Cries for Help on Yelp: The Solution?

It is said that 78% of consumers trust peer reviews. It explains why companies pull hairs over their Yelp or Urbanspoon reviews. Online review sites simplify the research stage in the decision-making process for empowered customers. Yet, the foibles of user-generated content – ambiguous credibility, unwarranted negativity – persist to create challenges for the very businesses that rely on it. Rogue reviews running rampant have always been a problem since the inception of these sites. Yelp has come forward with a possible deterrent to regain legitimacy for user reviews. It has implemented a new “consumer alert label” that will appear on the pages of offending businesses caught faking or buying reviews. It’s a logical move for Yelp, but I wonder if this actually makes it easier for business reputations to be damaged. How easy would it be for a nasty competitor to “buy” a review for its rival? The rival’s page would be tarnished with the consumer alert, which is much more alarming, in my opinion, than a couple of negative individual reviews. Yelp has good intentions, but where there’s an ill will, there’s a way.