When one posts a review to a site like Tripadvisor, one does so expecting that honest reviews that abide by their policies will be posted. Alas, that does not seem to be the case as time and time again, positive reviews for legitimate experiences are removed without justification.Whether this is because Tripadvisor's algorithm is flagging reviews incorrectly or they're penalizing businesses who do not pay for premium services, I cannot say. What I can say, however, is that the knowledge that detailed reviews that comply with both the letter and the spirit of their guidelines gravely undermines the authenticity of their ratings.Given their opaque process and their willingness to substantially alter the narrative, I recommend avoiding both their reviews and their services.Edit: Tripadvisor's response does not address the opaque nature of their approval process, nor does it disclose that Tripadvisor does indeed profit off of businesses who pay for their service. To address the first, Tripadvisor does not tell users why their review was removed, claiming that the process is "proprietary." On the second, Tripadvisor hides behind the reviews being free while conveniently ignoring the fact that businesses can indeed pay for additional services. As the process is proprietary, we cannot know whether this impacts how Tripadvisor treats reviews.
