Did you know it's a crime? - MYBF

James · #1 (**permalink**) 24-05-08, 08:55 PM

Did you know that hotel staff who post favourable reviews of their establishment on travel information websites such as TripAdvisor will now be committing a crime - and that could result in JAIL TIME!!!!!

Quote:

this kind of tactic has been ruled an unfair commercial practice by Brussels.

From 26 May, any UK firm breaking the rules may face prosecution, stiff fines and possibly even jail terms for its staff.

"This brings in a new concept of fairness, a brave new world for businesses dealing with consumers and advertising," says lawyer Philip Carnell of CMS Cameron McKenna.

"If marketing companies are going to try and be sneaky, that will now be a strictly liable criminal offence."

It also includes companies that set up FAKE BLOGS, pretending to be customers, just so that they can post positive spin about their products or services - (I'd like to take a moment to mention how great MYBF.co.uk will be one day) - one such business was a company called Laboratoires Vichy, part of the L'Oreal cosmetics empire, they produced a fake blog in order to promote Peel an anti-wrinkle product.

For more on the story click the link below
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7287413.stm

James.

Contract Hire · #2 (**permalink**) 26-05-08, 09:26 AM

Makes sence, it one thing to make sites with self promotional stuff as in just genral advertising and getting the company name about but to act like your a customer opposed to somebody working for the company doing normal advertising is naughty.

Only problem with this is its going to still go on, just not such as bad as it has been in the past.