Hundreds of hoteliers and restaurateurs could bring legal action against TripAdvisor on the grounds that reviews on the site are defamatory.
KwikChex.com co-founder Chris Emmins told reporters he was potentially going to file a group defamation act against the website.
"Some of the reviews on TripAdvisor appear to be just fake, or certainly contain completely untrue statements. Some are suspect and some fall into legitimate fair comment,” he said.
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"I support customer feedback and I support the idea websites should not face unnecessary legal action. But it is bad for consumers if they just don't know what to trust."
Emmins is currently checking the grievances of more than 420 applications to join the group action.
Claims of false statements, competitors leaving comments and guests blackmailing hoteliers for discounts with the threat of a bad review on TripAdvisor have dogged the site since its inception.
While Emmins said he hoped to settle without legal action a TripAdvisor spokesperson said: "TripAdvisor does not comment on either threatened or pending litigation."
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Sep 13, 2010 , United Arab Emirates
Before i book with any hotel, I always look at Tripadvisor to see customers comments. The comments made are almost always accurate. I don't base my decision just by reading one or two bad reviews on staff behavior etc... I look to see whether the majority of reviews are good & ignore the minori...
Sep 13, 2010 , India
Hotels are pleased to accept comments from clients. But on several occasions guests who are unable to have their way blackmail Hotels with nasty comments. Google too takes great pleasure in posting false comments by ghost guests. They do not have the means to check whether a particular person ...