Meriton accused of blocking reviews on TripAdvisor

A TOP hotel chain controlled by billionaire developer Harry Triguboff has been accused of rigging guest reviews on a travel website.

Harry Triguboff in his penthouse apartment in World Square. Picture: Adam Yip/ The Australian

A TOP hotel chain controlled by billionaire Harry Triguboff is potentially facing millions of dollars in fines following accusations it rigged guest reviews on a travel website.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is prosecuting Meriton for allegedly blocking reviews when its serviced apartments had broken lifts or no hot water.

But a spokesman for Meriton says the company will defend the allegation that it rigged reviews on the TripAdvisor website by weeding out guests who had complained about their stay.

TripAdvisor’s review express service requires hotels to regualarly send it the email addresses of all guests, with their consent.

It then sends automated emails inviting the guests to post a review of their stay.

The ACCC alleges Meriton engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct by “masking’’ email addresses of guests it thought might write a bad review.

It alleges Meriton staff either failed to forward the email addresses to TripAdvisor, or added letters so the addresses would bounce.

The ACCC alleges this affected 798 guests who stayed at Meriton’s Bondi property during a period when its phone lines were down, there was no hot water and a lift was not operating.

It claims 657 guests who stayed at Meriton’s Kent St apartments when there were lift delays did not have their details passed on to TripAdvisor.

Another 114 guests who stayed in Kent St when there was no hot water, and 51 guests who stayed in Meriton’s Pitt St property when a damaged gas line forced an evacuation, had their email addresses “masked’’, the ACCC alleges.

The ACCC statement of claim includes an email allegedly sent to Meriton staff by the company’s administration co-ordinator, instructing them to add the letters “MSA” to the email addresses of unhappy customers “in order to ensure complaints are not carried onto TripAdvisor’’.

“Meriton deliberately implemented the masking practice with the intention of reducing the likelihood of guests submitting negative reviews of Meriton properties,’’ the ACCC states. Meriton faces a fine of up to $1.1 million for each breach of the Australian Consumer Law, if found guilty.

Meriton lawyer Joseph Callaghan yesterday said it would defend the allegations.

“In every Meriton Serviced Apartment there is a notice inviting all guests to review their stay on TripAdvisor,’’ he said.

“Meriton does not agree that the public has ever been deceived or misled.’’

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