Can a bad TripAdvisor review constitute libel?

[steveindenmark]

I think if an establishment puts itself up on TripAdvisor. They are inviting comments from their patrons. Unfortunately all the comments may not be favourable and you have to expect that.

A threatening letter would not change my opinion.

I had a similar experience with Airbnb. I stayed at a place in Palma for a night. I got on with the guy and his girlfriend and even fixed their awning for them. I had my sail making tools with me. We parted good company.

I said all this in my review. Which all Airbnb viewers could see. Then the guy came back with " You had no right to say say that. She is not my girlfriend and I want you to remove it, immediately". I replied that I was not going to remove it as a couple who sit kissing on a sofa and sleep in the same bed, appear to boyfriend and girlfriend to me". This sent him nuts and a flurry of abuse came over the Airbnb pages. I was so pleased everyone could see it. I then realised that all his other reviews were from young, pretty, solo travelling girls. Now I could see why he wanted the girlfriend subject removing. But my comments stayed and in the end he could see his outburst would not be good for business and he apologised. Telling everyone what a great guest I was in the process.

 

[Markymark]

I think if an establishment puts itself up on TripAdvisor. They are inviting comments from their patrons. Unfortunately all the comments may not be favourable and you have to expect that.

A threatening letter would not change my opinion.

As before, you don't put yourself up, it is done without your consent whether you like it or not, same as google reviews.

 

[Julia9054]

Last year, my son shared a house with 4 other students. The letting agency was appalling.
When they left, all of them left google reviews for the agency. My son's was damning but factual. One of the other lads, in a childish attempt to be witty, took it a step too far. He was contacted by the police and threatened with prosecution if he did not take it down immediately

 

[PaulB]

Well I'm certainly going to be very honest about this place we're currently staying when I get back later.

 

[Salad Dodger]

Veering slightly off topic, but on a related subject, we belong to the Caravan Club (or whatever they call themselves this week, following a recent "re-branding") and there is a facility to write reviews of the sites that you stay at. I don't think you can actually grade them in a Tripadvisor stylee, but you can put a headline and then write a report, which is visible to other club members.
Needless to say, one man's "immaculate" site is another man's "dull and featureless expanse", whilst one person's view that the showers are "in a disgusing state after the recent rain, with mud everywhere" is another person's "inevitably the floors get dirty after the recent rain, but the staff do their best to keep the shower blocks clean and tidy by checking them several times a day".
One person's "noise from the adjoining road was intolerable" is another person's "there is a B road next to the site but we hardly noticed the traffic at all", and so on.....

I cant see how a review could be construed as libellous, unless the writer in some way tried to extrapolate a bad experience at one site and turn it into a criticism of ALL the sites.

Ignore the very worst and overlook the most utterly glowing reviews, and you should get a reasonable overview from the rest.

 

[Markymark]

Veering slightly off topic, but on a related subject, we belong to the Caravan Club (or whatever they call themselves this week, following a recent "re-branding") and there is a facility to write reviews of the sites that you stay at. I don't think you can actually grade them in a Tripadvisor stylee, but you can put a headline and then write a report, which is visible to other club members.
Needless to say, one man's "immaculate" site is another man's "dull and featureless expanse", whilst one person's view that the showers are "in a disgusing state after the recent rain, with mud everywhere" is another person's "inevitably the floors get dirty after the recent rain, but the staff do their best to keep the shower blocks clean and tidy by checking them several times a day".
One person's "noise from the adjoining road was intolerable" is another person's "there is a B road next to the site but we hardly noticed the traffic at all", and so on.....

I cant see how a review could be construed as libellous, unless the writer in some way tried to extrapolate a bad experience at one site and turn it into a criticism of ALL the sites.

Ignore the very worst and overlook the most utterly glowing reviews, and you should get a reasonable overview from the rest.

That's really easy....I'd never trust the opinion of a person who owns a caravan.

 

[winjim]

That's really easy....I'd never trust the opinion of a person who owns a caravan.

But you still read the caravan site reviews?

 

[ufkacbln]

Its a tort, not an offence, so it would be for a civil court to determine.

But will it have Tort her a lesson?


Trip Advisor has always been a little dodgy in that some are the owners or relatives giving absurdly over the top good reviews, others are customers have tried the "I would like a healthy discount... or I will give you a bad review on Trip Advisor"... and slagging it because they didn't

The other is the average Joe Bloggs who writes an honest report

It is always worth triangulating the results and making an informed decision

 

[ufkacbln]

That's really easy....I'd never trust the opinion of a person who owns a caravan.

We stayed on a site once

The only problem was the staff party who were not happy being reminded of their own curfew

 

[Markymark]

But you still read the caravan site reviews?

Only when I want to see how the other half live....

 

[smutchin]

Only when I want to see how the other half live....

I wouldn't call that living.

 

[jefmcg]

BTW, who puts enough details on trip advisor so that a lawyer could send you a letter?

 

[Markymark]

BTW, who puts enough details on trip advisor so that a lawyer could send you a letter?

If they were a customer of the hotel they would probably have those details on file. Most likely a simple case of tying up the names.

 

[jefmcg]

If they were a customer of the hotel they would probably have those details on file. Most likely a simple case of tying up the names.

It's a restaurant, not a residential hotel. I don't think I've ever given a restaurant my home address.

 

[stephec]

@Bollo Who's been talking?

No one, it's written on the back of the toilet door.