Comments on: Yelp sued for extortion: should have found a better business model

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:40:19 +0000

If you go to www.yelpscan.con you will also find a copy of the letters sent by the Coalition for Fair Reviews (we put up the yelscam site) to the FTC and the Attorney General's office(Calif) requesting an investigation of Yelp! This along with the class action law suit, that is seeking the return of all advertising dollars that businesses were forced to pay Yelp, plus punitive damages, should put an end to this evil business.

By: lindakiki

lindakiki — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:46:06 +0000

Yelp will not survive this. I heard after this suit was filed, they already have more than 200 business joining in with more daily. And 50% of these are Doctors and Dentists, in other words, people with significant means. Yelp has managed to piss off this kind of people who ar all joining in to expose them. It will not be something they can survive from if they don't make changes. I have also heard Libel charges will also be added in addition to extortion.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:49:38 +0000

Suggest you go to www.yelpscam.com ...go to page 1 , click on Law suit ..and then join the class action law suit like we all are doing. Yelp will be stopped.

By: jessicasimpkins

jessicasimpkins — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:49:30 +0000

Very well put. I am going through some very shady yelp bombing. Seems a disgruntled ex employee's big sister, has bragged that she is friends with a manager at yelp, and seems to be able to get legitimate reviews by actual customers removed from our business listing, and keep the only reveiw up that actually never received services at our business. You can't even flag it for being bs anymore!! I went on thismorning after going to bed with a healthy four and a half stars, and only had one star left! No way to contact them, all I can do is promote another similar site. Yelp has exactly ZERO credibility, and can not recover from their shady business practices. I'm just waiting for my phone call from yelp for the “protection money”.
Well now that we know that their reviews are for sale, and friendship with their employees can be exploited and used against competitors, the site has exactly zero credibility. Good Job Yelp!!!!!!

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:51:21 +0000

We said it all in www.yelpscam.com . Just think of it for a minute, if a business has good reviews, and even if they paid Yelp $1000. for 2 months of advertising, they would realize it was useless, and they would cancel the contract. Now, on the other hand, if they had bad reviews, and yelp either got rid of them, or burried them, and allowed or assisted good reviews to be posted, then the company would contiue paying for the extortion. Companies with sold 5 star reviews, and if Yelp didn't remove them for some odd reason, would have no reason to spend $6000. on useless ad. The business plan that Yelp adopted, after the first one didn't work, was flawed . Only with manipulation of reviews could they force a business to pay them monthly. If anyone complained, the negative reviews just seemed to get worse..many businesses have gone broke and people have lost jobs. This is wrong..and now we hope the courts and the government will correct this evil.