TripAdvisor refuses to take down ‘clearly fake’ review alleging Paul Foster threatened a customer

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Deputy Editor

Stratford-Upon-Avon chef Paul Foster is once again wrapped up in a disagreement with user-generated review website TripAdvisor as the company’s moderators refused to take down what he and his supporters say is an evidently fake review.

The user (whose pseudonym, ‘FackOffCant’, may have been enough of an indication for some that it was not to be taken seriously) claimed that during a visit to the restaurant in April of this year, ‘The head chef exposed himself to me then threatened to stab my disabled grandma with a steak knife, absolutely disgusted’.

Paul took the review with a smile:

However, to avoid lowering the restaurant’s overall rating on the website, the chef reported the comment.

TripAdvisor agreed to investigate his claim, but to his surprise, he received an email notifying him that the review will not be removed as it complies with the site's submission guidelines. 

Furthermore, according to the chef, TripAdvisor removed a genuine comment left by a guest last night. 

Arguably chefs’ most detested online platform, chef Paul Foster only recently spoke to The Staff Canteen about why TripAdvisor is inherently flawed – allowing fake reviews to remain online and failing to censor libellous ones.

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Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Deputy Editor 15th April 2019

TripAdvisor refuses to take down ‘clearly fake’ review alleging Paul Foster threatened a customer