Yelp Reviews

The following represents customer feedback posted on Yelp.com. We showcase these reviews here, including positive ones that might get filtered from our Yelp rating within 48 hours.

Yelp asserts that its recommendation algorithm is impartial, as explained in their updated video. [Complete Video Found Here] The video states, “…Yelp’s recommendation software automatically evaluates all reviews, seeking those most useful and reliable from active users. These are recommended reviews. Most reviews fall into this category. Our philosophy is ‘quality over quantity,’ which is why others are not recommended. These might be from users we know too little about or could be unhelpful rants… Reviews not recommended can still be seen via a link at the bottom of each business’s profile but don’t impact the overall Yelp star rating or review count…”

While Yelp has improved the language in recent videos, there are still aspects to consider. Yelp doesn’t explicitly disclose its automated review filtering system; users discover it only by clicking “71 reviews that are not recommended.” Yelp then presents the video before revealing the filtered reviews. Goldrush Getaways boasts 167 recommended reviews. As of August 2023, we’ve received only 3 negative reviews this year, all 1-star ratings from individuals reacting to a promotional mailer. Most negative reviews stem from those who received marketing material without contacting our company.

Yelp leaves these 1-star reviews, often from non-customers, on their site for years but filters numerous 5-star reviews from our actual members. They penalize companies requesting reviews from customers, so we refrain from soliciting reviews. We acknowledge Yelp’s filtering system without assuming malintent. Still, it’s crucial to recognize that Yelp recommends reviews Goldrush Getaways can prove contain false information, and they suggest reviews without verifying claims made by the reviewer.

Legally, Yelp can allow someone to make false claims against our company. Yelp won’t remove a review solely based on false claims, citing their neutrality. As a small business, our only recourse is to respond to the review, visible to the public. Yelp seems to prioritize a review from over 9 years ago, from a person who received a marketing mailer but never visited our business, over a review from one of our long-time members. We urge you to keep this information in mind, welcoming both positive and negative feedback as opportunities to learn and improve our product and service. Thank you.