Yelp can manipulate ratings, court rules

Yelp can manipulate ratings, court rules

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Joined
29 Dec 08
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6788
04 Sep 14

Yelp can manipulate ratings, court rules

By Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle staff writer

September 3, 2014 | Updated: September 4, 2014 8:24am

David Paul Morris, Bloomberg

Yelp has long faced accusations that it manipulates its business-review ratings to sell advertising - five stars for a big ad buy, say, and two stars for a turndown.

The verdict from a federal appeals court: There's nothing illegal about that.

Court ruling:

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2014/09/02/11-17676.pdf

n

The Catbird's Seat

Joined
21 Oct 06
Moves
2598
09 Sep 14

Originally posted by JS357
Yelp can manipulate ratings, court rules

By Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle staff writer

September 3, 2014 | Updated: September 4, 2014 8:24am

David Paul Morris, Bloomberg

Yelp has long faced accusations that it manipulates its business-review ratings to sell advertising - five stars for a big ad buy, say, and two stars for a turndown.

The v ...[text shortened]... that.

Court ruling:

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2014/09/02/11-17676.pdf
I've often thought that such services as Yelp, or Angie's list had a potential for abuse. If they can legally manipulate the reports of consumers, that's a problem which compromises their integrity and reputation.

Civis Americanus Sum

New York

Joined
26 Dec 07
Moves
17585
09 Sep 14

Anonymous ratings are worthless anyway. They could easily be the competition ripping the company or an employee praising it. Anyone who relies on anonymous ratings deserves to have them manipulated.

n

The Catbird's Seat

Joined
21 Oct 06
Moves
2598
09 Sep 14

Originally posted by sh76
Anonymous ratings are worthless anyway. They could easily be the competition ripping the company or an employee praising it. Anyone who relies on anonymous ratings deserves to have them manipulated.
How about ratings of consumers which websites often publish? They seem at least to somewhat represent the ideas of those who have bought the product. I've checked and found my reports and ratings in tact years later, both favorable and unfavorable.