Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all! We have been experiencing an issue on site where threads have been missing the latest postings. The platform host Vanilla are working on this issue. A workaround that has been used by some is to navigate back from 1 to 10+ pages to re-sync the thread and this will then show the latest posts. Thanks, Mike.
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Menupages.ie - negative reviews are removed

1235

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 35 boxplayer1973


    The review was not 300 days old (that is a crazy policy, and only increases my growing disillusionment with the site), and was negative, so I can only presume that the thing was taken down without asking.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,181 ✭✭✭LolaDub


    I put up two negative reviews a while ago. Both were taken down, i emailed asking why and they said one was because my visit to the restaurant was x amount of time ago-it was in april and was one of the worst restaurants i've ever been to. The other was recent but they didn't answer me on that one. I sent three emails asking why and they weren't responded to


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55,536 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    The 300 day review lifespan is a good idea, in my opinion. I think the most recent reviews are always the most relevant. Reviews from 2 years ago could pertain to different menus, different chefs, even different owners.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,659 ✭✭✭✭dahamsta


    Content should never be removed from a website unless it's offensive, abusive or genuinely and completely irrelevant. Historical reviews aren't irrelevant, they give people an overview of what's happening. If the comment is old, mark it as old.

    TripAdvisor is one of the best example of this. They have reviews going back years, and the old ones often give very good examples or how hotels have gotten their act together since establishment. They also show how establishments operate: if there's a lot of complaints about a refurbishment, for example, it shows that the hotel doesn't plan very well; if there's a consistent reply rate from the hotel, it demonstrates active customer service.

    MenuPages don't underand UGC, in fact they give the impression that they don't understand the web fullstop. They could learn a lot from TripAdvisor. However their record suggests that they'd learn more from Boo.com: shutter it and find another trade. Preferably in another country.

    adam


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 35 boxplayer1973


    Mr E wrote: »
    The 300 day review lifespan is a good idea, in my opinion. I think the most recent reviews are always the most relevant. Reviews from 2 years ago could pertain to different menus, different chefs, even different owners.

    Ehm, 300 days - less than one year!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    Btw, the owner of East restaurant (or someone who works for East) replied to my review here. His posts were vile and borderline crazy. He has since removed them.

    I advise people to avoid eating there...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    AARRRGH - I saw the thread get locked in Food/Drink. Please don't start it up in this forum.

    dudara


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,144 ✭✭✭✭Cicero


    I've been researching hotels to stay in Paris on Tripadvisor- It's
    really funny to read the defensive responses of the hotel owners to some of the genuine customer reviews posted- some of these responses are to pretty average reviews, not scathing reviews- I think it shows how clueless business/hotel/restaurant owners are when they respond to customer reviews in such a manner...better to put your energies into a customer centric quality business than bothering with trying to justify bad service/food etc.

    Will be very interesting to see what restaurants survive over the coming year..hopefully some of the trash food and rotton service flushes itself down the waste disposal...but as always, it will be down to the customer to decide....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭grizzly


    Thanks, it's good to know about this shameful site. I read the whole thread and couldn't believe menupages considered the offer of a free meal to be promoting an objective view of the restaurant standards.

    It's a pity that menupages stooped to this level as if you lose your integrity what have you got?


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15 RantorRave


    I posted a review months ago in relation to a restaurant in dundrum and made a point about how a staff member (no names) was placing his finger in his nose. The review was never posted. Rest my case. I would rather see honesty in their offering as I indirectly have a vested interest in review based websites.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15 RantorRave


    ntlbell wrote: »
    I was just thinking the same, menupages is pretty bland as far as websites go considering they have financial backing.

    A hobbiest could do a much better job and after this has came about it might be a good as time as any as people will be now looking for somewhere honest for their reviews.

    If anyone is interested in starting their own and needs a hand with anything from a technical/hosting POV PM me!

    Now you're eating..

    Your wish could be coming true very soon. I'd post a sign up url here, but I don't want to upset the guys here in boards and abuse their policy. If boards say I can I will.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,236 ✭✭✭Dannyboy83


    griffdaddy wrote: »
    Yeah, Scorsese's bringing out a film in the Q3 2009 called 'I.T. fellas' that deals with similar online crime groups in post dot-com boom America. It's being touted for its incredible likeness to several real life high-profile online protection rackets, as well it's harsh depictions of the gritty world of biased forum moderation. In one scene which tips its hat to a recent controversy on the Irish website 'boards.ie,' a restaraunt reviewer has his review removed in cold blood after spending 20 minutes thinking of witty puns and double entendres. The reason you ask? He simply mentioned MacBeth, the name of the popular pre-theatre eatery. This is definitely one to watch for next year, and it's certain that Hollywood -and not to mention Silicon Valley- will be watching too.

    I don't have a clue what you're on about fella.

    http://blog.amateurtraveler.com/2008/06/09/tripadvisor-blackmail/

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/11/12/east_european_gangs_in_online/

    http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39170844,00.htm

    http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/22/pf/idtheft_0509/

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/17/topstories3.russia

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6665145.stm

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberattacks_on_Estonia_2007

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Gold_Farming


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 147 ✭✭L.R. Weizel


    **** YES IRELAND ENFORCED CONSUMERISM YEEEEAH


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 208 ✭✭ChickCool


    one of my reviews about valparaisio was removed so i emailed them to ask why and they told me that as per there terms reviews over 3 months old would be removed.i checked the terms and it says 300 days so is this another ploy for restaurants to remove reviews???


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1 kooc


    Hi, I'm a restaurant proprietor and must come to the defense of menupages even though I do not particularly like them. We have currently a negative review about our restaurant which has been posted since the 11th of April. I have repeatedly requested menupages to remove this quite obviously negative untrue critique, but without any success as our sales records do not match the food commented on for either that date or the following three days. Furthermore, I requested that menupages remove my name from their list of restaurants, again they refused. At no time was I approached by menupages to make any kind of payment or to buy any form of advertising or anything of the like.

    It appears to me that menu pages have set out with a great idea, however they obviously have to protect themselves against defamatory criticism of restaurants. Having said that, they certainly are not sympathetic to the man who owns and runs his own restaurant and who by the stroke of a pen from another person, can have everything he worked hard for pulled away from underneath him.

    For their system to work properly they must have some means of verification that the comment is truthful and that it actually came from someone who actually dined in the restaurant and not from somebody else who might want to sabotage their business. And let's face it - when you are successful at what you do there will be plenty of people who will want to try to sabotage your business.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭grizzly


    If it was just one bad review, it would be ignored and lost amongst all the other, hopefully positive, reviews. Personally as a user, I'd forget about 1-3 bad reviews if they there were 20+ good ones about one place.

    Anyway, you're preaching to the converted here – as this thread puts menupages creditability seriously into question.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,288 ✭✭✭✭ntlbell


    kooc wrote: »
    For their system to work properly they must have some means of verification that the comment is truthful and that it actually came from someone who actually dined in the restaurant and not from somebody else who might want to sabotage their business. And let's face it - when you are successful at what you do there will be plenty of people who will want to try to sabotage your business.

    but they don't do this? how are they suppose to verify every comment good and bad was someone who was really in the restraunt?

    do you contact every single person who comments to check to see if they were actually eating in your place? does menu pages?

    how do you suggest they do this?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,388 ✭✭✭delllat


    its a waste of time
    I wrote a review once about mona lisa restuarant in dublin 2 having really sh1tty toilets with flying insects in them (seriously) and that review was never published so whats the point ..........


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 747 ✭✭✭tweety76


    wow only stumbled across this thread now! am really suprised to hear of the MP antics will be a lot more wary in future, in saying that my negative review posted last year is still there but will be more wary in future.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,305 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Was googling "Gormet Burger" in Liffey Lalley, and came across the menupages website. Both good and bad reviews on it, which was nice: I prefer a more balanced view of a place.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10 sekhon_boy


    I have tried to post some reviews about few restaurants and they were never posted. About 5 of my friends tried same they were never up. Same time i have seen very bad reviews about very good restaurants and 5 star for a crap place. I really do not know how this all work, but i will say there is something wrong with their system and it is all commercial , nothing about truth. I will never trust this site as they are not very fair, it should be like boards.ie more transparent and you can get a reply for whatever you say.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,100 ✭✭✭eightyfish


    AARRRGH wrote: »
    Well, can anyone who has had their negative reviews removed (within 300 days) confirm they were offered a free meal (via menupages) in the restaurant they reviewed?

    I can confirm that I was offered a free meal after a negative review. I have not as yet taken up the offer but the review has not been removed.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,840 ✭✭✭Arciphel


    I've posted three reviews up today - one negative but factual, one middle of the road-ish and one good. Lets see which ones get published.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,288 ✭✭✭✭ntlbell


    posted my first negative review today so we'll see how it goes


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,840 ✭✭✭Arciphel


    well, just checked and all three of mine are up, including the negative one. Although it was edited slightly as apparently something I had wrote in there could lead to "legal issues"...!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    kooc wrote: »
    Hi, I'm a restaurant proprietor and must come to the defense of menupages even though I do not particularly like them. We have currently a negative review about our restaurant which has been posted since the 11th of April. I have repeatedly requested menupages to remove this quite obviously negative untrue critique, but without any success as our sales records do not match the food commented on for either that date or the following three days. Furthermore, I requested that menupages remove my name from their list of restaurants, again they refused. At no time was I approached by menupages to make any kind of payment or to buy any form of advertising or anything of the like.

    It appears to me that menu pages have set out with a great idea, however they obviously have to protect themselves against defamatory criticism of restaurants. Having said that, they certainly are not sympathetic to the man who owns and runs his own restaurant and who by the stroke of a pen from another person, can have everything he worked hard for pulled away from underneath him.

    For their system to work properly they must have some means of verification that the comment is truthful and that it actually came from someone who actually dined in the restaurant and not from somebody else who might want to sabotage their business. And let's face it - when you are successful at what you do there will be plenty of people who will want to try to sabotage your business.

    Become a premium member (i.e. pay a subscription to menupages) and see if they will then remove the negative review. My guess is they will.


  • Registered Users Posts: 79 ✭✭Jellab


    I am only seeing this thread now. How interesting. I just checked my reviews on menupages and any review that I put up that I gave 2 stars is not on the restaurants reviews anymore, they were up at one time as I got points for placing them and was mailed to say that they had been put up. They have only been up since Dec 08 so not 300 days. So now I know not to trust menupages while looking at reviews then as only the good ones get to stay on the site. I am very disapponted with this and will have to point it out to everyone I know who uses this site.
    Maybe boards.ie should start up a thread of review for restuarants.
    :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,288 ✭✭✭✭ntlbell


    anyone know how long it usually takes for the review to go live?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23 irishsancho


    ntlbell wrote: »
    anyone know how long it usually takes for the review to go live?


    Less than a week. Mine took around 3 days.


  • Company Representative Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭Gamesnash.ie: Pat


    I notice a new forum here on boards.ie for whoseview.ie - they have restaurant views themselves and have a rep here on boards.ie - I'd imagine they would be more reliable, at the very least you have someone to shout at if not :D


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055627133


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,288 ✭✭✭✭ntlbell


    mine was put up.

    I also contacted the restaurant before hand and was offered a free meal not via menupages tho.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    Yeah, it seems if "premium members" ask for reviews to be removed, they'll remove them. That is what happened when I put up my review for EaST.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    BTW, menupages added a link under my negative review saying I am not being "totally honest" as my review was only removed when I was offered a free meal. That is a lie. I was never offered a free meal. They removed my review without attempting to contact me.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,288 ✭✭✭✭ntlbell


    AARRRGH wrote: »
    Yeah, it seems if "premium members" ask for reviews to be removed, they'll remove them. That is what happened when I put up my review for EaST.

    is there a quick way to see who's a premium member?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,288 ✭✭✭✭ntlbell


    i don't see why a review should be removed because a meal is offered.

    I won't be removing my review, but should i take them up on the free meal and go to the restaurant and have a good experience I will write a good review but the bad review should remain as that was the experience of the night


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    ntlbell wrote: »
    is there a quick way to see who's a premium member?

    They used to put "premium member" next to their name, but they have stopped doing that...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12 apes_h


    Lads menupages.ie is a complete joke and the deffo delete bad reviews.

    I booked Boulevard Cafe for me and my boyfriend after reading good reviews on menupages..we had a horrific experience so obviously I went on menupages to say what happened.

    This is the gist of what happened in boulevard..we were waiting for our table for 45 minutes - (as an apology the manager offered us a shot of sambuca). We were then seated at the door the door was kept open all night because smokers kept going in and out as a result i was freezing and smoke kept blowing in the door onto my table. I complained and was told that (and I quote) ' people smoke there's nothing we can do'. There was a massive birthday party behind us which kept bashing into my chair then the birthday girl got her boobs out in the middle of the restaurant. Our food was took 5 minutes (no joke clearly they just lash stuff in the microwave) and was freezing cold and when we sent it back and refused to pay for it the manager once again offered us a shot as an apology but told us we had to pay for it. A waiter also told me to f**k off when I asked them for a clean glass because the one on the table was filthy. He came back a few minutes later and said he was joking but still not really how you want to spoken to in a restaurant.

    Anyway I tried to post this on menupages about 6 times as did my boyfriend and evertime we tried it was deleted or just not put up at all. My friends also had horrific experiences at this restaurant and tried to complain on the site but everytime it got deleted.

    It's a stupid website!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,100 ✭✭✭eightyfish


    apes_h wrote: »
    Lads menupages.ie is a complete joke and the deffo delete bad reviews.

    All my negative (and positive) reviews were posted and none have been pulled, including a 1+1/2 and a 2 star review. They don't delete all bad reviews.
    apes_h wrote: »
    Anyway I tried to post this on menupages about 6 times as did my boyfriend and evertime we tried it was deleted or just not put up at all.

    This is really awful and would definitely make me re-consider using menupages as a guide. Can someone from the site comment on this??


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,503 ✭✭✭smelltheglove


    It is the same with a wedding webstie I know, I remember whole threads being removed about bridal stores and hotels. The supplier can always threaten legal action, slander etc etc but as far as I know a paying advertiser has the benefit of these type of reviews automatically being removed.

    it does complettely defeat the purpose and is one reason why I would not rely on supplier sites like that for true representations.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    eightyfish wrote: »
    This is really awful and would definitely make me re-consider using menupages as a guide. Can someone from the site comment on this??

    They already did. Read the first few pages of the thread.

    Basically menupages came here, lied to us, got caught out, and then disappeared.

    They also sent me an e-mail saying my review was removed because the restaurant asked for it to be removed.

    Without a doubt, negative reviews are removed. And of course, there is also the problem of the millions of fake positive reviews.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,100 ✭✭✭eightyfish


    AARRRGH wrote: »
    They already did. Read the first few pages of the thread.

    Thanks, just did.
    They also sent me an e-mail saying my review was removed because the restaurant asked for it to be removed.

    Was that the actual word-for-word of the email?
    Without a doubt, negative reviews are removed. And of course, there is also the problem of the millions of fake positive reviews.

    I've noticed a lot of these as well. Glowing reviews that give 5-stars on everything and are from new users with only one review. They usually occur among a bunch of bad reviews. For example, "diningontour" is clearly a plant by the Quay 16 restaurant here.

    However, I'm not sure how they can combat this.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 44 Jimmy1bob


    Sorry just came upon this thread, so didn't go through all the pages. So to confirm from the other side i.e from the restaurant side, menupages remove negative reviews from the paid listings, that is the first 10-20 restaurants that are the top of the page.
    As people have said it kinda defeats the purpose, but thats only true if you believe their purpose is to offer independant unbiased reviews to help the public make an informed choice. Unfortunatley that is not the case they are just another web2.0 company looking to make a fast buck.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,382 ✭✭✭✭AARRRGH


    Jimmy1bob wrote: »
    Sorry just came upon this thread, so didn't go through all the pages. So to confirm from the other side i.e from the restaurant side, menupages remove negative reviews from the paid listings, that is the first 10-20 restaurants that are the top of the page.
    As people have said it kinda defeats the purpose, but thats only true if you believe their purpose is to offer independant unbiased reviews to help the public make an informed choice. Unfortunatley that is not the case they are just another web2.0 company looking to make a fast buck.

    Unfortunately menupages call themselves the "objective guide to eating out in Dublin."

    Objective? :rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 198 ✭✭WhoseView: Michael


    I notice a new forum here on boards.ie for whoseview.ie - they have restaurant views themselves and have a rep here on boards.ie - I'd imagine they would be more reliable, at the very least you have someone to shout at if not :D


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055627133


    thanks for the mention Pat. I recently posted a reply over on a Motors thread, talking about the importance of trust when it comes to a customer review site and what www.whoseview.ie have done (and doing) to address this issue. You can read the thread here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055640806

    Just to mention we are running a competition for boards.ie members, giving away a €100 voucher for funny reviews. You can read thread here
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055628960


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 MrPatMustard


    What's the story with the "MenuPages Night Out"??? How does that work, how much, etc???


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10 sekhon_boy


    What's the story with the "MenuPages Night Out"??? How does that work, how much, etc???

    why people do not complaint about boards.ie?
    I think because boards.ie is fair and they do not ask businesses to pay for listings and to put bad/good reviews.
    people like menupages.ie are making fool of Irsih users/ reviwers.An average reviewer spend some of their time to do this and for that menupages.ie use it , if it serves their purpose and if not simply they do not post it on. I think there should be more awareness among the public about this type of cowboy business. Same time the Irish standard authorties should take control of this type of nonsense delivered delibrtelty by the money movers. Reviews are read by people internationally, but if some websites are using public to serve their purpose , i do not think it is fair. I think public reviws about someone else's business should be treated as public media and it should be independant from this type of crap and this type of private driven reviws should be shut down. Yes they should be allowed to have reviews about their own web sites or businesses but not for somebody else's business. as i believe not every restaurant has paid to menupages.ie for their listing and i do not think they do cahrity for the Top 10 restaurants either. It seams to be like black mailing businesses, like if you want to be top 10 !!!!! come hare pay us and if you will not, we will let your competitor put the bad reviews or from any body who ever hates you. How transparent is that system evrybody knows ! Tomarow there will be another private money maker website about each person living in ireland, with evrybody's name , photo and age, and you can review about it. if you want to be good , inoscent you pay them otherwise you will have bad reviews !!!, Why there should be such platforms , those can misguide public and fill thier pocket with euoros.
    <snip>edit</snip>


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 goodeater


    Hey, just letting you know I often use menupages.ie when booking a restaurant.
    I find that the reviews are always accurate and there are always negative comments posted( depending on restaurant of course).
    I have posted quite a few reviews as have my friends , both negative and positive and they have always stayed up and some have not been very polite.
    Menupages.ie i think is the best website you can use when booking a restaurant.Just because sometimes you cant find your review doesn't mean there's some sort of conspiracy! also i have gone to the menupages nites that they run , the offer eating in top Dublin restaurants for unbelievable prices , and there always good craic id advise checking them out.

    Happy eating!


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,763 Mod ✭✭✭✭ToxicPaddy


    So one post from "good eater" giving glowing reports about a site thats being bashed here for being not what they claim to be and removing negative reviews..

    gimme a break!!! :rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,212 ✭✭✭Jaysoose


    goodeater wrote: »
    Hey, just letting you know I often use menupages.ie when booking a restaurant.
    I find that the reviews are always accurate and there are always negative comments posted( depending on restaurant of course).
    I have posted quite a few reviews as have my friends , both negative and positive and they have always stayed up and some have not been very polite.
    Menupages.ie i think is the best website you can use when booking a restaurant.Just because sometimes you cant find your review doesn't mean there's some sort of conspiracy! also i have gone to the menupages nites that they run , the offer eating in top Dublin restaurants for unbelievable prices , and there always good craic id advise checking them out.

    Happy eating!


    HI menupages :rolleyes:


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    I use Tripadvisor , much easier to see the 'pedigree' of the reviewer and foreigners are more honest about our so called :( 'hospitality' industry which is anything but nowadays ....with some exceptions.

    Menupages reads like a pack of estate agents writing about property .


  • Advertisement
This discussion has been closed.
Advertisement