MERITON MANIPULATED THEIR TRIPADVISOR RATING BY PREVENTING GUESTS FROM POSTING BAD REVIEWS

The Federal Court has found that accommodation provider Meriton engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct by implementing a strategy to minimise the number of negative reviews its guests posted on the TripAdvisor website.

In November 2016, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) instituted proceedings against Meriton in the Federal Court, alleging that between November 2014 and October 2015, the accommodation provider took deliberate steps to prevent its guests from receiving TripAdvisor’s ‘Review Express’ email if it suspected they would provide an unfavourable review. Specifically, the commission alleged Meriton failed to pass on guest email addresses to TripAdvisor or provided TripAdvisor with incorrect email addresses for guests.

The ACCC’s allegations were made out in the Federal Court, which found that on several occasions Meriton engaged in this conduct in respect of the majority of guests staying at one of its hotels during periods when there were infrastructure or service problems, such as no hot water or a lift not working.

The Court also held that Meriton’s conduct was liable to mislead the public as to the nature, characteristics and suitability of purpose of its accommodation services. Read more

James Harkness - Dynamic Business - 13 Nov 2017