Ever tried to purchase a Yelp review? There are sites out there that sell them. One is called BuyYelpReview.com, and it’s currently being sued by Yelp, so you might want to hold off if you’re getting any shady ideas.
Yelp filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court of Northern California seeking for the site to be shut down immediately by court order. It also seeks for those behind the site to pay Help back for legal fees and three times what the site made from selling reviews. Here’s the complaint (via The Daily Dot):
Here are some snippets from BuyYelpReviews’ site:
Buy Yelp reviews from the most trusted source in the industry. We offer 100% real reviews from aged accounts. All have real friends, activity, check-ins etc.. Using our in house Yelp experts we form high quality reviews that will not be filtered out. We analyze all aspects of your business and ensure that your reviews are realistic. Receive unlimited 5 star reviews and start attracting more customers.
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Whether you own a restaurant, salon, hotel or an automobile shop, having an impressive virtual presence matters. It has been proven by research that most consumers resort to the Web to review businesses and services. Buy Yelp Reviews For Your Business Today!
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If you have existing bad Yelp reviews, no worries. We will ensure that your customers see your good reviews first. Customers may leave bad reviews now and then, it doesn’t need to be the end of your business.
It makes you wonder how many Yelp reviews come from practices like this. The site even promises its reviews will come from the city that your business is located in. Wow. Just how big is this operation?
So far, the site appears to be up and open for business. Each review is $24.95 with a minimum purchase of 3 reviews.