TripAdvisor profiting from 'cruel' animal entertainment

[phuketandsee]

TripAdvisor profiting from 'cruel' animal entertainment, World Animal Protection says

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-26/tripadvisor-profiting-from-'cruel'-animal-entertainment/7351292

I recently wrote a negative review of Tiger Kingdom in Phuket and, despite my having over 100 reviews published, they refused to publish it saying it was "biased."

I had no idea Tripadvisor was selling tickets to these places through their subsidiary but this explains their action. It also explains why they shut down the Koh Tao page after all the negative reviews started accumulating.

In fact, until this I had no idea Tripadvisor had a tour operator subsiduary. Bit of a conflict of interest don't you think?

[tom21]

first I heard of it as well.

[stevenl]

Agree, there is a conflict of interest. They are even selling hotel bookings directly via their site.

In the long run this will cost them dearly.

[phuketandsee]

Here is the first page of Tripadvisor's "Things to Do in Phuket" page:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293920-Activities-Phuket.html

Across the top are three of their subsidiary's tours (Viator). This is one of them:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductDetail?product=3685HKT07&d=293920&aidSuffix=xsell&partner=Viator

It's given a 5 star rating but scroll down and you will see the 5 "reviews" they list are all by "A Viator Traveler"

Disgraceful.

[tonray]

I believe it. Guess what...they also have deleted and banned any posts on the incident in Hua Hin that has come to light here. They don't want reality getting in the way of making profits for their site. Screw them.

[stevenl]

I believe it. Guess what...they also have deleted and banned any posts on the incident in Hua Hin that has come to light here. They don't want reality getting in the way of making profits for their site. Screw them.

Ta is not a forum like tvf but meant to be purely travel related. These incidents are deemed to be not travel related.

[Bender]

tripadvisor is a heaven for thai apologists. People like chiang mai, soi biker are online there 24 hours per day, claiming how much thailand is safe, how much thai people are lovely harmless, innocent, honest thai budhist.

its because trip advisor, thats newbie foreigners get hurt in thailand

[kevc]

I'm suprised they vetted it, they have a guesthouse in Bangkok rated 410 outof 526 hotels and it's not even built yet, someone even put a review saying so with photos and they still published it.

[Ireland32]

I said something about conditions at the elephant camps and Tiger Temple, and they Roasted me in insults, Cruel and Ignorant TA

[Ireland32]

Btw , their so called destination experts, are so high and mighty, Snobs

[phuketandsee]

I believe it. Guess what...they also have deleted and banned any posts on the incident in Hua Hin that has come to light here. They don't want reality getting in the way of making profits for their site. Screw them.

Ta is not a forum like tvf but meant to be purely travel related. These incidents are deemed to be not travel related.

Tourists being beaten up are not travel related??

[phuketrichard]

Btw , their so called destination experts, are so high and mighty, Snobs

u become one by having the highest number of posts of which many are just repeating what someone else said.

I love TA ...... tourists giving advice to tourist :-)

Edited May 1, 2016 by phuketrichard

[ExpatOilWorker]

I also find TripAdvisor is a bit sensitive when you submit a negative report. I have just learned to select my words carefully and you can still hit a bad place with a 1-star rating.

[phuketandsee]

I also find TripAdvisor is a bit sensitive when you submit a negative report. I have just learned to select my words carefully and you can still hit a bad place with a 1-star rating.

Yes, but what happens if it's one of they places they are selling tours to?

[stevenl]

I believe it. Guess what...they also have deleted and banned any posts on the incident in Hua Hin that has come to light here. They don't want reality getting in the way of making profits for their site. Screw them.

Ta is not a forum like tvf but meant to be purely travel related. These incidents are deemed to be not travel related.

Tourists being beaten up are not travel related??

Why do you ask me?

That is TA policy. Take it or leave it, but by having more than 100 reviews published (and I don't know how many posts) you are one of the people contributing to their success. So you complaining on here about their policies seems a bit strange to me.

[phuketandsee]

I believe it. Guess what...they also have deleted and banned any posts on the incident in Hua Hin that has come to light here. They don't want reality getting in the way of making profits for their site. Screw them.

Ta is not a forum like tvf but meant to be purely travel related. These incidents are deemed to be not travel related.

Tourists being beaten up are not travel related??

Why do you ask me?

That is TA policy. Take it or leave it, but by having more than 100 reviews published (and I don't know how many posts) you are one of the people contributing to their success. So you complaining on here about their policies seems a bit strange to me.

I ask you because you are the one stating this is their policy.

As for my reviews, these were made before I became aware of this. There will be no more. Satisfied?

[stevenl]

I believe it. Guess what...they also have deleted and banned any posts on the incident in Hua Hin that has come to light here. They don't want reality getting in the way of making profits for their site. Screw them.

Ta is not a forum like tvf but meant to be purely travel related. These incidents are deemed to be not travel related.

Tourists being beaten up are not travel related??

Why do you ask me?

That is TA policy. Take it or leave it, but by having more than 100 reviews published (and I don't know how many posts) you are one of the people contributing to their success. So you complaining on here about their policies seems a bit strange to me.

I ask you because you are the one stating this is their policy.

As for my reviews, these were made before I became aware of this. There will be no more. Satisfied?

I'm not the one complaining so don't care either way.

[stevenl]

I believe it. Guess what...they also have deleted and banned any posts on the incident in Hua Hin that has come to light here. They don't want reality getting in the way of making profits for their site. Screw them.

Ta is not a forum like tvf but meant to be purely travel related. These incidents are deemed to be not travel related.

Tourists being beaten up are not travel related??

Why do you ask me?

That is TA policy. Take it or leave it, but by having more than 100 reviews published (and I don't know how many posts) you are one of the people contributing to their success. So you complaining on here about their policies seems a bit strange to me.

I ask you because you are the one stating this is their policy.

As for my reviews, these were made before I became aware of this. There will be no more. Satisfied?

I'm not the one complaining so don't care either way.

Sorry, that sounds harsher than it was meant.

[mogandave]

I don't see how it is a conflict of interest. It seems to me that if TA is selling hotel bookings it is their best interest to make sure the hotels have good reviews.

Why people get all caught up in this nonsense is beyond me. It's a business.

[ExpatOilWorker]

I also find TripAdvisor is a bit sensitive when you submit a negative report. I have just learned to select my words carefully and you can still hit a bad place with a 1-star rating.

Yes, but what happens if it's one of they places they are selling tours to?

I have no idea, you tell me? The world implode and turn into a black hole or nothing happen?

[phuketandsee]

I also find TripAdvisor is a bit sensitive when you submit a negative report. I have just learned to select my words carefully and you can still hit a bad place with a 1-star rating.

Yes, but what happens if it's one of they places they are selling tours to?

I have no idea, you tell me? The world implode and turn into a black hole or nothing happen?

Think about it when you are back on your rig

[phuketandsee]

I don't see how it is a conflict of interest. It seems to me that if TA is selling hotel bookings it is their best interest to make sure the hotels have good reviews.

Why people get all caught up in this nonsense is beyond me. It's a business.

You don't see how it is a conflict of interest? How can TA maintain it is offering unbiased reviews of hotels etc. when they are profiting from the success of those hotels? You don't think one way of making sure those hotels have good reviews is to limit the bad ones?

As you say, "it's a business." They were originally involved in one business, offering "unbiased" reviews of hotels etc. They are now involved in another which has opposing objectives. Hence the conflict.

[mogandave]

I don't see how it is a conflict of interest. It seems to me that if TA is selling hotel bookings it is their best interest to make sure the hotels have good reviews.

Why people get all caught up in this nonsense is beyond me. It's a business.

You don't see how it is a conflict of interest? How can TA maintain it is offering unbiased reviews of hotels etc. when they are profiting from the success of those hotels? You don't think one way of making sure those hotels have good reviews is to limit the bad ones?

As you say, "it's a business." They were originally involved in one business, offering "unbiased" reviews of hotels etc. They are now involved in another which has opposing objectives. Hence the conflict.

It's not a conflict of their interest. Their interest is maximizing revenue, and providing positive reviews of the hotels they sell bookings for is a means to that end.

[phuketandsee]

I don't see how it is a conflict of interest. It seems to me that if TA is selling hotel bookings it is their best interest to make sure the hotels have good reviews.

Why people get all caught up in this nonsense is beyond me. It's a business.

You don't see how it is a conflict of interest? How can TA maintain it is offering unbiased reviews of hotels etc. when they are profiting from the success of those hotels? You don't think one way of making sure those hotels have good reviews is to limit the bad ones?

As you say, "it's a business." They were originally involved in one business, offering "unbiased" reviews of hotels etc. They are now involved in another which has opposing objectives. Hence the conflict.

It's not a conflict of their interest. Their interest is maximizing revenue, and providing positive reviews of the hotels they sell bookings for is a means to that end.

They apparently don't see it as a conflict but I suspect many TA users would feel differently if they were aware of the situation.

[mogandave]

I don't see how it is a conflict of interest. It seems to me that if TA is selling hotel bookings it is their best interest to make sure the hotels have good reviews.

Why people get all caught up in this nonsense is beyond me. It's a business.

You don't see how it is a conflict of interest? How can TA maintain it is offering unbiased reviews of hotels etc. when they are profiting from the success of those hotels? You don't think one way of making sure those hotels have good reviews is to limit the bad ones?

As you say, "it's a business." They were originally involved in one business, offering "unbiased" reviews of hotels etc. They are now involved in another which has opposing objectives. Hence the conflict.

It's not a conflict of their interest. Their interest is maximizing revenue, and providing positive reviews of the hotels they sell bookings for is a means to that end.

They apparently don't see it as a conflict but I suspect many TA users would feel differently if they were aware of the situation.

And I suspect only a fool would think any review unbiased, particularly one presented by a company in the business of generating revenue from reviews.

Do the think the people at TA are doing it as a hobby?

[stevenl]

You don't see how it is a conflict of interest? How can TA maintain it is offering unbiased reviews of hotels etc. when they are profiting from the success of those hotels? You don't think one way of making sure those hotels have good reviews is to limit the bad ones?

As you say, "it's a business." They were originally involved in one business, offering "unbiased" reviews of hotels etc. They are now involved in another which has opposing objectives. Hence the conflict.

It's not a conflict of their interest. Their interest is maximizing revenue, and providing positive reviews of the hotels they sell bookings for is a means to that end.

They apparently don't see it as a conflict but I suspect many TA users would feel differently if they were aware of the situation.

And I suspect only a fool would think any review unbiased, particularly one presented by a company in the business of generating revenue from reviews.

Do the think the people at TA are doing it as a hobby?

You're missing the point.

It used to be that TA did nothing but reviews and forums. That has changed relatively recently, and they are now also doing hotel bookings and trip bookings. So they used to publish completely independent reviews that has now changed, and they are now for their own bookings dependent on these reviews. In the past they could claim it was all unbiased since there was no commercial interest, they can not claim that anymore.

Many people on the forums and other users don't realise this yet, but if it becomes better known (I'm not sure it will, so 'if') this would put a major dent in their business model.

[mogandave]

You don't see how it is a conflict of interest? How can TA maintain it is offering unbiased reviews of hotels etc. when they are profiting from the success of those hotels? You don't think one way of making sure those hotels have good reviews is to limit the bad ones?

As you say, "it's a business." They were originally involved in one business, offering "unbiased" reviews of hotels etc. They are now involved in another which has opposing objectives. Hence the conflict.

It's not a conflict of their interest. Their interest is maximizing revenue, and providing positive reviews of the hotels they sell bookings for is a means to that end.

They apparently don't see it as a conflict but I suspect many TA users would feel differently if they were aware of the situation.

And I suspect only a fool would think any review unbiased, particularly one presented by a company in the business of generating revenue from reviews.

Do the think the people at TA are doing it as a hobby?

You're missing the point.

It used to be that TA did nothing but reviews and forums. That has changed relatively recently, and they are now also doing hotel bookings and trip bookings. So they used to publish completely independent reviews that has now changed, and they are now for their own bookings dependent on these reviews. In the past they could claim it was all unbiased since there was no commercial interest, they can not claim that anymore.

Many people on the forums and other users don't realise this yet, but if it becomes better known (I'm not sure it will, so 'if') this would put a major dent in their business model.

I don't think I am missing the point. Your point is that because there are now selling services they are all of the sudden biased. My position is that anyone that ever believed they were unbiased is a fool.

They can claim wherever they like.

[craigt3365]

I've posted many negative reviews. For both restaurants, sights and hotels. All were published.

I think TA can be a great source of info if you use it wisely.

[stevenl]

You don't see how it is a conflict of interest? How can TA maintain it is offering unbiased reviews of hotels etc. when they are profiting from the success of those hotels? You don't think one way of making sure those hotels have good reviews is to limit the bad ones?

As you say, "it's a business." They were originally involved in one business, offering "unbiased" reviews of hotels etc. They are now involved in another which has opposing objectives. Hence the conflict.

It's not a conflict of their interest. Their interest is maximizing revenue, and providing positive reviews of the hotels they sell bookings for is a means to that end.

They apparently don't see it as a conflict but I suspect many TA users would feel differently if they were aware of the situation.

And I suspect only a fool would think any review unbiased, particularly one presented by a company in the business of generating revenue from reviews.

Do the think the people at TA are doing it as a hobby?

You're missing the point.

It used to be that TA did nothing but reviews and forums. That has changed relatively recently, and they are now also doing hotel bookings and trip bookings. So they used to publish completely independent reviews that has now changed, and they are now for their own bookings dependent on these reviews. In the past they could claim it was all unbiased since there was no commercial interest, they can not claim that anymore.

Many people on the forums and other users don't realise this yet, but if it becomes better known (I'm not sure it will, so 'if') this would put a major dent in their business model.

I don't think I am missing the point. Your point is that because there are now selling services they are all of the sudden biased. My position is that anyone that ever believed they were unbiased is a fool.

They can claim wherever they like.

You're confusing posters, that was not my point

[mogandave]

You don't see how it is a conflict of interest? How can TA maintain it is offering unbiased reviews of hotels etc. when they are profiting from the success of those hotels? You don't think one way of making sure those hotels have good reviews is to limit the bad ones?

As you say, "it's a business." They were originally involved in one business, offering "unbiased" reviews of hotels etc. They are now involved in another which has opposing objectives. Hence the conflict.

It's not a conflict of their interest. Their interest is maximizing revenue, and providing positive reviews of the hotels they sell bookings for is a means to that end.

They apparently don't see it as a conflict but I suspect many TA users would feel differently if they were aware of the situation.

And I suspect only a fool would think any review unbiased, particularly one presented by a company in the business of generating revenue from reviews.

Do the think the people at TA are doing it as a hobby?

You're missing the point.

It used to be that TA did nothing but reviews and forums. That has changed relatively recently, and they are now also doing hotel bookings and trip bookings. So they used to publish completely independent reviews that has now changed, and they are now for their own bookings dependent on these reviews. In the past they could claim it was all unbiased since there was no commercial interest, they can not claim that anymore.

Many people on the forums and other users don't realise this yet, but if it becomes better known (I'm not sure it will, so 'if') this would put a major dent in their business model.

I don't think I am missing the point. Your point is that because there are now selling services they are all of the sudden biased. My position is that anyone that ever believed they were unbiased is a fool.

They can claim wherever they like.

You're confusing posters, that was not my point

So what is your point that you claim I am missing?