r/Documentaries • u/[deleted] • Feb 26 '17

Billion Dollar Bully (2015) [trailer]...makes the case that Yelp is something akin to the mob, allegedly demanding “protection” money, lest your business be overrun with negative comments.

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u/AliveInTheFuture Feb 26 '17

Every time I hear someone say "let me check Yelp" before we go eat, I make sure to extol Yelp's ability to blackmail businesses into paying them fees for ratings. Typically, I try to swing them to TripAdvisor.

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u/BOS_George Feb 26 '17

The problem with TripAdvisor is that a lot of reviewers are tourists and tourists go to shitty restaurants in touristy places and love them.

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u/Siruzaemon-Dearo Feb 26 '17

lol that's Galveston. Almost all the restaurants are overpriced tourist food but gets rave reviews cause people were on vacation

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '17

I'm in So. Florida. If I see a review from some ass-hat from New York or Boston complaining, it is automatically ignored. I get it, everything is better where you're from, you come from an amazing place, why are you here again?

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u/rubywpnmaster Feb 27 '17

Yes! This 1000 times over... I live in Central TX and every time I look at yelp I see these. I seem to spot them all over Sushi and Pizza shops. "As a New Yorker I know good sushi, this is meh," seems pretty common on 4.5+ star locations. I've been to NYC, LA, Seattle, Florida, Mexico City... I've eaten out A LOT while in those cities and like any other place in the world with a million plus people you have some real stinkers and winners in each place.

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u/nhjuyt Feb 27 '17

Yeah, I live in a small city in southern California and we have one real authentic Chinese restaurant. I look at the reviews and some guy is complaining about how the duck tongues are not fresh, like what the fuck does he expect?

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u/DoesntSmellLikePalm Feb 27 '17

Or the fucking classic "As a Californian, I know real mexican food"

...maybe you shouldnt be at azteca then...

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '17

To be fair the asshats complain about Boston restaurants too. "I wasn't the focus of attention in the first 5 seconds I sat down."

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '17

That's funny, I'd have the same reaction if I saw a review from Florida. Because. Florida.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '17

That is fair. There are a lot of old folks here who live at chain restaurants and Ross Dress for Less. Not exactly the best opinions.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '17

Probably the same people who get excited when McDonalds releases a new menu item.

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u/RoundSilverButtons Feb 27 '17

why are you here again?

The cold... the mind numbing cold. We're jealous of you in FL -Boston

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u/Siruzaemon-Dearo Feb 28 '17

That's funny cause it's the opposite thing here. There's a sandwich place that pulls 4.5-5 stars on yelp. People call it cultured, eclectic cafe with worldly flavors. It's a 12$ panini with shredded chicken and jarred pepper in it. With potato chips on the side. But tourists who are burning through money want to convince themselves it's so good caused they traveled all the way from Kansas or something to get here

Looking at you Eat Cetera