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the Times Tripadvisor

Marketing manager apologises after posting false restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

February 16, 2012 | 2 min read

Helen Griffiths, a marketing manager based in Salford, is reported to have used TripAdvisor to post a number of false reviews about vegetarian restaurant The Good Life.

The apology was published in the announcements page of The Times, in which Griffiths admitted that she had being ‘misrepresenting’ the quality of the service and food at the restaurant, including claims that she had found hairs in her quiche.

She was forced to make the apology having received a police caution. It is said that commnents were made following a legal dispute with Joanna Langfield, the restaurant’s owner and a former partner of Griffith’s husband.

“I made these comments based on absolutely no knowledge of the business, or any of the company’s staff, as I have never actually visited or eaten at the restaurant,” the apology in the Times added.

“It started off quite extreme. Someone posted a review calling me ‘arrogant’ and making other nasty references. TripAdvisor actually took one down.

“One of her last reviews was on a local site, and the chap who ran that was really helpful. The IP (internet protocol) was linked by police to Warrington, which is where Ms Griffiths worked.”

The restaurant saw profits fall by around 25% following the comments, The Telegraph has said.

Last month the ASA ruled against allowing TripAdvisor to continue to claim that its reviews were trustworthy.

the Times Tripadvisor

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