Yelp
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140 New Montgomery St
San Francisco, CA 94105 b/t Natoma St & Minna St in Financial District, SoMa - Get Directions
- Phone number (415) 908-3801
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Business website officialblog.yelp.com
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“After all, many of the business owners are genuine people with families, bills, and dreams, too.” in 536 reviews
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“From the talk threads to researching local businesses and writing reviews, I'm hooked, damn you.” in 87 reviews
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“And he has even helped keep me entertained with talk threads while I'm bored at work.” in 84 reviews
Recommended Reviews
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- Del Amo R.
- Redondo Beach, CA
- 13 friends
- 1 review
Obviously it is impossible to reach Yelp about how "unfair" they are with businesses that refuse to advertise with them. After refusing their paid services, all of a sudden our 1 star count begin to raise. But the problem is the "new" 1-star reviews are no where to find. We are monitoring our Yelp page (unfortunately we have to do that not to be screwed by Yelp) every day and keeping the numbers with screen shots and while we had 71 1-star review on Saturday, all of a sudden we have 72 on Monday.
And guess what? That 1 review is nowhere to be found. It drags our star rating down but it is not a real review. Yelp is punishing us, just like many others, for refusing to advertise with them.
But of course they DO NOT CARE because nobody can touch them. Why? Because they are not answering their phones, no contact e-mail. Only businesses that advertise with them get an account manager that will listen. And as soon as you cancel your advertising, they wont even return your phone calls.
This is how "dirty" Yelp is. And they rule (!)... -
- Kanwar G.
- Fresno, CA
- 0 friends
- 1 review
Keep calling and try to sell advertisement packages. If you don't agree to them they would remove the good reviews from your business profile and leave the poor ratings there.
Very unethical practices of Yelp Inc. This on line customer-review service, paid $450,000 in addition to its attorney fees to settle a U.S. regulator's lawsuit accusing it of collecting names and e-mail addresses from children as young as 9 without the consent of their parents.
The Federal Trade Commission alleged in its complaint that from 2009 to 2013, this San Francisco-based popularly known as YELP violated privacy laws by gathering the information from children who signed up for an account and that the company failed to test the age-registration feature on its applications. -
- John A.
- Las Vegas, NV
- 0 friends
- 2 reviews
Buying ppc advertising from yelp is a scam!!!!!! Once a potential client clicks your ppc ad (which you have paid for) they are directed to your yelp page and served ads from your competitors!
Once you pay to get a prospect to get to
your yelp page, shouldn't
your business have exclusive exposure?!?!
Think twice before buying ppc advertising from yelp. -
- Wei Z.
- Folsom, CA
- 1 friend
- 3 reviews
Their business model is extortion, pure and simple, with their unwitting and unthinking users as their cudgel. The idea is a pleasant one: get the local gossip on local places without the trouble of talking to any locals (how very technical yet anti-social). In reality, it is a way for yelp to extort money from bewildered business owners who sometimes, and sometimes do not, deserve the good and bad reviews regarding their business.
Like most anonymous things on the internet, it attracts more than its fair share of trolls. What yelp does though, is criminal, in fact. It dangles the possibility that if you don't pay them, your positive reviews will not show up as "recommended reviews" but the bad ones sure will, they nearly always make it in to the recommended pile. "Nice reputation your business has, would be a shame if people heard only from the trolls..." That, my friend, is extortion--- legal definition. Never give this company a dime. Their days are numbered (legally speaking, though i fear they will exist for a long time to come). They cannot hide behind "their proprietary algorhythm" for long. They are an extortion company. Won't be sad when they board up like every other internet company that had a bad idea. -
- Justin D.
- Fresno, CA
- 0 friends
- 16 reviews
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- Mike G.
- Clearwater, FL
- 6 friends
- 3 reviews
I believe Yelp to be a highly unethical company. The mission of Yelp, who has achieved such a status, should be to help businesses grow. Also, to help people make informed decisions on whether or not a particular business is suited for their needs.
The manner in which Yelp has chosen to display their reviews is ethically questionable at best. Why wouldn't they allow the posts to appear in chronological order instead of pushing the negative ones to the top of the page? Also, why would they offer zero recourse for people defaming ones business with absolutely no grounds of validity.
I ask these questions not with intent of invalidating this online review site, but in hopes that Yelp will one day offer a responsible forum for both business owners and consumers alike to communicate openly for the greater good of American commerce. -
- Michelangelo S.
- Sacramento, CA
- 3350 friends
- 1501 reviews
- Elite ’15
Hiccups Seem To Be Gone
SITREP
Okay. My website issues seem to have been corrected and I'm enjoying the updated Smartphone Applications.
THE SETUP
I had some issues with ROTDs disappearing for days at a time and I am not a fan of certain advertising, but the website seems to be humming with organized information hubs, and that I like.
The smartphone upgrades are assisting better with the check-in process for me than it was a year ago.
THE LOWDOWN
I am enjoying the new & improved website & smartphone experiences.
SITREP
Another example of the Yelp HQ not keeping the… Uh. Where are ROTDS? Ref calls, "YELP-FOUL!"
SITREP
Another example of the Yelp HQ not keeping the Yelp ship running smoothly:
(1) Here in Sacramento, there are NO ROTDs for today January 20, 2013, and just like both November 30 and December 1, 2012, apparently someone in Yelp HQ is dropping the ball; and,
(2) Apparently there are other cities feeling the glitches even more: in Washington, D.C., there were no ROTDs for FIVE (5) days: Jan 3, Jan 4, Jan 13, Jan 14, and Jan 20.
So, what's up, Yelp HQ?
SETUP
Something we Yelpers look forward to is seeing the acknowledgment for our fellow Yelpers for their great review-writing. When someone writes a review ON YELP for a business they visited, this happens:
* Somebody comes to YOUR website and may see that review
* And if it's a particularly good review, they may even go to that restaurant, possibly mention your name ("we saw your restaurant (dry cleaner / garage / etc.) on Yelp", and make that business happy.
* And if the business is happy they may actually want to be happier, and so throw advertising dollars at you, which obviously makes YOU happy.
* Are you "paying" your Yelping team to write reviews? Not really, so AGAIN, that makes YOU happy.
Thusly, when you don't do at least the minimum possible to recognize your team of yelpers - which for most yelpers is an ROTD - that makes us wonder what's up with your attitude of nongratitude.
Bottomline: 2-STAR Deduction - we're writing reviews FOR YOU, which is the bread & butter of YOUR business of peer-resourced reviews. So it would behoove you to acknowledge your many Yelpers out in the field.
I love you, Yelp. But remember who "the workers" are providing the foundation for the very success of your business enterprise.
THE LOWDOWN
I respectfully suggest you fix this intermittant problem. Read more
SITREP
Recently, our complaint investigation… My Work Life Is Now Implementing Further Uses For Yelp
SITREP
Recently, our complaint investigation workforce has had their Tablet-Laptops wirelessly enabled. Long-Story Short, it's been a long time in coming - having to jump through Internet Security Office (ISO) protocols and the like. That this is an arm of the State of California, you may already understand that there is a LOT of bureaucracy involved in trying to make even the most efficient & financially needed decisions.
In any rate, now our Licensing Enforcement Complaint Investigation teams are armed with wireless laptops that allow them to access our secure databases via Virtual Private Connections (VPN) to transfer & sync confidential information over the wireless connections. Yelp has now become a BIG component of this work routine.
SETUP
State Staff are instructed to access Yelp now - whether in the office - or in a known wireless hot spot (ie. Starbucks, Peet's, etc.) - to lay out routes of hot spots, and to find local resources that allow them to conduct their investigations - services, law enforcement outlets, additional hot spots further down a laid out itinerary of travel, etc., etc.
So it is very interesting (bemusing?) for me as an already avid Yelper to see YELP gain an extra "Stamp of Approval" from the very state entity I work for. AND encouraged to do so for myself, and train other new staff on it's uses.
THE LOWDOWN
So now at work in our use of Google, Mapquest, etc., Yelp is "State" of the "Art". Read more
SITREP
I've been Yelping pretty consistently since September… Yelp Gets Me Off My Fat Ass! Really!
SITREP
I've been Yelping pretty consistently since September 2010, and been a member since July 2010.
YELPING HABITS
So I was not joking about my "Personal Testimony" above: "Yelp Gets Me Off My Fat Ass!". And "Yelp is an important part of my daily exercise regime!" Honestly. It gets ME OUT. In fact, a study came out just this week that states that too much sitting can KILL YOU.
news.yahoo.com/too-much-…
And for me, Yelp is the antithesis of too much sitting, because I enjoy wandering about the hoods during breaks, my lunch hours, BEFORE I get to work, AFTER I get off work, & on weekend walk-a-bouts. It encourages me to explore new stores & restaurants. And it motivates me to unlock great deals, and network with other Yelpers to unlock some great badges too.
With Yelp, I've brought together so many different fun areas of my life: the social butterfly, the foodie, the hiker, the saver, and the dater - wrapped up together as an elite Yelper.
BUSINESS ACCOUNTABILITY
There is power in numbers. And the fact that Yelp has such a talented dedicated VOLUNTEER ARMY of reviewers in no small part has made the business community sit-up straight and take note: there are people who will hold them accountability for the quality of their product, for the quality of their service, and if they perform poorly, it will be put on blast so that other yelpers will take note and will not patronize an establishment that treats it's paying customers so poorly.
And in particular, the power of Yelp numbers has reached a point that even the "chain=restaurants" are being effected. With Yelp reviews, smaller businesses are getting the attention they deserve and so their reputations are being publicized to a point where Yelpers will patronize a small business with great customer service and will NOT patronize a chain with poor customer service. And that is something that I have loved seeing develop.
CIRCLES AND "HUMPYS"
What I have loved most about Yelp is how it brings together a community of people. In my instance, this has manifested itself in two distinct ways:
* Renewing ties with old, dear friends. Having a significant social history in Sacramento, SF & Seattle involving music venues, events & clubs, there have been a lot of fun friendships developed now continued through Yelp. Getting to see peeps like Molly, Jessica, Lisa, Rich, Minh & others in the new realm of Yelp, gives a new dimension to our relationships that is a lot of fun.
* Making new connections through Humpys and YEEs expands a circle of friendship in a very meaningful way. If left to your own devices, one can fall into the rut of the SAME music genres, of the SAME shows, etc. Yelp really gives an opportunity to "get outside your comfort zone" and mix with wonderful people that you may not have rubbed shoulders with. Getting to see wonderful peeps like Keoni, Gorman, Jefferson, Julie, Kimber, Clover, Paul J., Kim, Jason, Sophia, Eva, Manjit, etc., truly makes involvement with Yelp well worth the effort with priceless dividends in the friendships & connections made.
YELPING "LIGHTS"
I have spent time with some of the most incredible team-members from Yelp these last three (3) years, including your crew in the Bay Area, such as your talented team-leaders like Ruggy, Jessica Thomas, and Monica (who is now in Miami - *sad panda face*) . But there are three (3) people I want to especially single out and give BIG YELPER shout outs to:
(1) Katy H - CM of Seattle
(2) Alex L - CM of Sacramento
(3) Abby S - CM of South Bay & Silicon Valley
Each of these individuals has demonstrably put their heart and energy into Yelp and in making it the BEST experience for Yelpers & Elites & their guests to whatever event I was at. Each of them are very personal and are very interested in the well-being of the local yelp-participant. And each of them gives so much of their personal time into making extraordinary efforts to attend as many events where yelpers congregate as is humanly possible.
In living/working and spending so much of my time in both Sacramento and Seattle, I can't tell you how much FUN it has been in having Katy engineer and/or join in intimate dinner-time fun @ Americana or having sushi at Wasabi Bistro. And Alex opening up his & his fiance Diane's home for a "Michael McDonald" party which was so kitschy and fun. Alex also did an incredible job of embarrassing me by weaving my birthday celebration at the Fabulous 50s Party @ The Republic most recently. ;^D
And then there's watching Abby work in overdrive mode as she put's together back-to-back-to-back-to-back events that just leaves my head spinning in wonder how she can multi-task so well at such a turbo-charged level.
These individuals have my undying admiration for all that they do for Yelp.
THE LOWDOWN
Yelp's is an important & vital part of my social life & I am grateful to it! SYOY! Read more -
- Tim J.
- Lafayette, CA
- 0 friends
- 11 reviews
Yelp manipulates what they want people to see. The blame it on a logarithm program but they actually control it. They offer businesses a buy in to their program and miraculously after you pay $275.00 to $500.00 a month, your good reviews show up. Amazing!
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- Louie M.
- San Diego, CA
- 0 friends
- 2 reviews
Social media maffia
battles extortion claims9 SOCIAL MEDIA MAFFIA
October 13, 2014
Associated… SOCIAL MEDIA MAFFIA
battles extortion claims9 SOCIAL MEDIA MAFFIA
October 13, 2014
Associated Press
Save |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- First the chefs of a small Italian restaurant got mad at online review site Yelp. Instead of trying to get better reviews, they decided to take a different approach: get terrible ones.
The campaign helped Botte Bistro get a rating of one out of five stars, as more than 1,000 reviewers left hundreds of tongue-in-cheek reviews panning the Richmond, California, eatery, said chef Michele Massimo, adding that it boosted business.
It was the latest protest among businesses who for years have complained that Yelp was extorting them by raising or dropping ratings depending on whether they advertised with the Internet's most popular review site.
Yelp has persistently denied those claims on its website, in court and at every opportunity when the question is put publicly to the company.
"It wouldn't pass the straight face test," Yelp spokesman Vince Sullitto said of the extortion claims.
Sullitto said Yelp attracts millions of viewers and sells advertising to 80,000 businesses because of the site's credibility with consumers. Sullitto said many of the company's critics are businesses that have received bad reviews.
Last month, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out a lawsuit filed by several businesses claiming Yelp extorted them by removing positive reviews after advertising sales pitches were turned down.
The court is one rung below the U.S. Supreme Court and the ruling could have been a definitive one for Yelp.
Instead, it served to fuel the company's critics because the court said that, even if Yelp did manipulate reviews to penalize businesses, the practice would not constitute extortion.
The court said it found no evidence of manipulation and that it was ruling narrowly only on the question of extortion. Nonetheless, the company's critics said the ruling supported their claims.
Even before the 9th Circuit ruling, Yelp was battling two lawsuits filed by company investors who make similar extortion claims.
The suits, filed in San Francisco federal court over the summer, allege that the company's stock traded at artificially inflated prices because the "company tried to sell services designed to suppress negative reviews or make them go away" and then lied about it.
The company has yet to formally respond to the lawsuits in court, but says it will fight these legal actions as well.
Last year, a lawyer serving as a small-claims judge in San Diego likened Yelp to a "modern-day version of the Mafia going to stores and saying, 'You want to not be bothered? You want to not have incidents in your store? Pay us protection money.'"
The judge, Peter Doft, made the comments when he ordered Yelp to pay San Diego lawyer Julian McMillan $2,700 over a contract dispute involving advertising on Yelp.
The award was later overturned by a higher court, which ruled that McMillan's dispute with Yelp should be decided by an arbitrator instead of a court. McMillan didn't pursue his claim.
But Yelp did file a lawsuit against McMillan, alleging he and his employees submitted fake Yelp reviews of his law practice. McMillan denies the charges and alleges that Yelp sued him because of his small-claims court victory.
The allegations are so widespread and have persisted for so long that the company asks on its website: "Does Yelp extort small businesses?" The company answers no.
Yelp has had a complicated relationship with merchants, restaurateurs and other small businesses on which the company depends on for advertising revenue. To attract advertising, Yelp needs to maintain a popular and credible site.
To do this, Yelp says, its uses an algorithm to weed out fake reviews submitted by business owners, relatives and friends that is often misunderstood. The automated removal programs accidentally erase many positive reviews written by legitimate customers.
Yelp concedes that removing legitimate reviews is not ideal, but argues that's the price it pays for its credibility. Furthermore, Yelp keeps details of its algorithm under wraps so its review system can't be easily exploited and gamed.
That secrecy also breeds suspicion.
"We don't know who is leaving the reviews, and we don't think it's fair," said Massimo, the chef. "You are so vulnerable."
Massimo said he and his partner decided to launch their novel protest for a one-star rating after receiving several aggressive sales calls from Yelp that they perceived to be veiled threats. The ploy worked and business continues to be brisk, he said.
"It was the best marketing idea I've ever had," Massimo said. "Thanks, Yelp."
Like Read more
I have been going to Louie for a few years now, and will not go to anyone else. I am not… 11/20/2013
I have been going to Louie for a few years now, and will not go to anyone else. I am not the best at getting in on a regular time to get my hair cut, and he knows this, so it's a good joke between us. He always does what I want my hair to look like, even if I don't know at the time. Just got my hair cut yesterday, and it's perfect as always.
Thank You Louie
Unlike YELP I get great reviews , that they keep taking down Read more -
I've always loved Yelp as my go-to for finding information. I know that folks seem to complain a lot about it, but I feel like I get a pretty comprehensive set of reviews across the spectrum of ratings. I've also really liked the Yelp community, as it's a great place to meet foodies. In terms of the interface, I wish the app did more, as it's hard to do some things on my phone. I also wish that Yelp had group messaging features under messaging. I do very much enjoy that photos are super easy to post, though sometimes I need to change a photo but can't figure out how. Overall, I think that Yelp has a really user friendly interface and has helped me find lots of good places to try!
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My 100th review - being that it's a meaningful one for me, this review shall be a review of Yelp.
I initially started using Yelp in 2011 by doing research for our travels - attractions to see & good restaurants to eat at - to make these trips successful by having good/draw-dropping experiences & avoiding the bad ones. Despite some issues experienced by other Yelpers re the algorithms used in posting of their reviews, I have not experienced any concerns & have reaped many benefits from it.
Yelp has benefited me in many ways by providing:
- A research/decision-making tool. It is so worthwhile to scan the reviews/pics (the more the better) of the food/menu upon deciding where to go to have that good experience (vs. one that is not so good). While these reviews also help the business owner as a marketing tool (especially when the reviews are good), tips in these reviews allow us to know beforehand what to look for, what's good, & what to order as we include these attractions/businesses in our travels or experience them at home. We use the GPS directions in the Yelp app, which has easily taken us to where we need to go.
- Increased knowledge. Yelp has me going to places where I would never have thought I would go, & literally sometimes in our own backyards. Crawls in small shopping malls, restaurants of all cuisines, dessert places, tourist attractions, performance arts, movies, hikes, happy hours, cookie swaps, repair services, you name it, & Yelp is there. And the bonus is that much of the time, food & drink are free! Such a good way to know the businesses around you. Plus, reading reviews of Yelpers from other states/countries is like traveling - learning about their attractions, restaurants, parks, libraries, lighthouses, & offerings. I enjoy learning about new things.... wisdom eventually comes with knowledge.
- New friendships. It's such a bonus to make new friends locally & in other states/countries via Yelp, & awesome when you get to meet them in person while maintaining these friendships as I've done in Vegas & in the Greater Toronto Area (Canada). Genuine friendships are formed w/ people who really care about you. Finding friends who have the same interests as you are priceless!
- A youthful attitude. Career & family have been my priorities for many years. Having been retired a few years ago & having raised 2 children (now in their 30's) have me re-prioritizing my activities in my life. Being active in Yelp is now giving me an awesome social life of wearing nail polish (thanks, Emi!); having fun at Yelp events/parties by eating, drinking, & fellowship w/ other Yelpers; & being around amazing "young" Yelpers who respect you for who you are. It's no wonder that my mindset is thinking "young" and having fun at the same time.
- Meaning to life by giving back to the community. I've attended many Yelp events that are held on behalf of non-profit organizations, especially during the holiday season. It is such a joy to bring a new unwrapped gift or donation for a child; help out w/ games for the Help, Understanding & Group Support (HUGS) House for families w/ kids who have serious illnesses; or attend an event to help out Aloha United Way, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, & many other non-profit organizations that provide assistance to those in need in the community. So meaningful when it comes from the heart.
- Improvement in writing skills. Continuous reading of Yelp reviews brings attention to different styles of writing which allows me to hone in on my writing skills. Plus, continuous writing of reviews keeps my writing skills in check. Writing is a good way of expressing ourselves.
- Adaptability w/ technology & social media. As I grew up in an era before the advent of computers, my work environment forced me to use & keep abreast w/ advances in technology in the use of computers & smartphones. W/ retirement, Yelp has provided this continuity, e.g., posting reviews/photos onto the Yelp website, communicating via compliments &/or messages online w/ other Yelpers, signing up online for Yelp events, checking in to businesses, etc. The use of social media as a communication tool is indeed an important part in our lives today. The need for a smartphone w/ sufficient memory for photos & continued usage of a laptop was driven by my usage of Yelp; signing up for Apple classes made it a little easier.
Thank you, Yelp CM Emi H. & the Yelp Hawaii Team, for all the opportunities, as I appreciate all the hard work & energy that you put in to make Yelp events happen. And thank you to all my Yelper friends in providing me the opportunities to be friends w/ you & the sharing of helpful info re your Yelp experiences.
For those of you who are not yet Yelpers reading this review, take heed. I had no idea all of this was going to happen, & I am so happy that it did. With an open mind, I'm sure you will too. Thank you, Yelp, for making my retirement years fun & memorable! -
- Jonathan W.
- RICHMOND HILL, NY
- 0 friends
- 14 reviews
I'm gone.
Google "Yelp takes money to change ratings".
I'd bet money (not enough to change a rating though) that this'll get removed too.Was this review …?
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- H W.
- San Francisco, CA
- 0 friends
- 5 reviews
YELP IS THE NEW FACE OF ECONOMIC FASCISM THAT CONCEALS AND REVEALS ONLY WHAT IT FEELS REPRESENT THE BEST MONETARY DEALS. That is, any business that claims to be an organization that enables users to FREELY post reviews of various organizations into a public forum,...but then PULLS A 180 degree game of CENSORSHIP by means of preventing / removing legitimate content from being publicly viewed....is unequivocally FASCIST.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO EACH GROUP:
YELP:
--End your draconian, fascist censorship of legitimate reviews immediately! You are loosing both consumers and business clients. Be assured that your erratic and dwindling stock are reflective of your questionable policies and practices.
BUSINESS CLIENTS AND STOCK HOLDERS OF YELP:
--Divest ALL money from this organization immediately!
CONSUMERS WHO ARE REVIEWERS ON YELP:
--Complain to the Better Business Bureaus;
--Complain to your State Senators and Congress about conflicts of special interests;
--Terminate your Yelp accounts in protest of this business censoring its user's content.
NOTE:
In order to save this message I am forced to indicate at least one star. Unfortunately, Yelp deserves minus 5 stars. So, technically speaking -5+1 = -4 stars. -
Listed in Yelp 365 Challenge 2014 - OC
***My 500th Review***
Thank you Yelp:
*For helping me discover new places to eat. I would not have found any of the new places I've found without yelp and my yelp friends.
*For the FREE movies I've enjoyed through the CMYE: Yelp at the Movies Events. About 10 (once a month) and counting.
*For the Yelp ELITE Events (YEE). The best parties or food tasting and it's FREE.
*For the cool Yelp Swags. I wish I could collect them all, but my wife gets the good ones. lol.
*For my Yelp Friends who keep me up to date on all the newest and best places to eat..
And speaking of my Yelp Friends (YF) I'd like to recognize a few of them
Best Writers:
Chris C. - Chris breaks down a restaurant, store, anything like no one. His reviews are detailed and offers great recommendations. I've learned to trust his culinary chops and they are spot on. When you see the hash tag "Chris Eats Here" you better go, becuase it's going to be a good meal.
Nick H - He finds some of the best restaurants around. I have no idea where he finds these gems, but he consistently delivers the goods.
Duke C - I travel a lot for vacations and for business. It's very comforting to find a familiar name. Seattle, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Chicago, etc etc. I would always see his reviews of places I wanted to go to and he gives you the 411 on all of them. He does that locally too. I find his reviews of restaurants which are near my work to be excellent and a good guide in choosing a place to eat lunch at.
Greg N - He just has talent. He puts his reviews to song lyrics of your favorite songs. Amazing how he does that. I truly enjoy reading them.
MiYun C - Just plain poetic in her words. She's also the most positive person I know!
Richard L - one of the first YF I added, because of his reviews. Great writer
Best BBQ Guy:
Roy B - He's my BBQ guru. He gives you his honest take on a BBQ joint and he's been to so many, he knows what is good.
Best Hikers:
Frank S & Ron W (and Sammy)
They are my hiking experts. Both of them have pictures from on top of the mountains they climb and snow does not stop them either. I wish I could do that, I live through these guys and the feats they can do.
Sammy is Ron's dog. He hikes with Ron where ever he goes. He even has his own boots for the snow. Ron, you need a yelp page for Sammy lol.
Best Author and Best Wine Expert:
Sidney S - He wrote "Jennifer Ainsley: The Final Demon War" Okay, he get's this by default, since he's the only author I know. lol But the book is very good. I highly recommend it. Sidney, now, can you name one of your demons after me on the next book =) hahaha just kidding.
If it's a winery, Sidney probably has been there. He certainly knows his wines. Look up his reviews and see for yourself.
Best PYE Host:
Michael P - He throws the best PYE's. Note to everyone. If he is throwing an event. Go!!! you will enjoy yourself immensely. Nice guy all around and a crusader of good causes!! my kind of guy!!
Mr. Yelp Award:
Rodney S - I met Rodney at my first Yelp Event. He showed me the ropes and I'm sure he introduced me to most of my YF and I'm grateful to him for taking the time to do that.
Best Yelper:
Rohlin A - He reads your reviews and looks at your pictures and gives you his opinion on them. Every single one. And why do we all do this, isn't it for someone to read and look at them. Rohlin is the BEST! Thank You Rohlin, I truly appreciate it!!
My YFF (Yelp Friend Favorites) I've met:
Jennifer N (I think Yelp still owes you a Gold Elite Badge), Irene Y (you are truly a "Rock Star"), VeraChris N (thanks for not letting me wash dishes, when I lost my wallet), Shawna C & Steven C (you guys are awesome Yelpers), Kevin N (makes his own costumes for yelp events, awesome guy), Quynh Tran P (we still need to do 7 beef dinner, lol), Gigi M (great "Taste" in everything), Gizelle M (congratulations and best wishes on your up coming wedding), Felicia D (love your recommendations and take on things), Niki S (I value your opinions, awesome person), Joe P (my Hawaiian Bruddah, I live vicariously through your adventures. Lmao), Evelyn T (super nice & cool person), Kevin B (great reviews & super nice), Craig F (great writer), Ryan C (Best CM)
My YFF (Yelp Friend Favorite) I hope to meet someday:
Sandra S, Phil Y, Chel R, Chris D, Grace C, Ingrid V, Laina A, Cynthia L, Pamela M, Ralph W, Tim C, Wan L, Mar-Vy S, Martha M, Kate M, Maggie C, Lena H, Kenzie K, Cat B, Ryan P, Lea N, Antho L,
My out of town Yelper Friends:
Santi T (Hawaii) - Fridays are not Fridays until I get my "Aloha Friday" greeting from her.
Stephanie T (San Francisco) - just simply the best!! I still owe you!! Kbbq when you come down!!
Amy S & John S (Jacksonville, FL) Amy is one of the nicest person I know! A true Yelper!
I LOVE YELP
I've had a positive experience with my Yelping and look forward to many more years of Yelping enjoyment.
#text limit. First time Woo Hoo!! -
- Michael R.
- Ben Lomond, CA
- 11 friends
- 64 reviews
Shame on Yelp!
I believed in you, you money whoring bastards.
Read this article from SF Weekly, before Yelpers delete it:
The internet's all in a tizzy the past few days thanks to a Wednesday ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which said that review site Yelp could manipulate its ratings for money.
So, say a small diner makes a big ad buy on the site, those extra dollars could maybe boost the diner's rating, thus potentially gaining it more customers. (This could be one way to explain the enduring popularity of the solidly mediocre Codmother Fish and Chips on Yelp's Top 100 list for San Francisco, but of course it's probably just that legions of Fisherman's Wharf tourists love the place.)
Yelp still swears up and down that it totally doesn't manipulate ratings, despite longtime accusations from business owners; it uses an automated process to surface restaurants and star ratings on the site yadda yadda yadda. And there is no hard evidence that it does engage in such behavior, either -- all the court ruling said was say that such behavior wouldn't be illegal if the review site decided to try it.
The ruling obviously sucks for small business owners as the company could essentially extort them out of their money for better reviews (though the court noted that this practice was just "at most, hard bargaining," which I guess it is, in the cold-hearted logic of capitalism).
But it is a reminder that Yelp is a massive, publicly traded corporation whose goal is to make money. Yelp is not a public service, as much as we treat it as such sometimes. It is not just like getting a recommendation from a friend, as much as it positions itself that way. We have no rational reason to believe that the company will be 100 percent fair about business ratings and placement just because it seems like the right thing to do.
Take your Yelp reviews with a grain of salt from now on, as you should have been doing all along.Was this review …?
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- L H.
- Milpitas, CA
- 109 friends
- 39 reviews
Bye, Yelp. You can no longer be trusted as a credible source of unbiased reviews.
- Was a member since 2007Was this review …?
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- Gardner H.
- Sacramento, CA
- 98 friends
- 147 reviews
- Elite ’15
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Listed in Yelp 365 Challenge 2014, The Centennial Reviews
************************Review # 1000*****************************
YELP 365 CHALLENGE 2014-(93/365) "Real People, Real Reviews"
First off, MASSIVE MAHALOS to Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons for coming up with what can be considered a food critic's worse nightmare....YELP! Since 2004, real people have been churning out reviews for this modern day "Yellow Pages" which has allowed people's fingers to do the walking via keyboard and smartphone whether it would be a place to dine out, get your hair did, a show to see, place to get your car repaired, a city or country for your next staycation, or vacation, a venue for your big wedding day, or even places within your own hood... Yelp has made it that easy!
I accidentally stumbled on this website back in 2009 while searching for sushi spots in Vegas...Surfing the website, I would run across reviews and pictures of cool restaurants and places I've never been to, and thought "Let me post reviews of my favorite spots!" (at the time, were Sushi-Mon and Luv-It Frozen Custard) then, I stopped and spent more time on FB. Fast forward to 2010, I receive my first compliment from Misti Y. who happened to be Yelp Las Vegas' Community Manager. I perused the website, got introduced to terms like CMYE and UYE, looked at events happening around town and got to see pictures from the first Elite Event at Herbs and Rye which looked like tons of fun, and I just HAD TO get my hands on that SICK YELP LUNCHBOX!!!! I read the guidelines for the Elite Squad, nominated myself(Yes, I did..), and started busting out reviews and posting pictures, keeping in mind to support local businesses in our community. Wifey and I were lucky enough to get invited out to the next Elite Event(and we weren't Elite yet!) at the Arts District where we had bites from Firefly, Mix Zone, and Cupcakery. It was such a blast, and that's really when I got bit by the Yelp bug. Our community was alot smaller back then, so it was natural seeing the same faces at Elite events that followed. Ahhhh, those were the OG days...Posted my first UYE(at Island Style and Herbs and Rye) and from there, the "Steppin' Out" UYE series was launched to promote local businesses and to bring the Yelp Community together, and the fun continued....
2011-2012 saw the Las Vegas Yelp community double, Elites got gifted a cool watch at the Rock Around Red Rock Elite Event, UYEs, CMYEs and Elite Events were plentiful, Ninz continued his unstoppable raffle winning streak, lots of Yelpships were transformed into true friendships, and sooner than you know it, the community got so big, after that infamous Elite event at PJ Clarke's, being waitlisted became VERY common. Memorable events during those years were the Yelpmazing Race at MGM Grand, Nerdy Dancing Series(Nerdy Prom still needs to happen!) and Yelp Spring Break Weekend (What better place to have it than VEGAS baby!?!?) Can we host it again in 2015???
2013-2014 saw the unexpected departure of Misti, and for a while, we were a community without a leader...:( I had a very strong feeling that our next leader was gonna be a dude and sure enough...Enter the Drew! No one knew what to expect, and picking up where Misti left off were some pretty huge shoes to fill. After a few hiccups at Sway Pool and For Goodness Shake, Drew A. finally hit his stride and never looked back. Our community has since quadrupled, Elite Socks were the thing to get, and Multiple awesome monthly Yelp events continue to this day with CRAZY surprises. Redemption at Bacchanal Buffet, Yelp Fit Club got everyone movin', an upcoming staycation for Gold Elites? NICE!!!
A very special MAHALO to Honolulu CM Emi H. and a few Honolulu Yeeps for allowing Wifey and I to be part of your events on our trips back home! You guys are DA BESTEST!!! \uuu/
Yelp is not just a review website IMHO...To this day, It helps me form great relationships with business owners of places we like to frequent, keeps things updated and interesting as I come across tons of places I've never heard of and have yet to experience(even in Vegas after being here for 10 years!), gives me a chance to recommend places to fellow Yelpers and even out of towners who want to have the best possible experience while visiting Vegas, Napa Valley, or Oahu, I always find new and exciting places to see, do things, and try thoughout my travels, and lastly, all of the true friendships that continue within Yelplandia (you know who you are) You all are the best!
As with everything great and positive, you are bound to have drama queens, and disgruntled, straight edge individuals try their hardest to bring you down and ruffle people's feathers within the community, but what they cannot seem to comprehend is that people are laughing at them, not with them for their high schoolish behavior and frankly, NO ONE CARES!... KEEP CALM, AND YELP ON!!! ALOHA!!!
Shaka Meter: \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ \uuu/ Perfect 10!- Lets bring it back in 2015!!!Lets bring it back in 2015!!!
- Yelp Watch(2011) Yelp Socks(2013)Yelp Watch(2011) Yelp Socks(2013)
- Nerdy Dancing-Any straight edge peeps wanna battle???Nerdy Dancing-Any straight edge peeps wanna battle???
- See all photos from Nelson Q. for Yelp
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- Not So T.
- San Francisco, CA
- 0 friends
- 4 reviews
censorship heaven:
Hi,
We're contacting you about your review of SO. Though we understand this business has recently received media attention and that users may have strong opinions, your reviews should be focused on your own everyday customer experience with a business. While you are welcome to post your comments on Yelp Talk, please note that at this time we will be removing any repostings from you to this business listing.
Please visit our Content Guidelines for more information (yelp.com/guidelines). We hope you'll help us keep Yelp fun and useful for everyone!
I wrote a review on a restaurant (SO) I went to a couple of times that does not serve organic food (it's all gluten rich/MSG loaded food) Had 100 likes etc. Yelp removed the review...
Free unbiased reviews.........Eek! Methinks not.
in the mean time my SO review has been removed for the second time....i am yelped out, what a bunch of wankers... -
- Jay R.
- Fountain Valley, CA
- 1 friend
- 5 reviews
Awesome. I was glad to see that Yelp had their own review page. They have a program that filters out reviews based on..... Who knows? Customer service representatives can't even tell you why. My business has a yelp page that received some new reviews from real local customers that got filtered out. Which brings me to a grand total of 3 real reviews filtered from my page. Representatives will call you and try to sell you advertisement packages on a weekly basis and not leave a voicemail. It is nice cutting out the middle man for the discount offers though. I always match my yelp offer discount without actually having customers purchase the yelp offer. Cheers.
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- Xodiak X.
- Reno, NV
- 9 friends
- 75 reviews
Wow. I loved using Yelp. Over the several years i have left witty and helpful comments on business's ive visited, and depending on others who did the same, its all over now.
Here is a simple article;
kitchenette.jezebel.com/…
nbcnews.com/id/35950761/…
Dont trust them? Google : Yelp extorts small business's.
Yelp, its over. -
- Chris B.
- Modesto, CA
- 0 friends
- 3 reviews
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- Kristine R.
- Vancouver, Canada
- 14 friends
- 9 reviews
Very unimpressed with this company. Offers a free business listing to people and then tries to get them to purchase advertising for $300/month 'or else' all ones reviews suddenly go missing.
There is much documented evidence that suggests Yelp does not provide an ethical business model, especially since they 'pride' themselves on not letting people post fake reviews (even though there have been documented cases of Yelp employees posting negative reviews for businesses to coerce them into purchasing ads). Hypocrites.
If they don't want people to have free listings don't offer them -
- Marcus R.
- Seaside, CA
- 0 friends
- 9 reviews
Yelp has lost its edge. I wrote a legitimate review about a business that charged my bank account and did not deliver the product. Come to find out the business changed names, but the address and phone number remained the same...so I wrote the review on both of the listed business on Yelp. I received an email from Yelp today that they took my review down because it violated their policies. It is interesting that Yelp never gave me a chance to respond, nor did it provide me a means to contact them to give them my version of events. Hence this crooked business got away with it. Yelp needs to do a much better job at policing its content and fairly address disputes between businesses and consumers. It's incomprehensible how a business like Yelp does not have a consumer phone or email address. Until they can resolve these matters I cannot recommend Yelp as a legitimate website. I'm very disappointed.
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- JD F.
- Portland, OR
- 26 friends
- 53 reviews
Totally UNIMPRESSED with Yelp's inability to stop a BOT reviewer (Daniel S of Portland, OR) that has posted over 4000 identical 5 star reviews in three days
MAJOR loss of credibility with legitimate reviewers AND businesses..MUCH worse than the Gallop Asian Bistro (New Jersey) TOS violations (9 months ago) fiasco of obviously false reviews that took Yelp a full week to fix.
Tech support and Community Manager notified, discussed in Portland Talk, profile and reviews flagged and NOTHING done but 2000 MORE bogus reviews posted. Well, tech support does say you will take up to five days. I don't care but I thought YOU WOULD.
And I would not be shocked if the press picked it up.
Oh well, Yelp is just like any another business that SAYS it cares about feedback, but doesn't. I tried.
yelp.com/user_details?us…
Thanks for contacting Yelp Support! [ 2797043 ]
Thanks for contacting Yelp Support! [ 2797043 ]
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9/13/14
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YELP
SEP 14, 2014 | 03:39AM UTC
We love hearing from you, whether you're sharing an awesome idea or have a problem to report. We want to make sure your Yelp experience is great, and we're looking forward to doing what we can to help! -
- Neil S.
- Garden Grove, CA
- 8 friends
- 54 reviews
Listed in Be careful of these Companies...And now the truth finally comes out....Yelp now has court permission to change business ratings for money!!
So no longer can Yelps reviews be trusted.
Here is the link to the full newspaper article....
m.sfweekly.com/foodie/20…
DisgustingWas this review …?
Yelp censors and removes reviews without any warning, and they have no dispute procedure, as I found today when 12 of my reviews vanished!
So I tried to find a way to ask why, and then I found there is no contact email, no support phone number, nothing. There's not even a members forum area which most other sites have
The amazing thing is that this page is the only one with an address and phone number for Yelp, it's nowhere on their main site, shame it's a voice mail.
So now I ask the question, would you do business with a company that hides it's contact info, provides no method of direct feedback, and has no dispute procedure? I know I am feeling really uncomfortable about it.
I wonder if anyone from Yelp will read this and contact me?
Yelp....I'm waiting.... Read more -
- Steve H.
- Newark, CA
- 68 friends
- 70 reviews
Yelp Now Has Court Permission to Change Business Ratings for Money = EXTORTION.
As a small business owner I experienced first hand the non-stop haggling of Yelp trying to get me to advertise. I said no then, hey look, one of my legit reviews disappears. Awesome.
Also, there is too much power put into peoples hands to cripple a business with sapless reviews. If a person doesn't know how to run a business, cook, critique food, or have competent writing skills then where is the legitimacy in their reviews?
Yelp knows how to party though. I admit that. They've also granted me a plethora of new places to try. A wealth of info they have, but representing small businesses they don't.
Hi haters.Was this review …?
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- Blake N.
- Cupertino, CA
- 4 friends
- 8 reviews
You should not use Yelp. Anyone who has ever run a business needs no judge or attorney to know Yelp is an extortion company.
This 'company' is allowed to manipulate ratings and "filter"(remove/hide) positive reviews of other companies that do not advertise or spend money on the company's advertising system. Yelp has absolutely zero credibility and is instead out to extort small businesses for a quick buck.
Yelp is a scam, it is a shame that such a business is allowed to exist. I gladly stop by those businesses that display "come and see why we are hated on Yelp" signs. Don't support a biased company out to make money through means of extortion.
But hey, they're probably gonna delete this review, so I'll be sure to post it on the reviews in the app store. Delete the app, use google to search up businesses.Was this review …?
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- James C.
- Irvine, CA
- 42 friends
- 51 reviews
Yelp sucks. Many of my reviews have been taken down despite me having visited the business. It's really frustrating to go through the entire process of writing a long review just to have it taken down by the "algorithm." As a consumer, I have the right to support businesses I love and complain about those that require work to fix.
Why should I spend any time on this website when there are better reviewing options out on the net? -
I didn't even realize these guys had a page. Well, hot dog!!!
I absolutely LOVE Yelp!! The endless supply of great findings in my home town- thanks to this sweet organization :p I enjoy reading reviews, since I'm always on the look-out for new places to Bookmark.
I've been graced to meet lots of cool fellow Yelpers, also! The official, and Elite, events are always a blast. It's a fabulous way to be introduced to local businesses that care about their customers and community.
Thanks to all of our great cities and Yelp Managers (you picked us a great one!), so much would be undiscovered!! -
Listed in Y??? 2014, Road Rules, Milestone Moments
Reviews are special sometimes; reasons do vary from yeep to yeep. As with most of my Yelp friends, I have chosen to make this a very special one too. I never would have dreamed on the fateful day many moons ago, my (now) husband showed me Yelp, that I could have taken to it so much and really make it to one THOUSAND reviews. It all started when we were sitting on a park bench at the Horton Plaza mall in the Gaslamp district of DT San Diego. I gave in and I got him to show me what it was all about. What do you mean they're reviews from 'real people'? He handed me his phone, let me take a look, and from there I was done - hook, line, and sinker. Six years later and I am still going strong.
I have discovered so many new places and made some true off-Yelp friends thanks to the lovely little site. In the beginning - before Jax knew what it meant to be Elite - there was a core group of us who supported one another and made an effort to get together (UYE style) with hopes of one day making the big time. And slowly, but surely we started to see a faint glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel. First came the Events page. We could create our own events and keep track of what was going down in this big city. Who knew we could get so excited about one little word that you were now able to click on? It had to mean something big was coming, right? Well, we waited and waited. And then the official word came: they were hiring a COMMUNITY MANAGER for JAX! We were going to make it after all.
I never really had a chance to get to know Katie C. but she did lay groundwork and got the ball rolling. I finally had a chance to meet her at her last (sad tear) event. And was bummed out my schedule had not permitted me to attend an event until then. I had tasted the sweet yelp juice and I wanted more. But I had no idea what was coming down the pike. We waited with bated breath for the magical day a new CM would be named. It could not have come fast enough! Allie A. took charge and she has done a smashing, banging, rip-roaring job since her first step out of the Kentucky Derby-esque gate. Or maybe it was her first Irish jig that let us know we were in for a treat.
We have a great community - still young by Yelp standards - but we are growing by leaps and bounds. I have met new friends, I have remet old friends, I have been all over the city finding great things about a place I can actually say I am a native of; which not many people can. But I have also discovered new places all over the country - strike that - the WORLD! When planning a trip, one of the first things I do is pull up Yelp and scope out where we are staying. What looks good? What do I absolutely have to try? Where is there a coffee shop for my morning cup of joe? You know: all the important stuff. Figuring out what yeeps in each city I can trust and subsequently become a fan of. I have discovered some great places that I do not think I would have ever considered, or even known about, without the help of my trusty little Yelp app.
I love writing. And yelping has become one of my favorite creative outlets. I will be the first to admit that some of my early reviews, heck some of the ones I still write from time to time, could use a little more pizazz or oomph. But I do my best to paint a picture from my personal view so that you do get a full picture of what may or may not happen. Yelp has no shortage of haters. Even some relatives, sort of related by marriage, have been amongst those haters. But I never let that cloud my feelings about it. I know not everyone can be a fangirl like me. And I know even some of the reviews I still find today can be from a biased observer rather than a real experience. But I do my best to filter thru those and will still form my own opinions. I did not earn the Maverick badge from only sticking to five star places.
I had a fellow Elite (actual friends before Yelp) from Orange County ask me on our last trip to visit my hubby's fam how I can write so many reviews. He asked if I was ever afraid that I would run out of places to Yelp about. When you come from a city like mine with so much ground to cover, I could be writing several reviews a day and still never keep up with all the action in Jactionville. There are places that have been around for ages - like the Jax Zoo - that I still have yet to review. Plus, we love to travel so I am always discovering new places far and wide to review. Every time I get my bookmarks down to a manageable number, it is not too long before it climbs right back up.
So while some may hate, let them hate. I will always have nothing but love in my heart for this crazy little thing called Yelp. One day I do hope to venture to mecca and make a pit stop when I happen to be in the beautiful San Fran. I may write an update, I may not. Maybe I will save that for review 2000. But until that day I will be yelping up a storm all over the globe.
So there you have it. One thousand words for my 1000th review. -
- Wynne B.
- Pacifica, CA
- 20 friends
- 7 reviews
Your recommendation engine video fails to include the fact that one factor taken into account is if the reviewed business doesn't pay you, you will bury their 5 star ratings as unrecommended. I know this from all the industry rumors and anecdotally from many small business owners I know who I have reviewed as 5 stars and those get buried. If I look at which ratings are featured on for example my kids' school site, the apparent stats (friends, reviews) aren't different than mine. So what gives, Yelp? Oh and this: Do you care that your own rating is so bad??
Now, you have every right as a business to value the frequency of user activity (e.g. number of reviews written) but that doesn't really validate the quality or relevance of a reviewers rating. It means that person has a lot of time on their hands and thinks people care what they think. Being an active Yelp user does not make that opinion more relevant than someone like me who only goes on Yelp in a meager and powerless attempt to help out the real life's blood of the US economy: the local small business owner.
Makes me sad. Makes me sad that the local business owners I know feel you're hurting their business, and you are. Using my kids' school as an example, some ridiculous parent ranted that the school doesn't have Montessori accreditation. The Director of the school responded and given that this is a true/not true issue, why can't that false accusation be removed? Oh, because it is an uncurated forum so you can't take liability? No. It is a curated forum once you use your recommendation engine to decide which posts to include in the star rating average.
Boo on you Yelp. Not that anyone will ever see this. -
- Jeff D.
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- 38 friends
- 89 reviews
so.....I have several 5 star ratings that are censored. 3 of them are from LONG TIME clients.....clients that I have files on going back several years. I also have a couple 1 star ratings from people who I am their only rating....yet those are public and available as soon as someone looks up our business on Yelp.
I contact Yelp...offer to scan & send them the past contracts of the people whose ratings they censor. I offer irrefutable proof that these are indeed real & true clients of mine...and I receive this BS reply:
"Hi,
Thanks for contacting Yelp. Because our recommendation software is automated, the Yelp Support team cannot manually override the software to recommend or not recommend a review. That said, our recommendation software runs on a daily basis, so reviews that aren't currently recommended may be recommended in the future, and vice versa.
Please visit our Support Center for more info: yelp-support.com/Recomme…
Regards,
Clancy
Yelp Support
San Francisco, California"
To sum it up....they claim to have zero control over who is censored & who is made public regardless of the actual proof (copies of contracts, checks, credit card receipts, emails, etc).
Hmmmmm.....HYPOTHETICALLY........I wonder what would happen if everyone with false 1 star ratings just began giving false 1 star ratings of random businesses. Imagine if a couple hundred thousand people gave a couple hundred thousand erroneous 1 star ratings like the BS ones I have received.
I have one that doesn't even have the correct state of where we are.....but Yelp keeps that one public.
Whatta freaking joke Yelp.
The fact that you claim to be unable to be proactive in allowing genuine client/customer ratings while your supposed uncontrollable & fully automated computer algorithms allow people who cannot prove they ever used a business will hopefully be your down fall and I look forward to it.
it's really too bad.........because there is such a positive potential here Read more -
- Jonathan R.
- Concord, CA
- 84 friends
- 400 reviews
- Elite ’15
I started my yelping experience about three years ago when Terri and I tried a restaurant for lunch, and had a not so great experience. I've heard about Yelp at that point but didn't really put much thought into what the website actually was. After the disappointing lunch at the place I felt compelled to let others know what happened. Thus my Yelp journey began.
It became an addiction of sorts. A positive addiction where I would deliberately avoid places I've been to, just so I could try new places and build my review resume. I've had mini panic attacks when I have to many reviews to write and am struggling to remember all the places I've been too since my last review. I've gone through down times where I don't write for a while, at least not on the site, but keep notes with me. Then there are times where I binge yelp.
I also make little goals for myself. Every time I visit a new city, a new state, I make sure to try at least one new and unique place so I can review. I started out only reviewing restaurants, but now I've upgraded to doing stores, gas stations, theaters and even schools.
I've met a lot a lot of people on here. Made a lot of new friends. I've gotten mixed responses from owners both very good and very bad. I've met a lot my friends at the Yelp elite events, which are always just a blast.
I feel that even though a lot of people don't like Yelp or feel it's unfair, I personally thank Yelp for so many things. One for getting my creative juices flowing. I never knew how creative I could get while writing until I really started getting into it, and loving it. Two because it gives me a chance to check out a place before going and seeing what I'm getting myself into. I do admit there will be times where I see a place has a high majority of negative reviews, but I will still check it out because it's something I would really like to try for myself.
Yelp has really become part of my daily life. Whether it's writing, or reading reviews, It is now part of my life. -
- Steve T.
- Hollywood, FL
- 0 friends
- 35 reviews
I am done with Yelp. When I write a review I put a lot of thought into it and try to relate what my experience was including the good and the bad. Recently I became aware that many of my reviews that I feel were well thought out were hidden by Yelp as a not recommended review. If Yelp is going to hide my reviews why bother to write them? Done, finished, not bothering ever again.
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- sue a.
- Miami, FL
- 0 friends
- 8 reviews
I give Yelp a one star rating only because they deny manipulating businesses ratings. This maybe true or maybe it isn't . Yelp if the
rumor is false then expose the companies responsible for shaking down businesses on your website, if Yelp doesn't want to investigate allegations and claims others are responsible then prove it or take accountability. -
- Alicia S.
- Kalamazoo, MI
- 70 friends
- 32 reviews
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- Hugo G.
- College Point, Queens, NY
- 71 friends
- 7 reviews
Dear yelp, my name is Hugo and I am a small business owner that is currently listed in your site.
Let me start with why I think you deserve 1 star:
The good:
Your idea is great. A site where you allow customers to rate businesses all over the world, helping each other have a better experience and overall improving customer service and businesses for all.
The bads:
YOU pick which reviews are legitimate and which aren't. I understand your concern of businesses gaming their reviews by paying people to give them a good review, but what small business can afford to have someone do that? And the medium to big businesses that can afford such as AT&T or Apple have enough brand awareness for someone to have the need to yelp for their services. I have legitimate good and bad reviews on my business which are hidden because your computer decided their voices shouldn't be heard. It doesn't work.
I had a bad review, which by the was was against your TOS because the customer was cursing me out, and you refused to remove it before you felt like it was legitimate although against your own TOS!
Your customer service is horrible. You have no customer service for your paying customers. You assign an account manager (read:greedy salesman) that oversees your account. In my particular case, I had several issues:
Being a former customer service supervisor, I was a true believer in yelp and their rating system in the beginning and decided that you will bring me droves of quality customers to my store, so I decided to increase my marketing budget to $400. What happened was that you used up all my budget in ONE day and all I got was a 2 calls. Upset, I temporarily cut you off. You guys called me back after a couple of months and I explained that I wanted my budget spread throughout the month. Thinking this was done, the next month I increased to $700 and cut off all other advertising such as Facebook. What I got in return was my budget used in two days, and my ads appearing in all FIVE boroughs of NYC. I got a few calls and people made appointments because my prices were great. Until they realized I was in Queens and no way will someone travel all the way from Manhattan to Queens for a nail salon when there are over 2000 in this city! When I called my "account manager" she said I never mentioned that I wanted to spread my budget but apologized; $700 down the drain. I asked for some type of reimbursement or ad credits and all I got was an apology. I cut you guys off.
Feeling the effects of not having many yelp customers I decided, like an idiot (shame on me) to come back. This time I had to sign a contract of $500/month, which I did not want to do, but I was told that I cannot do the cost per click anymore since the impression was better for my business or vice versa. Also yelp doesn't allow you to set your own bidding budget like Facebook does, so I was paying whatever they decided was the market price of my clicks/impression.
Continued @ "tips" section. -
- Danielle S.
- Los Angeles, CA
- 27 friends
- 565 reviews
- Elite ’15
2nd update (see prior reviews). Yelp is still a sell-out...
But, you don't have to take my word for it. Just Google the word "Yelp" and "racket".
Yelp recently removed photos from several businesses that I posted - my photos showed a real, direct customer experience. Isn't that what this site was supposed to be about? (Notice they've now removed the "real people, real reviews" tagline from their logo, which they paid a pretty penny to actually trademark. Who pulls their own trademark from their website and advertising!)
In place of my very REAL customer experience photos, they allowed the business to post stock photos instead (which I flagged numerous times for being false - Yelp has never responded). In one case it's a gym (L.A. Fitness) and the stock photos posted aren't even for that gym! Our gym doesn't have a pool with floor to ceiling windows looking out at park lands. Our gym has a skanky pool with mold and mildew (which were depicted in my real customer experience photos that Yelp pulled).
So, be clear: Yelp will allow advertisers to post stock photos that don't even represent their location and the real condition of the facility, but will pull actual photos posted by real customers (using real names!) that show the true condition of the facility.
Perhaps that's why the "real reviews" trademark has been deleted from Yelp's site and advertising.
This is an update based on recent correspondence with Yelp founder,… YELP SELL OUT IS OFFICIAL...
This is an update based on recent correspondence with Yelp founder, Jeremy, and support staff Edgar (ref:00D3vCN.50048GSt1:ref).
1) Jeremy responded to my first review of Yelp by saying 'We've never required/enforced names & photos'. Considering their TM is "real people, real reviews", (look at the banner on the top of this web page) I consider that corporate double-speak. Yelp is acting like any other misleading USA corporate entity -- a surprise since they started in ultra liberal San Francisco, presumably by rebel programmers.
2) Not long after the Jeremy incident, I reported in a review that a Yelp sponsor, Modesti's car shop in Los Angeles, offers their customers a $20 rebate for writing positive reviews online. Edgar, a Yelp rep, said Yelp takes this seriously. I also pointed out to Edgar that most of the 5-star reviews of Modesti's are from people who've never used Yelp before and have only 1 review on their profile. Yelp has done nothing so far to clean up the review racket. Is it because Modesti's pays them $$ as a sponsor?
Between Jeremy & Edgar, for myself at least, I've confirmed this site is neither "Real People" nor "Real Reviews" -- not if Yelp lets sponsors pay for positive reviews and doesn't police the one-off's (they do for non-sponsors aggressively, but let them stay for paid Yelp sponsors).
Oy, Yelp... you're a sell out! Is the pressure that bad in corporate land that you have to violate your very premise to stay in business? Read more
1. New people I've introduced have had their accounts made invisible until they wrote 10+ reviews.
2. Positive reviews removed for no reason.
3. Newer members with a lot less reviews qualify for "Elite" status when veterans don't. This makes no sense.
4. Yelp no longer adheres to the "real people, real reviews" mission statement. Users no longer required to use their real name or photos. It might as well be craigslist.
I wish Yelp would go back and rediscover their roots. Read more -
I'm not difficult to please to begin with, so I'm not going to be entirely nitpicky despite having the infrequent glitches and uploading delays. I will; however, speak about the positives about the Yelp app.
It truly is a go-to whenever I travel or roam within the city. I can easily enter in any business or location and find the most hidden of gems. Otherwise, I can't imagine not having the capability of being plugged into an organized and prompt list of local shops and restaurants all at my disposal due to Yelp. I appreciate the navigational tools and approximation of distance in miles. Makes it easy peasy.
What's even cooler are the connections you're able to make with fellow Yelp app lovers who can recommend and inspire new places to try out.
Speaking of which...
Ah ah ah ahemmm! *clears throat*
A poem for my dearest Yelp buddies!
The sun brings about a brand new day.
And here I shout, "Oh, super yay!"
I stretch my arms out and rub my eyes
And reach out for my iPhone to check whose arrived
Checkins, tips, and reviews galore;
I can't help, but shout, "Oooh gimme more!"
Food photos, new adventures, a peak into one's life
Makes me realize that, "Hey, youz aiight!"
Days, weeks, months into years,
Oddly we've grown together as we faced challenging fears.
So cheers to you all for being so cool
Keep on shining bright, you're all priceless jewels!
So yeeeeeeah, I'm a fan if you haven't noticed.
Business info summary
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- Today
- 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Open now
Hours
Mon | 8:00 am - 6:00 pm | |
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Tue | 8:00 am - 6:00 pm | |
Wed | 8:00 am - 6:00 pm | |
Thu | 8:00 am - 6:00 pm | |
Fri | 8:00 am - 6:00 pm | Open now |
Sat | Closed | |
Sun | Closed |
More business info
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- Good for Kids
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From the business
Connecting people with great local businesses.
Learn more about Yelp , Opens a popupSpecialties
Connecting people with great local businesses.
History
Established in 2004.
After moving back to San Francisco, Russ and Jeremy separately struggled to find great doctors by searching online. They couldn't understand how in the Internet age word-of-mouth recommendations were nowhere to be found. So after putting their heads together they came up with what is now Yelp!
Meet the Business Owner
Jeremy has been playing on the Interweb for years, before Yelp he was an early employee at PayPal. He holds a computer engineering degree from UIUC and half of an MBA from Harvard (drop out!).
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