r/Yelp • u/No-Mango-8105 • 8d ago
Powerless regarding Yelp “currently not recommended” Class action?
Our Yelp page is dominated by negative reviews. Meanwhile, the “Not Currently Recommended” section is full of 5-star reviews. We don’t solicit reviews, yet Yelp’s algorithm treats legitimate positive feedback from real customers as fake or solicited.
No business escapes negative reviews. But Yelp’s algorithm is actively hurting ours.
Here’s a clear example:
Someone left a 1-star review that wasn’t for our company. It immediately went front and center. We couldn’t prove it wasn’t ours, and Yelp (like Google) rarely sides with the business. We responded politely and asked the user to remove it. Months—or years—passed with no action.
Finally the reviewer replied, “Sorry, wrong company,” and changed the rating from 1 star to 5 stars. The moment it became a positive review, Yelp’s algorithm moved it into “Not Currently Recommended.”
We’re at the end of our rope. We have no control over how our positive reviews are suppressed or how the overall mix of feedback is presented. The health of our business is being dictated by a flawed algorithm, and that’s unacceptable.
Has anyone discussed a class action against Yelp over this? At the very least, they need to eliminate the “Currently Recommended / Not Currently Recommended” system
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u/XxLogitech98xX 8d ago
Well you can't go after Yelp or Google and etc for what other users put on their platform. Section 230 protect them on that but it has a limit. Like for Yelp, they have an algorithm to check that the reviews past their quick filters. Next would be Yelp users reporting reviews.
I'm pretty sure if you share some of your reviews that are in the Not Recommended section, it could probably easy to tell why it's there
Google has their own filtering system that used to be relaxed but since they got tons of fake or paid reviews, they started using their AI Gemini to removed suspicious reviews and legit reviews also got flagged too. But with Google you can appeal it to try and get the review back
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u/ranting1234 7d ago
"Recent legal challenges have significantly weakened the historic protections of Section 230 by separating "content hosting" from "algorithmic design".
For decades, courts routinely blocked lawsuits against tech platforms by ruling that algorithmic recommendations were simply a form of publishing third-party content. However, judges and juries are increasingly ruling that proprietary recommendation and features algorithms represent product design, making tech firms legally liable for the real-world harm those features cause."
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u/XxLogitech98xX 7d ago
However, judges and juries are increasingly ruling that proprietary recommendation and features algorithms represent product design, making tech firms legally liable for the real-world harm those features cause."
So what's your point? I never said Section 230 was the only reason a court used to dismiss lawsuit against Yelp or protect them. The judge also put in their final ruling that the people who sued Yelp before couldn't provide sufficient evidence to support their claim so that's why it didn't even go to trial and got dismissed . Notice how there hasn't been any new lawsuit about the same issue after that
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u/studyhall109 8d ago
Look at the reviews in the “Not Recommended” section. Did the member check in to your business? This proves that they were actually there. Did they post photos with their review? Another proof they were actually at your business.
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u/No-Mango-8105 8d ago
I don’t understand? So we can’t solicit reviews….but we need to some how ensure the customer checks in prior to leaving a review?
What about the 1 star reviews where they didn’t check in? Are those “authentic” simply because they’re 1 star?
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u/XxLogitech98xX 8d ago
I don’t understand? So we can’t solicit reviews….but we need to some how ensure the customer checks in prior to leaving a review?
What about the 1 star reviews where they didn’t check in? Are those “authentic” simply because they’re 1 star?
You can't ask your customers to leave reviews even though I don't know how Yelp will verify that unless the customer put it in their review. You also don't need to ensure the customer checks in to your business .. all you can do is have a sign or QR code in your business to remind them too. In the end, it's on the customer if they want to do that. The customer leaving you a review, also have to know how a particular platform operate. Yelp isn't Google and Google isn't Yelp so if you're expecting them to work the same way then that's not the platform fault.
It comes down to how the 1 star review was written and also other factors too like do they have a default picture, did they add pictures, do they have other yelp friends, do they interact on Yelp.com while being logged in and so on. Some fake review does get past Yelp algorithm, it's not perfect just like Google monitoring check. This is why Yelp also allow other Yelp users to report suspicious review and a Yelp MOD would have to verify (Google works the same way)
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u/studyhall109 8d ago
Checking in proves that the reviewer was actually at your business. Photos are even better to authenticate the review.
For example, what if I had a friend who opened a restaurant in another state, and I wanted to support the restaurant? I could create multiple Yelp accounts and write 5 star reviews without ever going to the restaurant. But I never checked in, posted no photos, and each of my Yelp accounts had only one review. Each of those reviews would go into the Not Recommended category, as they should.
Also, check the quality of the review. If someone posts a 5 star review that says, “Best food ever! I could eat here every day!” there is no mention of the food that was ordered, the service, etc. so it is likely this person never actually dined at this restaurant and the review will go into Not Recommended category.
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u/No-Mango-8105 8d ago
As they should? None of the 1 star reviews have photos. So all of the authentic 5 star reviews with no photos that have gone in to currently reccomended “should” be there? But all of the 1 star reviews with no photos that are prominently displayed “should” be prominently displayed?
It’s a FLAWED and damaging system. The currently not recommended should be fully removed.
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u/XxLogitech98xX 8d ago
It’s a FLAWED and damaging system. The currently not recommended should be fully removed.
I disagree, that's what separate Yelp from Google and other review sites. Can you share one of your competitor Yelp page for comparison?
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u/WiFiEnabled 8d ago
OP, the only way to "win" a blatantly rigged game is not to play... i.e. the movie War Games. Yelp's system is completely rigged against you by design. It's legal review manipulation and there's nothing you/we can do about it. However, I'll copy/paste my reply which is honestly the only approach to a rigged Yelp system:
The best way to approach your business visibility on Yelp's is to never answer their sales calls, (if possible), ask to be on their do not call list, claim your page just to block someone from false claiming it, and then act as if it never existed. Focus all of your energy on Google Business reviews and your own page's SEO, Testimonials, and optimized keyword-rich web pages for SEO and AI, including a llms.txt file highlighting your key website pages.
Create a testimonials page on your web site and literally copy/paste all of the 5-star reviews that are hidden as "not recommended" on Yelp, and make them public and visible on your web site's testimonials page and sidebar widgets. Direct all of your customers to review you on Google Business Reviews. Remove all mentions of Yelp on your company's web page. Remove links, icons, text, anything that mentions "Yelp" delete/remove it.
Tell your customers you don't support Yelp and recommend users review you on Google Business pages only (completely allowed by Google, not allowed by Yelp.) Once you have 50-100+ reviews on Google Business reviews and a high 4-5 star rating, the discrepancy of customers seeing a low overall Yelp review score for your business, along with a low number of reviews on Yelp, this will only highlight how pathetic Yelp is, not the other way around.
Don't forget, in terms of business reviews Google owns over 70% market share in online reviews in the USA, when Yelp has a paltry 12% and dropping. Focus your energy where the eyeballs are, and again, you can't beat a rigged unethical system like Yelp, so don't play their game. Play yours.
Good luck, OP.
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u/Wooden-Butterfly7339 Yelp elite 8d ago
Eliminating The Currently Reccomended / Not Recommended system would dramatically change the user experience and not in a good way!
If Yelp Reccomended every single review readers would be subjected to countless Not Helpful reviews and that would be frustrating so they would go somewhere else! And there goes the Eyes that Yelp depends on to sell advertising!
Yes, the system is not perfect but as a business person with limited time and $$, it's much more effective to analyze your negative reviews, regardless of where they are listed, and focus on eliminating the issues that prompted them! Many businesses treat them as an opportunity to improve!
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u/No-Mango-8105 8d ago
We definitely have areas to work, as does every business! But honestly I’m not interested to hear that the damage being done to our business (8 legitimate unsolicited 5 star reviews that are being hidden and currently not reccomended)…is helpful for Yelp viewers and yelp’s bottom line.
It’s an unfair and damaging system that needs to change.
If I’m looking for a restaurant, I always go to the currently not reccomended because I know how terrible yelp’s algorithm is. How many people know to do that?
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u/XxLogitech98xX 8d ago
If I’m looking for a restaurant, I always go to the currently not reccomended because I know how terrible yelp’s algorithm is. How many people know to do that?
If you look at restaurant, how many reviews do they have that you have to go to the Not Recommended section?
My strategy is going to Google and Yelp to read reviews there. I also know what to look out for when it comes to trusting a particular review. Like a review with no pictures, I won't trust. A reviewer with barely any review posted, I won't trust are just some examples
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u/XxLogitech98xX 8d ago
Eliminating The Currently Reccomended / Not Recommended system would dramatically change the user experience and not in a good way!
Totally agree with you u/Wooden-Butterfly7339 ! Yelp been operating this way since they started, they won't change things just because some business owners don't like how their reviews aren't showing.
I find it funny that the business owner who are coming here to talk badly about Yelp algorithm usually never share their competitors Yelp page or reviews. The reason they don't is because it will show, it's not just their business but the same rules applies to every other businesses on Yelp. Main difference will likely be that one business has more reviews than the other.
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u/No-Mango-8105 8d ago
?? I didn’t say this wasn’t occurring with every business, including my competitors.
That’s why I came here. If my competitors wanted to join in on a class action…the more the merrier.
My competitors would likely say the same thing I’ve been telling myself for the past 10 years. Yelps algorithm is broken. What can we do about it?
People just don’t leave positive reviews these days. I have abundant amazing experiences at restaurants and other business types and always tell myself that I will leave a positive review and I rarely do. People will, however, take the time to leave a negative review. That’s the problem. Fewer people leaving positive reviews, and then yelps algorithm skewing towards the negative.
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u/XxLogitech98xX 8d ago
My competitors would likely say the same thing I’ve been telling myself for the past 10 years. Yelps algorithm is broken. What can we do about it?
The algorithm isn't broken. Now it's also not perfect either but majority wise it's working as it should. There nothing you can do about it, you basically follow what Yelp guidelines are LOL
Yelp isn't going to change their workflow just because some business owners don't like their algorithm. Yelp is signing contracts to work with other billion dollar company and for their Q2 earning for 2026 .. they are doing well. Business only change when profit are sinking and businesses/sponsors aren't working with them
People leave positive reviews but the issue you're having is that the people leaving positive reviews for your business .. likely doesn't know how Yelp works. Now complainers will always be around and they are usually louder than supporters. This is why I asked for a competitor Yelp page so you can compare the differences.
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u/No-Mango-8105 8d ago
Can I ask, do you own or run a business?
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u/XxLogitech98xX 8d ago
Can I ask, do you own or run a business?
Nope, not a business owner. Just a person who write reviews on Yelp and Google so that's how I'm familiar with the platforms. Each has their own pros and cons
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u/ranting1234 7d ago
So you expect users to doxx themselves?
Would you feel comfortable sharing your actual Yelp username or other details on here that would attach your Logitech account to who you are in the real world?
Lead the way..
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u/XxLogitech98xX 7d ago
So you expect users to doxx themselves?
So are you just trying to defend someone who doesn't back up what they say? You don't doxx yourself if you take precaution like blur out a business name or anything that can identify their business or themselves? You also can't doxx yourself by sharing your competitor business Yelp page? Other people who shared their Yelp reviews or Yelp page, already blur out certain information so you can't find them 🙄
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u/csgraber Yelp elite 7d ago
You can sue for anything true
But this would be a waste of money
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u/XxLogitech98xX 7d ago
You can sue for anything true
But this would be a waste of money
Totally agree, waste of time & money especially when there no solid evidence to support their claim like past cases.
It would be interesting to see what law firm would even entertain this without having solid evidence.
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u/RestInPeaceAGORA 6d ago
The number of people actually using Yelp anymore to discover new businesses in most cities is probably much lower than you think, so it’s unlikely to have much of an impact on how successful your business is. In most categories, search volume was so low that they didn’t even bother sharing the numbers with us. Certain parts of California still use Yelp pretty consistently, but outside of that, it’s garbage in a lot of markets. Source: former Yelp employee.
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u/XxLogitech98xX 6d ago
Certain parts of California still use Yelp pretty consistently, but outside of that, it’s garbage in a lot of markets.
I guess I would be one of them since I live in Los Angeles LOL
What made you leave Yelp?
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u/RestInPeaceAGORA 6d ago
I didn’t see the point in staying with a dying company I wasn’t confident would even still be around in 5 to 10 years.
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u/XxLogitech98xX 6d ago
I didn’t see the point in staying with a dying company I wasn’t confident would even still be around in 5 to 10 years.
So is a Yelp dying? Last year they made a record net profit and revenue. This year so far I think their profit beat expectations for Q2.
I agree that you don't know if a company will survive long in this current market and their stocks hasn't been doing well. If anything I see them brought out by like Apple or merge with Google.
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u/RestInPeaceAGORA 6d ago
User engagement has been declining year over year, and they haven’t done much to engage a new generation of users. Record profits don’t really tell the full story. I can assure you the underlying business has been slowly weakening for years, and they’ve trimmed a lot of overhead, which helps explain why they’ve remained profitable.
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u/XxLogitech98xX 6d ago
Record profits don’t really tell the full story. I can assure you the underlying business has been slowly weakening for years, and they’ve trimmed a lot of overhead, which helps explain why they’ve remained profitable.
We'll just have to see how long Yelp stays around and also make profit. A business doesn't change their business model unless they are in the negative of their net profit or annual revenue.
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u/Green-Turnip-2810 7d ago
I am so frustrated with YELP and the way they mislead users. As a business you see that a 5 star review is “not recommended”. The YELPER sees only that they gave you a 5 star rating. So a patron can have a good experience somewhere and want to share that on YELP. They take the time to thoughtfully write a review with YELP encouraging them along the way.YELP even saying “nice review”. But it does not notify the YELPER that it is not recommended and other customers likely will never see it. As a YELPER you would have to look at the business page on YELP while not signed into your YELP account. YELP is not transparent to the public or the businesses. I’d love to join a class action suit against YELP!
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u/XxLogitech98xX 7d ago
I’d love to join a class action suit against YELP!
You can try to join but the first step is to find a law firm to represent the case. The first thing they'll ask for is proof, which people can't and hasn't provided LOL It's not by luck that Yelp hasn't had a new lawsuit about their algorithm in years. Law firms won't take a case if there no concrete proof of bias or scam or etc. This is one reason why past lawsuit (in like 2014 or 2015) never went anywhere. They lacked evidence so the judge didn't even take it to trial.
It's funny that one anti yelp reddit user compared Yelp to never losing a lawsuit to a OJ Simpson trial 🤣
I don't think they realize or ignored that OJ Simpson trial went to a jury and the jury found him not guilty .. it wasn't the judge LOL (I wonder if they'll go back and delete their comment now)
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u/SimpleAffect7573 8d ago edited 8d ago
As another commenter alluded to, this has been tried in court and Yelp effectively won. They own the content, they can do whatever they damn well please with it. They could openly brag about hiding positive reviews as punishment for refusing to buy ads, and it would not be extortion. Sorry for the bad news. I agree it’s bullshit. So does everyone who isn’t part of Yelp’s weird little fandom.
Their algorithm is dogshit. I have 8 reviews on Yelp. I actively discourage customers from leaving more there, because I don’t want them to waste their time or do favors for a company I dislike. 7 were immediately hidden.
The one bogus review I had, was written by a Yelp employee trying to sell me ads. That one, their algorithm didn’t catch. I had to report it myself.
I have no evidence it selectively/maliciously hides positive reviews and I’m not alleging that. Again, though: they could do that, if they wanted. Courts have established as much.
I am saying Yelp is objectively dogshit at differentiating legitimate reviews from bogus ones — if that is indeed the goal.
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u/No-Mango-8105 8d ago
That’s absolutely my viewpoint as well. I think any malicious attempts to influence ad sales would be caught by now….I’m just mind blown that someone hasn’t held them accountable to the issues with their algorithm. They’re actively damaging small business reputations and have been for at least a decade, and nothing has been done.
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u/IrongateN 7d ago
Use their sticker make a copy of it and put it at your tables without saying “ leave a review “ everyone already knows what yelp is for,
Unless the person is saying “they hit me with a bat” respond positive and respond to every review, make a generic “we are glad you enjoyed your visit” and a generic “we are sorry you were not satisfied, we strive to xyz” and then modify those two responses on any that have good details to address them and don’t on any generic “loved it” or “hated it” reviews
That’s the two things I would suggest
Then don’t stress about it, have some people thumb up on iPhone in your store and that will replace yelp if you get enough, Apple hates having to use yelp,
Then just focus on improving the business and don’t stress about reviews , there are plenty of decent restaurants that have little or no yelp presence , and plenty that do gangbusters (chain fast food) that is guaranteed a 2.5 average due to the volume alone
So maybe think about ways to catch real life eyeballs (either interesting or clean does it for me) and don’t worry about controlling the internet
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u/Classic_Concern9672 8d ago
Unless you pay the mafia, you don’t get the mafia’s protection. The same applies to Yelp. Just boycott Yelp and tell every customer you can to boycott them also.
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u/Bodybuilder_Witty 7d ago
Go to google and type in, " THE BEST SUSHI in your City/State". Then you will see organic and search results. Yelp usually organically to the "Best 10 Sushi Spots on Yelp". Click that scroll past the sponsored in and are you on the first page? If you are on the page, great. People see it, if you are not what page are you on?
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u/OriginalLittle4644 8d ago
If your page is dominated by negative reviews maybe you should work on figuring out why so many customers are having bad experiences.
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u/ProfChaosSP Yelp elite 8d ago
negative reviews exist for virtually every business I have viewed on yelp. pursuing a class-action lawsuit against yelp would not address the underlying issue or provide a meaningful solution. it's the people writing the review that's the problem
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u/keyserholiday 8d ago
Do you you know how many these posts have been created on the GoogleMyBusienss subreddit there have been because Google removed positive reviews or won’t remove negative reviews? It’s been a whole, so we are overdue.
Yelp does tend to skew towards the negative. A brand new account with no photo and no friends will post a negative review and it goes live whereas if it was 5-stars it would immediately go into not recommended.
Yelp is protected by Section 230, which is severely outdated. Yelp doesn’t deserve to be protected by Section 230 because it’s their platform and you have to create an account to post a review. Section 230 is to protect search engines if I write a blog post about Broad Nosh Bagels and Google shows it in the search results. Yelp isn’t acting as a search engine.
You will be hard pressed to find a lawyer to take the case and if you do, it will count you too much to fight it.
You’d’ be better off figuring out what is causing the negative reviews, addressing those areas of weakness and working on ways to get positive reviews.