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03-20-2011, 10:49 AM | #1 (permalink) |
Team TanTalk Join Date: Aug 12 2004 Location: ITA 2004-2013 / ASA 2013
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Rep Power: 30 | Tanning salons get disturbing reviews By KEVIN POST Business Editor pressofAtlanticCity.com Bob Smith’s son was checking out the website for his father’s business, Suncatchers Tanning Spa in Linwood, when he noticed a highly critical review — by a Google user, supposedly a customer. He looked and found another. Being an Internet savvy guy, he wondered if there was a pattern of trashing area tanning salons online. There was. Under several probably fictitious names, someone had posted scathing, disparaging reviews of just about all the tanning salon businesses along the Jersey Shore, except for one — the small chain of Island Sun Tanning Salons. Google provided an easy means to track all of the reviews by the submitted names. Under the name “Nicole,” for example, someone tried hard to convince people online never to visit a dozen different tanning businesses, using words such as “dirty,” “dump,” “rip off” and “disgusting” — even alleging that someone got a ringworm infection at a salon. On just one day, Nov. 19, “Nicole” submitted 16 reviews of tanning salons in Atlantic County, all intended to discourage business except for two reviews for Island Sun salons in the county, which were described as “awesome,” “great” and “best.” The reviews by “Nicole” were just the tip of the iceberg. Another 10 using similar language were submitted by “Stephanie,” eight by “Rose Pierce,” eight by “Tina Martino,” seven by “JoAnne,” eight by “Samantha,” and similar numbers by “Jordan Dimitri,” “Michele Santori,” “Kristen” and “Asha.” Coincidence? This is only the beginning of what would be highly unusual coincidences if these were, in fact, different customers reviewing shore tanning salons. Consider this: Many reviews were submitted on the same days. The first week of February was especially busy. “Stephanie” submitted all eight of her reviews Feb. 1, as did “Kristen.” The next day, “Tina Martino” submitted all of her reviews. On Feb. 3, it was “Jordan Dimitri’s” turn. Then on Feb. 5, “Rose Pierce” weighed in with all of her reviews. Even that isn’t all. Amazingly, “Nicole” and “JoAnn” each hate one business that isn’t a tanning salon, the Egg Harbor Township fencing company. I called a few Island Sun Tanning Salons for two days seeking comment on the remarkable coincidences of the anonymous online reviews of area tanning businesses. I told the staffers who answered that I was writing about the unusual online reviews and wanted to speak to the owner. I was told the owner (or owners) would be so informed and they would call me back, but no one responded. When Smith, of Linwood, was told about the reviews by his son, he looked into taking legal action. Having put hundreds of thousands of dollars into making his business in the Cornerstone Commerce Center feel like a spa, he was furious at its portrayal in the reviews. Smith said a detective agency specializing in digital matters told him it would cost $15,000 to track whoever submitted the reviews and get a subpoena to learn their identity. Lawsuit costs would be extra. Smith decided against an investigation, in part since the worst comments were about other salons. One review alleges a salon spies on customers with cameras, which Smith found so offensive he called the business to warn them. He said they told him the salon had quit offering tanning two years ago, long before the malicious review. The Press and other newspapers have had to take steps to prevent their websites from being used to make anonymous comments of a hateful nature — racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, twisted partisanship, that kind of thing. Maybe Google eventually will need to do the same. Contact Kevin Post: Last edited by movieking; 03-20-2011 at 10:52 AM. |
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