50 quid to remove a bad review?

Kronos

Kronos

Kronos

Soldato
Joined
11 Nov 2009
Posts
4,784
Location
Edinburgh
Should I accept? Silly question as course I did.

Last October I was looking to have new TV aerial installed in the roof space with two feeds and I had a lot of bother with a firm who I OK'ed to do the job. First the surveyor would not go up into the roof space because a neighbough had said she had seen wasps up there. So I went up and took some photos for the guy and only saw two wasps.
The fitters failed to appear on three occasions and their office did not bother to get back in touch either by phone or email. I eventually got someone else to do the job which was done quickly and efficiently and I posted a review reflecting that on Trust Pilot.
I also posted a not so kind review of the first company who phoned yesterday explaining that it was now under new management and were looking to grow the business and were looking to get my review deleted and offered me 50 quid to do so.

I did that last night and this morning they phoned and was informed a check will be posted out today.

What with having a £350 bill written off this week and the housing association giving me a hundred quid for help towards any redecoration due to the recent total heating refurbishment it has be a good week. Maybe I should try the lottery?
 
I would have asked them to do a job that I need, in this case, check and ensure aerial is still good or can make it better before removing the review - proof that they are actually better now.

That said, you're quids up, so enjoy your weekend!
 
On the one hand I can empathise with a new owner coming in and trying to turn around the reputation of the company, if indeed it's true.

On the other hand it seems pretty crap to straight up offer money to have it taken down and completely undermines the legitimacy of the rest of the reviews if bad reviewers can be bought. Whose to say all the positive reviews aren't also now paid for shill reviews?

I'd have thought offering a product or service to you to give them another chance so you could edit or amend the review would be a bit more kosher.

If they offered a product or service resulting in a good experience to put things right I would leave the original review text, amend the star rating accordingly if it's improved, then add a footnote with updated review text reflecting the company was proactive in contacting you to put right the initial bad experience.
 
I'd have asked for a 100, they clearly want the review removed and the fact they contact you and offer 50 quid would tell me there's a bit of bargaining to be done. ;)
 
I would decline to do it for money because I would know that my integrity would not be intact if I had accepted.

However the suggestion of asking them to do it for further work, assuming that work was of a good standard, is a fair one and a good idea. The difference this provides is that they can prove their work has improved and so removal of the original review would be honest.
 
I think it is pretty dishonest to remove it.

The better thing to do would surely be for the company to leave a comment under the review apologising and explaining that they're under new management and are aiming to change things.
 
Accept the £50, take down the review... then post a new review saying they paid you £50 to take down a previous bad review.
 
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