could have bought the wrong reviews. It has been known for many years that this is common practice in hotel marketing - including by marketing agencies without the hoteliers' knowledge. The reason why Holidaycheck is only now taking massive action is probably due to the public pressure from a never-ending series of negative reports about fake hotel reviews.
At the same time, it becomes clear that Holidaycheck, like TripAdvisor, has long been booking portals with the marketing trick of reviews - and not review portals with booking functions.
It remains to be seen what effects the loss of image through investigative, editorial publications will have on the legal tug of war against compulsory evaluations. Hotel chains like Prizeotel or A&O are opposed to having to accept reviews from Holidaycheck and thus portal services.
Over eight years ago had a "hottelling" disclosure report - hottelling is now part of Hospitality Leaders, editor's note. - caused a sensation with massive fake reviews. At that time, a hotelier - initially anonymously - disclosed the system of manipulations.
See for this at HOTELIER TV:
https://youtu.be/FLvLzMGh-48
https://vimeo.com/hoteliertv/fake-gekaufte-hotel-bewertungen
https://vimeo.com/hoteliertv/bewertungen-gastronomie-erpressung
