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Fake ratings and hostelworld!

Hostel Reviews, Booking Engines, and Directories

euro started this discussion 14 years 10 months ago

Look what I am talking about:
Hostelworld did not removed but changed the rating what was made by an avid traveller, the other
ratings from novice. The old rating is already on the google stored, but the new is different,
ONLY hostelworld can change it!
On building of GRANDIO one month ago was a table, That AUTOKER holding a big company
gave to the HOMELESS people (giving value to the hungarian society)
May 31
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hostelworld.com%2FHostels%2FBudapest%2FHungary%2FReviews%2F&ei=EHoFTL6cKOiHONLu7IUF&usg=AFQjCNHzXMNd2R9RfhuSC97sxfxM3FhdZw&sig2=ho47fJIG76pRm9VIZWPKJw
Best Hostels in Budapest | Hostelworld.com Budapest Hostel Reviews - May 31
Latest Reviews. kareldegend6598 (Avid Traveller from Belgium), May 2010: Way OVERRATED (Fake?). In my experience with over 60 hostels in 1 year I can only ..

http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Grandio-Party-Hostel/Budapest/42307/reviews/
In my experience with over 60 hostels in 1 year I can only say this place is way overrated. The shower had dirty floors of sand and dirt, no mirror in bathroom, the sink was very small and partly broken, the toilet didn\'t have a sink. The shower/toilet/sink facilities are not handy at all. The building doesn\'t have any character honestly, the rooms are very basic but ok. Staff are basicaly about drinking and pubs.

http://www.hostelworld.com/Hostels/Budapest/Hungary/Reviews/ This 10 sure faked, but I think the same is the other 40 at the beginning.

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HW Customer Service

13 years

Thanks for all your comments about the review system. We do our best to monitor reviews and eliminate fake ratings as much as possible. If you have a situation where the guest didn't stay with you, you need to contact your Hostelworld buddy to request that the review be taken down - customers are only allowed to review properties they've actually stayed at. If you're concerned about reviews for a particular property or that your own reviews are unrealistic, please do contact your buddy so that we are aware of the situation and we can investigate for you.
We'll do our best to continue improving our review system so that it's fair for both hostels and customers. We're always open to suggestions on new ways to improve, so please do contact us if you have ideas.
Thanks
Louise
Hostelworld Customer Service

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euro

13 years

Thanks. I am not so interrested in it, but appreciate it.
I know it is difficult to validate every review.
I think that language and computer experts can do lot, but not enough.
May be the best to go to the suspicious place in inkognito lot of time and check how the rviews was made : by friend, by computer experts ... or real.

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zomac

11 years

While fake ratings are hard to avoid, in long run it doesn't work that much in Hostelworld in my opinion.

In my city, one hostel owner is known to make fakes for his hostel especially after any disastrous rating. Because of limited ratings they have (75 reviews in 3 years, probably 10 in half year), their rating can be pushed up shortly but limited reviews also make it vulnerable to any bad reviews. When newcomers stay with a false expectations which are created by fake ratings, they receive new bad reviews again.

Now their goal is to keep the rating not under 75-80%, which is more realistic to reveal what they are.

Fake ratings only work in a short time for a hostel with bad business.

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zomac

11 years

I agree with Greenhorn that this case is nearly impossible. And the criticism on a rating system with this example seems to overestimate the power of good ratings and underestimate the effect of a bad one.

If a hostel can only attract 3 customers after making 200 fakes, that means no financial incentive to do fakes.

The fake rating can only be kept when there is no new "real" rating to dilute the effect of fake ones. Once a real guests come with a false expectation, they tend to give a bad rating.

Even better in the Hostelworld system, a bad review can bring more effect for a hostel with good rating rather than a bad one. (It's simple math).

As a hostel owner, when I choose a hostel for myself, I will take a look on:
- enough number of recent ratings. Maybe 50 or more.
- whether there is a stable trend over these ratings. One or two bad reviews can happen sporadically in a good hostel but there must be some stable trend.
- see what people say in a review with below-average rating. Some people give 80% only even if they feel satisfied.
- see how many reviews they left before. Fake reviewer usually only has one review. See what globaltrotters and avid travelers talk about the place.

Overall Hostelworld rating is the most reliable system on the market especially for a hostel with good business. (Which means enough number of rating), compared to, let say, tripadvisor.

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