YelpReviews 1,585

How wonderful that we can actually review Yelp itself!

Let me just say that I find most of the reviews on the site to be people who love to criticize and harm local businesses. Yelp was meant to help folks find good local businesses but now, I find it's mostly a dumping ground for customers who want to just dump versus trying to resolve their problem with the owner.

But yes, that's what a public forum is for right? So let's move onto the business side then.

As a business owner myself, I have been called many, many times to run paid advertisements there. And when I say no, I continuously get my 5 stars pulled and my 1 stars (thank goodness not many) posted, even when the reviewer has only had 1 review which usually is their reason for pulling suspicious fake reviews.

And then there's the law suites that we all know about on the same subject but unfortunately, Yelp won.

Yelp needs to fair and CONSISTENT in how they filter.

I, myself, have been writing reviews for Yelp for years - as I have done for Trip Advisor
( I do find that a better site, especially for international travel). When I write a revriew, I try to be objective and unbiased. Sadly, I don't think all reviewers are created equal. I will often try a place, in spite of a negative review so I can form my own opinion. Of course, if there are a series of negative reviews, that's a different story.

Small Business Owner here and I'm here to tell you Yelp is the worst! ONLINE EXTORTION! Had a couple good reviews on yelp months back but the yelp listings was on the 9th or 10th page on google organically. Got a negative review and then all my good reviews... about 29 got somehow "filtered" so that my potenial customers only see the negative review... this negative review is now on the FIRST page of google in searching our particular catagory online... once that review went live the sales folks at yelp kept calling and implied if I paid that somehow my good reviews may re-apper. They tell me that a customer has the right to say negative things which is true but my clients that have posted good reviews have a right to have them seen as well! Yelp tells me that they have no control over the "filter" seems odd that none of my good reviews can be seen and the only bad one can... NOT FAIR!
YELP IS A COMPLETE RIP OFF... no other review site filters... you get the good with the bad... google local... angies list, service majic, home pro they all post both the good and the bad... IF you are a small business owner... never register with yelp

Here's the thing about Yelp - GREAT user experience and great, honest reviews. I used to live by them. Then, I tried to help my mom set up an account for her business. She got a bunch of 5-star reviews from her clients. As a business owner, she was thrilled to see her Yelp page (and thus website) showing super high in Google searches for offers in her area. Thrilled, of course, until Yelp filtered every single review. Not just 1 or 2, but all 6 of the 5-star reviews her diligent customers left.:(

Try contacting their support to ask them questions about this kind of thing. First, try *finding* their support! It doesn't really exist. They'll give you a canned response talking about why they filter reviews. Yes, I know that scammers will try anything to get their businesses up high in the ranks. But 6 different reviews from real people my mom shakes hands with every day? I don't think so.

I've since learned that is a pretty common and very sleazy Yelp practice to make you pay for additional services. My mom can't afford that and why should she? With word of mouth, her business was doing great. Just wish Yelp would help me fix her page, and it makes me wonder how many other businesses have low or non-existent reviews because of all this.

So yeah. Long story short, I don't trust their review filter process at all anymore. :( Sad, because I know I personally put a lot of time and effort into my reviews.

What is there not to yelp about with Yelp? Yelp is a site with consumer written reviews, that offers easy site navigation and recommendations for tons of treasures hidden in a city just waiting to be yelped about and discovered. When traveling, head to Yelp to find restaurants, boutiques and hotels that take you off the beaten path. Have a question about a contractor, a plumber, an electrician? Yelp will often have the answers. If you haven't yet yelped, stop in. By the time you leave, you will be a member and that is something to Yelp about!