You can critisise, as long as you're not negative...

[Clair]

French blogger fined over review's Google search placing

Sometimes I wonder if I live in a parallel world... [8-)] [blink]

[Théière]

You are not alone [8-)]

[Jay]

Better be nice to people on here in future

Théière

[idun]

Hasn't this just given the restaurant even more publicity, of a negative sort?

 I wouldn't try it at all.

I am so sorry that the blogger was fined.

[Loiseau]

Yes, I read that few days ago, and wondered if France would be taking on Trip Advisor next...

Thinking about it, I suppose the problem came from the title of her review. If she had left out the restaurant name in the title, it would perhaps not have had the same result.

Mind you, if you WANT to find a hotel or a restaurant's own website it never seems to come up in the top of a google search. You have to wade through a couple of pages of listings of sites that purport to review the establishment (but are often just listing its address and phone number).

Anyway, the case has ensured a certain notoriety for the restaurant in question now. Wonder if that will be good or bad?

Angela

[Théière]

[quote user="Jay"]Better be nice to people on here in future

Théière[/quote]

Well yes there is that tack, as people frequently post on forums just wanting people to agree with their point of view to make themselves feel better. They really don't want another point of view on a situation. Is being nice being truthful?

I wonder how Trip adviser will get on in the French courts? 

I posted on trip adviser as someone criticised  a cheap carvery chain where the carvery meal cost about the same as a hamburger and chips at a local luke warm food outlet. Just what DO people expect for the money?  I defended the restaurant as for the money the food is, very reasonable.

Being nice to companies like Desjoyaux, Magiline and Waterair isn't going to happen though, I feel for the pool owners as they frequently believe in the brochures.  Even on Ai the paying advertisers write so much rubbish  which is not correct in a chemical sense or in a practical flow sense so under french emergency court powers are we all to be gagged for the benefit of large companies.

Back to the restaurant in the post, The bad press from the court case has probably done more harm than that bloggers comment as I doubt all the bloggers live close enough to frequent said place but now it's reaching a much wider audience what will the court do, fine the journalist?

Bet the restaurant is up for sale very soon.

[Loiseau]

...or at least that it changes its name!

Angela

[Quillan]

There is a bit more to this person than you see on the surface. I believe the court case was paid for by several people.

I also noted that Booking.com is being investigated in both France and Italy (think there is a link to this on the original article on the BBC or perhaps one of the UK broad sheet websites) whilst TripAdvisor is being investigated by the EU courts.

Personally I wouldn't stay in a place that gets 10 out of 10 every review because there is definitely something dodgy. Very few if any get 10 out of 10 reviews 100% of the time. A bloke in the nearest village does so we sent a friend along to stay. You get a 20% 'cash back' if you give a good review although he claims it is a loyalty bonus and yet you only have stayed the once? You can also buy reviews for yourself or bad ones for your competition. We have had more than one email offering this service over the last year and people must use them else they wouldn't be sending out the emails.

[PaulT]

There is a restaurant near where I live in the UK that whenever it gets a bad review slags off the reviewer.........very few locals use it only tourists - enough said.