Compleely different!
The earlier post indicated log-rolling between hosts to exchange positive reviews.
I can post specific, different examples of “tactical” fake reviews that explicitly counter earlier negative reviews.
1 Like
I think it’s fine to post them.
1 Like
As much as I would love to believe this, and for it to be true, I find that maybe … 75 to 80 percent of investor hosts are scamming with either fake reviews, tax fraud, mortgage fraud &tc.
AirBNB is the PERFECT place to scam the day away, given the way it hides behind the Communications Decency Act to prevent gov’t investigation of host/guest information and shenanigans.
2 Likes
This must be because of the places I search for Airbnb. Because I don’t book with investor hosts I don’t look at their reviews. But given the concentration of investor hosts in the big cities I suppose they far outnumber the little hosts like me.
2 Likes
OK: Here’s an example of a fake review that is not an “inaugural” review to launch a listing, but rather a “tactical” review to counter low stars & negative text (getting at @CatskillsGrrl’s remarks that bad hosts will have ratings in the low 4s … one would think … but …)
This review is from “Jenna” one of the managers of this property. EVERY SINGLE ONE of her reviews is a fake, written either for her own house, properties she manages or her boyfriend’s parents listing.
Interesting … when you click on the listing this was on, 27339412, it’s now inactivated.
Nope. I don’t care if it’s Microsoft + Apple multiplied by Facebook.
1 Like
I see what you mean. Almost every one of Jenna’s “reviews” says the same thing. LOL. Like I said, I never stay in those kinds of places so I wouldn’t have noticed. All those fake reviews don’t keep Amazon from being successful. So I guess it is what it is.
“check-in” was “a breeze”
“picking this listing” is “a no-brainer”
“the location is perfect”
“best AIrBNB I have ever stayed at”
blah blah blah blah blah, c’mon fake review writers, STEP UP your GAME!
Amazon is on the warpath against all its fakes, yes, it seems to be a losing battle despite its court filings against the worst offenders.
ANYWAY, point being, anyone who puts much faith in the reviews for the investor-class of Air hosts is misplacing their trust.
@PuppyLover I still think removing hosts with a four star average is misguided. Air could easily buy any one of a gazillion products out there that do document analysis - simple AI - to review and flag the reviews and listings that are abusing the system. The legal world uses tech like this for massive document reviews and the logic can get pretty specific. To remove listings simply based on their star review leaves guests with a meaningless star system. Everything is 5 stars. From simple cabins to massive mansions - everyone is a five star host and accommodation. It is probably very confusing to seasoned travelers used to hotel style star ratings, where is is perfectly acceptable to be a three star hotel, meaning your amenities are simple and basic; to five stars, a luxury experience.
And you should report those reviews if they are suspicious.
2 Likes
Exactly. They have maybe 600 or 700 ppl in Data Science and Trust and Safety, so you can bet your bottom dollar they know all about this.
There are a couple of dozen “tells” for fake reviews, that you can easily detect just reading them, and yes I’m sure AI could be programmed to grab them MUCH easier than anyone’s manual investigation.
Yep, they’ve been reported to the State Attorney General’s office and the top AirBNB triumvirate (Chesky, Belinda Johnson, general counsel Chesnut). All the relevant authorities are scrambling like mad to end the practice. … Not.
Ah! Air does not have a “report” button on every review - although they should - but you can report the listing for having fake reviews. I’ve reported two listings over the years. One was using stock photography of a ‘glamping tent’ to represent their campsite and another listing said “no fatties.”
1 Like
Stock photos = PET PEEVE!
So does reporting the listing work ???
In my experience they do. But I have not looked at listings all over the world.
So there are report buttons for every listing, and in some areas, for individual reviews??
I have reported the reviews I have gotten with lies in them but it has had no effect…it probably doesn’t even register anywhere most of the time…just makes the person reporting feel like they are doing something.
1 Like
Oh, right! It is the flag icon in the Upper Right corner!
@Militaryhorsegal Believe me, @PuppyLover knows what to do when you see a lie in a review. (See her threads about suing Airbnb and her guest.)
But, in my experience both listings were modified quickly. The No Fatties language came out and in the case of the glamping site with stock photos, it disappeared completely.
1 Like
Wow. Jenna’s reviews are almost all from the same company. How brazen.
I’m surprised these listings were changed immediately. I’ve reported fake and inaccurate listings but they are still up weeks and months later.
Let’s do a Jenna scorecard:
23 reviews
22 are for HER OWN COMPANY
1 looks legit. … No wait! This is for HER BOYFRIEND’S PARENTS’ house.
1 Like
YES FOUND the flag and just flagged about 60 fake reviews.
We’ll see if anything happens.
AirBNB is so cute:
“Report this fake review anonymously”
then …
“We’ll reach out if we need more info”
^ well that wasn’t very “anonymous” was it.
3 Likes