TripAdvisor removed their fraud warning badge on Honolulu’s Hotel Renew last week. With the badge gone, the hotel is now listed as the number one property in all of Honolulu. So how did Hotel Renew go from being a problem child last week to top property this week?
TripAdvisor has removed almost all fraud warnings from their reviews.
My head spinning from incredulous disbelief, I started checking further. Nearly all of the TripAdvisor fraud warning flags have recently disappeared. I am now only able to locate sixteen on their entire site; last month I saved a list of over ninety fraud badges.
Are you relieved to know that only sixteen hotels world-wide have apparently attempted to manipulate their all-important TripAdvisor ratings? I for one, am not.
Is Hotel Renew renewed? What this means.
Trip Advisor must have reached an agreement with their fraud-warned hotels.
If so, what was the basis of such agreement? Alternatively, has TripAdvisor decided that the fraud badges no longer served their objectives? I would like to hear from anyone who has more information, as TripAdvisor remains strangely and completely closed-mouth on the matter.
Trip Advisor’s credibility undermined.
The lack of candor and transparency regarding this issue, and specifically what they are doing and plan to do about it, only serves to further devalue the credibility of their site.
Reviewer authentication process needed.
There is no indication that TripAdvisor plans to implement such a plan, as I believe they must.
More surprises to come.
Check back later this week. There’s a lot more to say on this matter, including great input from industry analysts, and some things I think you’ll be surprised to see.
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casacaudill says
I wondered how Hotel Renew was coming up as the #1 hotel in Oahu …
April Robb says
Hi Jeff –
There have not been any recent changes in our warning badge policy or implementation. As we’ve said before, these warnings appear on less than a fraction of 1% of the properties on TripAdvisor, and the exact number fluctuates over time. Each of the penalty notices has an expiration date; the duration that a notice is posted is based on both the nature of the violation and owner cooperation in resolving problem issues. When a notice expires, it comes off of the site.
As a user-generated content site, we are highly committed to maintaining content integrity and providing transparency for travelers — that’s why we implemented the red badge system. We feel it provides both a heads up to travelers, and a strong disincentive for properties who consider trying to manipulate the system.
Thanks. We appreciate your interest in TripAdvisor, and in our mission of helping travelers plan and have the perfect trip.
April Robb
TripAdvisor
http://www.twitter.com/tripadvisor
Jeff says
Thanks April for the comment, our phone discussion, and your continued participation in this important conversation. I appreciate it.
Aloha, jeff
Daniela A says
Thanks to the both of you on keeping up with all the deals, important information, and craziness like TripAdvisor. You’re recent update on them has caused me to wonder even more about their website, and the validity of any piece of information stemming from them. Keep up the awesome job! You both ROCK THE HOUSE!
(^.^) Mahalo Nui Loa
Beth says
Hi I’m the travel editor for the associated Press. we are in the middle of doing a story on this and trying to figure it out ourselves. We had intended to take a screenshot of the fraud warnings but now we can’t find any to save! Do you have a link to one that I could look at and try to capture b4 they all disappear? Or maybe they are all gone now.