Reporting a business owner on Yelp can be an important way to help keep the site reliable and trustworthy. There are many reasons you may choose to report a business. Still, some of the most common include reviews that are not based on personal experience, obscene or threatening language, fake reviews, and confidential information about the business.
When you think about it, Yelp is a pretty fantastic resource. Not only does it allow everyday people to share their experiences with businesses, but it also provides business owners the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and improve their operations. However, if you feel that a business owner is violating Yelp's terms of service, you can report them.
Here is the right procedure when doing the reporting:
First, you'll need to ensure you're using the proper Yelp account. If you're using a personal account to post reviews, you won't be able to report the business owner. Instead, you'll need to create a business account.
Once you've created a business account, navigate to the business page that you'd like to report. Scroll down to the "Owner Information" section and click on the "Report This Business Owner" link.
You'll then be prompted to provide information about why you're reporting the business owner. Be as specific as possible, and make sure to include any evidence that you may have.
Finally, click on the "Submit" button, and your report will be sent to Yelp's team of moderators. If you experience some issues along the way, contact customer support.
Once your report is submitted, it'll be reviewed by Yelp's team of moderators. If they determine that the business owner is violating Yelp's terms of service, they'll take appropriate action, which may include suspending or banning the business owner from Yelp.
It usually takes a few days for Yelp's team of moderators to review and take action on reports. However, depending on the severity of the violation, it may take longer.
When you speak with customer service, they can help you understand the time frame based on the nature of your issue. They will provide you with a more accurate estimate based on the situation. In some cases, they may resolve the issue more quickly. However, in other cases, it may take longer.
Here are common reasons triggering the need to do the reporting:
The review is not based on personal experience, but hearsay or a third party comment
The review is posted by an employee or family member of the owner to harm the business.
The review is obscene, threatening, or contains personal attacks.
The review is fake (i.e., it has been created to damage the reputation of the business)
The review contains confidential information about the business.
The review is a duplicate of an earlier review.
When you are logged in to your Yelp account, the "report this business owner" link will be available on all business pages. However, if you haven't claimed your page, the link won't be there.
As a business owner, you need to comply with Yelp's terms of service. This includes not posting fake reviews, threatening or obscene reviews, or reviews that contain confidential information about your business.
One of the main reasons it's essential to claim your page is so you can have access to the "report this business owner" link. This link allows you to report business owners who violate Yelp's terms of service. By reporting these business owners, you're helping keep Yelp a reliable and trustworthy resource for everyone.
You can also claim another location if you're the business owner. To do this:
Navigate to the "Settings" tab
Click on the "Add Another Location" link.
You'll then be prompted to provide some information about the new location.
If you experience some problems in making this work, seek guidance from customer support. The team at Yelp is dedicated to helping you resolve any issues you may have. You can reach them by phone, email, or chat.
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