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Thousands of hotels claim travel website does not check its reviews and many are therefore misleading, fake or defamatory
TripAdvisor is to be investigated by the advertising watchdog after receiving a complaint on behalf of thousands of hotels that its claims to provide trustworthy and honest reviews from travellers are false.
The Advertising Standards Authority has launched a formal investigation into TripAdvisor, the hugely popular travel review website that parent company Expedia intends to spin off as a separate business, after receiving a complaint from a company called KwikChex.com.
Bournemouth-based KwikChex.com, which helps companies manage their online reputations, has been vigorously pursuing TripAdvisor since last year over what it claims are numerous misleading, fake and defamatory reviews posted about hotels and restaurants.
The ASA has launched an investigation to see if claims that TripAdvisor makes which underpin its business – such as that it provides "trusted" advice and "real", "honest" reviews from travellers – are in breach of the advertising code.
"You'll find real hotel reviews you can trust at TripAdvisor," the company claims. "Millions of travellers like you have shared their honest reviews of hotels, B&Bs, inns, and more."
Under its remit the ASA cannot investigate the veracity of the reviews, but TripAdvisor will be forced to offer evidence to prove that its reviews are real and fair or the claims on its website will be deemed to be misleading and have to be removed.
In its complaint to the ASA Kwikchex.com claimed that TripAdvisor does not verify any of the 50m reviews on its network of websites – the company operates 18 sites covering 27 countries – and therefore they are misleading and cannot be described as genuine.
Last year KwikChex.com started talking to what has become thousands of businesses that believe they have been affected by malicious reviews, with the aim of confronting TripAdvisor with a threat of taking legal action if nothing is done.
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Mark Sweney
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