Overview:
Presence News investigated a troubling pattern where Yelp’s review-filtering system conceals overwhelmingly positive feedback, especially for blue-collar businesses. In one case, 17 confirmed 4–5★ reviews existed, yet only four negative ones were visible. Despite six months of outreach, Yelp’s management remained unresponsive. The issue disproportionately impacts tradespeople, sparking concerns about fairness and bias.
A growing number of hard-working American businesses are increasingly frustrated with Yelp’s opaque review-filtering system, which seems to favor hiding overwhelmingly positive feedback while spotlighting negative reviews. Presence News uncovered a glaring example of this issue: a business that garnered 17 verified positive reviews, yet Yelp displayed only 4 negative reviews prominently—effectively burying most of the praise.
💡 Repeated outreach to Yelp’s management and owner over the past six months has gone unanswered, leaving local businesses without redress.
Why the Issue Matters
Business owners from blue-collar sectors—construction, automotive repair, welding—often depend heavily on customer feedback for establishing reputation. When Yelp’s algorithm hides genuine praise, it can significantly distort public perception and harm the livelihoods of hardworking individuals. The trend raises questions about fairness and a potential systemic bias.
What Business Owners Are Saying
Reddit hosts numerous accounts echoing this concern. One owner wrote:
“a total of seven positive reviews… had been removed and placed into a folder labeled ‘not recommended.’ Yelp was contacted again… but no response was received.” wired.com+15reddit.com+15spoton.com+15pixsym.com
Another post lamented:
“Yelp began removing or hiding those positive reviews. Not fake ones — real reviews from real customers…” reddit.com
Why Yelp Filters Reviews
Yelp defends these actions by citing its recommendation software, designed to filter “less reliable” reviews based on various factors—such as new users, overly positive or negative content, or unusual review patterns. Legitimate reviews can mistakenly end up in the “Not Recommended” section. scoremyreviews.com
However, this lack of transparency and recourse fuels accusations of unfairness—especially when allegedly hidden positive reviews coincide with offers or requests for advertising, one offer is to subscribe to Thryv.com for about $500 a month which will “improve your company reviews” – a tactic some view as exerting unfair pressure. romanolaw.com+6pixsym.com+6reddit.com+6
Broader Implications for Consumers
A 2023 academic audit found Yelp disproportionately filters reviews from less established users—who often include everyday customers—potentially skewing the narrative toward negative feedback. reddit.com+12arxiv.org+12spoton.com+12
This filtering can leave consumers with an unbalanced view: a page may be loaded with lemons while disguising the majority of its praise. Yelp acknowledges the issue, but its algorithmic decisions remain largely hidden.
The Pressing Question
Is this filtering a necessary guard against spam and manipulation—or is it now suppressing legitimate voices, particularly in blue-collar sectors? With no response from Yelp’s management despite repeated inquiries, Presence News is amplifying calls for transparency and reform.
Conclusion
Yelp’s review filtering system was initially intended to maintain trust and guard against fake content. But when it obscures genuine positive feedback—especially from hardworking, blue-collar businesses—it risks distorting public perception and shaking community confidence.
What’s Next?
Yelp owes businesses clear explanations and recourse options. Until it does, businesses are left fighting for honest representation—and consumers may be seeing only half the picture.
Sources
- SpotOn: “Unfilter Hidden Positive Reviews” — https://www.spoton.com/blog/unfilter-hidden-positive-reviews-on-yelp-to-boost-your-score/
- Reddit: “Yelp began removing or hiding those positive reviews…” — https://www.reddit.com/r/Yelp/comments/1jppsov/yelp_keeps_hiding_our_positive_reviews_while/
- Reddit: “Yelp’s algorithm disproportionately highlights negative reviews…” — https://www.reddit.com/r/Yelp/comments/1g0z0b4/yelps_algorithm_is_hurting_small_businessesim/
- TouchBistro: “Yelp Review Filtering: How to Unfilter Hidden Positive Reviews” — https://www.touchbistro.com/blog/yelp-review-filtering-how-to-unfilter-positive-reviews-on-yelp/