The Horrible Yelp Filter - How It's Affecting So Many

Like so many other people, I really had no idea what Yelp.com was all about 3 years ago.  I just figured it was another "Dot Com" site that really had no merit or impact and would probably fizzle out, just like Myspace.  Well, I wish I could say I was right, but alas I was (am) not.


My personal experiences started when a representative of Yelp first called me to discuss possible advertising options with Yelp.  Since I really had no prior knowledge of the company, I decided to do some investigating on my own. 


I checked out my employer's Yelp profile.  Wow, I was shocked.  We had a few reviews posted.  I will be honest, they were a mix of anywhere between 1 and 5 stars.  I was shocked at the 1 star review, but everyone receives a bad review once in a while, right?


After more digging around, though, I found so many complaints about Yelp's Review Filter, Customer Service Issues and Complaints, not to mention (at that time anyway) the Class Action Lawsuit against yelp.com, I decided my employer's ad money wouldn't be very well spent with Yelp.  I graciously, again at that time anyway, declined Yelp's offer, which began my Yelp nightmare!


Miraculously, those couple 5 star reviews seemed to disappear.  The 1 star review was displayed prominently as the first review for the entire world to see.  The sales calls from Yelp kept coming, my response was always and adamantly "NO", and the good reviews kept being filtered, the bad reviews kept being posted.


Fast forward about a year and a half or so to today's date, and my employer still doesn't have a ton of reviews, but here is how they break down.  On our main review page, 11 total reviews; three 5-star reviews, one 4-star review, zero 3-star reviews, two 2-star reviews and FIVE 1-star reviews. 


Go to our filtered reviews page and this is what you will see:

• Seven 5-star reviews
• One 4-star review
• One 1-star review

Throughout my brief "conversations" with Yelp Reps and my own online research, I do know that Yelp tends to filter out first time reviewers.  Ok, I can accept that fact.  Actually, to some degree makes sense, yet I also believe and know there are ways to verify if a first time user is legitimate or not (but that will be the topic of another blog).  However, with that being said, why then, were 5 of my filtered reviews from reviewers with 2 or more prior reviews?  Why did a 1-Star review end up on the main review page from a brand spanking new Yelp user?  Why did another 1-star review end up on the main page from a person who left one other review and had just registered with Yelp?  Answer me that? 


The more research I do, the more irate I become.  I have reached out to other business owners affected by Yelp's tyranny.  Yes, I call it tyranny due to the fact there is no real appeal process for reviews, there is no customer service number on the homepage of Yelp to call, the "Contact Yelp" link at the very bottom of the page is a joke.  Typically, if you submit a question or problem, you will receive a "canned response" with a No-Reply email address attached to it.  Also, if Yelp decides to ban your user ID, they do not disclose why, just list their "Terms of Service" link and says you were in violation and Yelp does not give further information regarding the matter, and once again, from a No-Reply email address.  Basically, Yelp is the Dictator/Czar and we, business owners and consumers alike, cannot question their government.  If so, death may be the punishment.  Well, death to one's business anyway.

Help me in my fight against Yelp.  Visit the Facebook page, Yelp is a Fraud.  Feel free to post your own stories, speak with others in the group and take advantage of some of the Yelp "Tips and Tricks" I and othermembers have posted.  Remember, alone we are weak; together we are strong.  The more people who know about Yelp, the more people who will stop using Yelp. 

Without people, there will be no more Yelp!