Yelp! is a company that compiles reviews from customers about particular businesses. It has been so successful because people can literally log onto their iPhone at the restaurant and let off some steam about how their steak was medium, not medium rare. This sort of feedback from customers has created a major shift, putting the brand image in the hands of irritable and tech-savvy customers, rather than clever marketing executives. However, Yelp! appears to have been involved in some shady practices recently.

“When you do get a call from Yelp, and you go to the site, it looks like [the negative comments] have been moved,” a restaurant owner told East Bay Express. “You don’t know if they happen to be at the top legitimately or if the rep moved them to the top. You don’t even know if this is someone who legitimately doesn’t like your restaurant.” The owner said that a sales rep offered to remove negative reviews for $299 per month.

That’s not good. It’s things like this that cast a shadow on the industry of search reputation management, a legitimate industry which serves a productive and positive purpose.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/yelp-facing-class-action-suit-over-extortive-ad-sales.ars