Fake advisor
UP to one in three reviews on TripAdvisor is fake, a new investigation has found. An analysis of tens of thousands of reviews shows toprated B&Bs have almost twice as many ‘fake’ reviews as lowerranked accommodation. The Times caught restaurants trying to buy 5-star reviews, as well as negative reviews of rivals. It comes after the Olive Press exposed a series of Spanish businesses paying for dozens of fake five-star reviews in a bid to increase their rankings.
Victims
Despite TripAdvisor stepping in to investigate, the Times probe insisted enough was not being done to stop the bogus reviews. Another recent study found that almost nine in ten businesses have been victims of negative reviews. Consumer groups say fake reviews are a growing problem and it is believed almost €16 billion a year is spent on travel and hotels following reviews.
Voted BEST
expat paper in Spain
FREE
(Free or paid for)
Vol. 2 Issue 38 www.theolivepress.es September 27th - October 10th 2018
Is this the new look for Palma’s seafront? Find out in our Property supplement inside
9 Lives charity pair acosted by resident Expats vow to continue feeding stray cats despite vicious attack from local EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore
No paws
RAPPER: Valtonyc AN expat mum and daughter have refused to give up their Do you know of any businesses cat charity 9 Lives after being selling fake reviews? Or places assaulted by a local Spaniard. abusing social media or review Aimee Baert, 28, and mum sites? Contact newsdesk@theo- Sharon, 54, are set to call in livepress.es police after they were attacked as they fed stray cats in the Trick advisor page 6 north of the island. The South African pair were around the Pollensa area. left badly shaken after a local 6th - December 19th 2017 “We’ve hadDecember snide comments Mallorquin accosted them as from locals before but this was they gave food to the feral cats on another level,” continued A BELGIAN court has renear Pollenca’s old town. Aimee, who moved to Mal- fused to extradite controversial rapper Valtonyc back to The man ‘turned very aggreslorca five years ago. sive’ and started to threaten “Unfortunately people don’t Spain. the cats forcing Aimee to step understand that we are actual- The judge refused to comin. ly helping keep the number of ply with the order after the From Page 1 “He had me against a wall and strays down,” she continued. Mallorca musician was senSOME 14 fire bosses have I had to push him off me,” the “We are neutering andgot cas-himself tenced to prison for charges He even a financial advice slot on a well been arrested for allegedly Alcudia hotel manager told trating as manyknown of theradio cats we station, through which he the snared unsuspectrelated to insulting monembezzling €7 million in the Olive Press. can.” ing victims. ‘ROWDY’:public Magaluf archy in his lyrics. funds. “It was very scary and unsetBut despite the violenta comprehensive in- The artist, However, Olive Press investigation exwhose real name The Policia Nacionaltling found and, for a moment, I recident, animalposed loverhisAimee scams that and gold. is involved Josep stamps, Miquel coins Arenas, that the Consortium of for the worse.” ally feared - who has 22We feline also friends revealed how andexile his close pal Barry wentheinto to Belgium in Nathan Bomberos Cadiz took A HOTEL to be knocked The out unnamed suspect is - who at her finca - will be back out up wined and dined to aafter dozen criminals, anonymously, May he was sentenced mass early retirementowns insurdown for not having enough UNBOWED: Brave volunteers Aimee and Sharon a finca in the La Font feeding cats with her mum in column. through the food to three and a half years in ance policies. area, whichclass! he rents out to tow. He eventually fledjail. the country following our expose, area and ‘affecting his busitime the pair have been acBut when their employees Benalmadena’s tourists - blasted them forHotel Vista “She’s hard as nails and we but we soon tracked him down to the UK, where he had ness.’ costed, while looking after retired early, chiefs siphoned “For thepoll moment heselling is freecoins and ‘bringing more vermin’ to be thedemolished de Rey must won’t be put off, it hashis to name be changed by deed and was Alarmingly, it is not the first the many dozens of stray cats off the money from the payand he is free definitively in CONCERNED businesses in within three months, a court done,” she vowed, “although antiques on eBay from a small Berkshire cottage. outs. Belgium,” saidEnglish his lawyer Santa Ponsa are demanding has ruled, I’ll be taking He mywas boyfriend quickly found guilty under law of conning Bekaert.prison changes to Authorities prevent the also areafound diswith me this people week in Andalucia’s Superior Court andcase given Paul a suspended crepancies in the consorfrom becoming the ‘new Magathings get out of control of Justice ruled that the hosentence only due to health reasons. tium’s training courses. luf’. again.” “And because he promised to never tel falls short of its four-star Terrorism than permitted. Large sums were paid to a The Santa Ponsa hotel assoThe mum andgodaughter duoonline cons,” one of the back to his requirement. Although the town hall and company to provide training “There is no terrorism inTRAIN drivers have denounced an “It has happened to us all, stopping furciation has met with the Calvia set up their charity 9 Livesexplained. British victim but other no evidencealarming has maintain more this exvolved, there is no incitelack of safety measures on the ther than we planned. Atdeveloper a transitional mayor, localcourses, police and than fourBut years ago. this is apparently not the case with been foundathat these courses Probing was later island. station it's not the end of cess the world, butcorrected, the ment ofis terrorism, so there businesses to demand series two victims claiming he still using place. secuThey sayItthat traction andthe braking judge ruled that the rectificais coins no question of a crime acof measurestook to improve began probing three has at the end of the line, it is.” eBay to sell ‘dodgy’ and stamps Missing Meanwhile, irregularities been affected as some have one The company began turning one ention would have taken place rity in the resort. cording to Belgian star hotel and trains apartment from his unpaid flat in Brighton, us-law.” wereaalso found in and turned off to save electricity. gine off as a temporary measure after looking ing forthe their own‘gqtrading’ It comes after summer of grantsengine after the granting ofWhile the liHowever, he added that names and ‘gqtradblock in 2011 after it was desubsidies, which The group from over Serveis Ferroviaris caughtsofire innot count. cats which hading2’. gone missing, a European Arrest Wartrouble including a sharp risecops believe does nounced planning rules de the electrical substation cence, were used to pay for private Mallorca, which also runs the Palma May, but months later it The appears to behas 61they realised the full of sure in the numbers of illegal prostibuilding apartrant could be issued if the “We arescale pretty he has broken his whichexposed set asidethe the lack plot for a trips. Metro, have of safety the norm. thespacproblem. bail conditions and24-year-old tutes and street vendors. ments and 46 parking will have torapper finallytravels to four star hotel only. The irregularities date back since the Son Costa generator caught The drivers have also pointed out that “We’ve neutered hundreds Hotels fear the area could bees. go back to prison,”other said one victim. countries. According to the PGOU town to 2008 cops believe at fire. only two of the ten routes in Palmabuilding of cats over the years, this is come 'the new Punta and Ballena', “The nerve of this man is unbelievable.” The original was The Sa Pobla artist was conplan an apartment block was leastpart €7 million has been“They sto- have altered some trains so they have speed stop devices that automatihuge issue that to get the most rowdy of MagaHistends landlord last night he should have known granted planning aignored,” permisvictedinsisted of glorifying terrorpermitted and the it also len by those at the top. use less not power, but it affects traction cally brake the trains as they approach added Aimee. luf. something was up ism, from the start. sion bywomen then mayor Enrique threatening right-wing breached rules being over and braking,” said oneby driver. a stop. Earlier this month two “We want the locals to underDemands include more police “When we met to sign the contracts I thoughtand he was a bit Bolin indid 2001. DOOMED: Costa politician Jorge Campos 700 square meters “We cannot accelerate andbigger brake as were hit whenhotel a train in Palma not stand we are slippery, really working intervention against drug trafI went to pay for mydefamatory coffee only forcomthe barista to making well with one engine turned off,” he break in time after it arrived at a station towards keeping the numbers ficking, street vendors and viotell me he had left without paying his against thebill.” Spanish continued. without a speed stop. down, we are not just feeding“Hements lent prostitutes, who 'are nightHe continued: paid for the first couple of months but Untitled-1.pdf 1 16/06/2017 15:36 royal family in April. the cats.” ly dedicated FRUIT to robbing people'. then just stopped. He told us his account had been frozen growers in the AxarOrganisations such as Amdue to a money laundering investigation, which is probquia are facing a 60% reduchave ably true. “He thennesty told us International to stop contacting him and action in water use from the La campaigned for Valtonyc’s cused us of harrassment. Vinuela reservoir with no soPOLICE officers have formed a human wall deter drug smugglers from using the beach freedom arguing that it is a work to “Now he is claiming he is seriously ill and can’t lution in sight. along a beach in La Linea to ensure that the as a drop off zone. breach of freedom of speech. make payments. The Junta has decided to construction of a beach wall went ahead. A combined police presence of Guardia Civil, Meanwhile Pedro Sanchez’s “We’ll see him in court.” limit its use as the reservoir is The wall, between the churchC of Nuestra local and national officers were present as new socialist government is already at 22.7% capacity and Senora del Carmen and the perimeter wall fears grew that drug smugglers would try working towards Opinion repealingPage 6 M could drop even lower if the of the fishing port of La Atunara, hopes to and disrupt the work. the controversial Citizen Safedry weather keeps up.
4
NE WS
www.theolivepress.es
Hot water
No more Magalufs
Costa del Sol hotel has three months to fight decision before it is demolished
Not enough stars
Not facing the rap!
‘He deserves it’
Train safety concerns
Pipe ban
SMUGGLERS’ WALL Three Lions pub
Best English Pub in Palma Great food Live Music Every Night from 12am
Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, Palma
ty law dubbed the ‘gag law’.
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Avenida Rey Jaime 1, Santa Ponca, 0034 871Find 510 277out more on page XX 15
SEE MORE IN THE RESTAURANT SECTION INSIDE
A range
A