Oscar, the non-existent restaurant, will not be the sunset of Tripadvisor, unfortunately
Oscar, the non-existent restaurant, will not be the sunset of Tripadvisor, unfortunately

Video: Oscar, the non-existent restaurant, will not be the sunset of Tripadvisor, unfortunately

Video: Oscar, the non-existent restaurant, will not be the sunset of Tripadvisor, unfortunately
Video: This Man Dug a Hole in His Backyard He Was Not Ready For What He Discovered There 2024, March
Anonim

Yesterday I saw the Scatti di Gusto scoop. And this morning I read the papers. But I fear, alas, that the case of Oscar's, the non-existent restaurant in three months it became number one in Brixham, England, does not represent, as Elvira Serra wrote in Corriere, the “sunset of Tripadvisor”.

At most, a new blow to the credibility, which is not exactly crystal clear, of the "largest virtual community of travelers, founded in 2000, with two hundred million unique users, a turnover of 246.9 million dollars in the second quarter of 2013 with a growth of 25 percent year on year ".

If you still don't know the facts, keep reading.

Thanks to the amazing cuisine and the evocative setting (it was located in the hull of a fishing boat moored on the quay) Oscar had become the most talked about restaurant in Devon, climbing up to 29th place in the ranking of the 64 best places in the area, with reviews from of those lucky few who ate there that ranged from 'simply divine' to 'perfect', even 'worthy of a Michelin star'.

“I was lucky enough to live in Catalonia, where some of the best restaurants in the world are located. I dined at El Bulli and at El Celler de Can Roca. The food here is obviously not on the same level, but the quality of the cuisine is still incredibly high”.

Who wouldn't be intrigued by such a review? Who would not feel the irresistible desire to try it?

In fact, many English Tripadvisor users went to the address indicated on the site, New Quay Lane, the alley where the Brixham floating venue should have been opened on May 1st, but only found bins and rubbish bags in front of them.

Yes, because Oscar's doesn't exist. It is just a fake artfully created by an unknown businessman (nickname Oscar Parrott), to demonstrate how the ardent reviews we often read on Tripadvisor are actually just garbage.

And who knows how he enjoyed inventing all those details, including the staff in diving gear ready to dive into the river to catch the freshest fish.

What happens now?

In the meantime, the usual litany has started again: everyone knows about the fakes of Tripadvisor, including the trade associations - Fipe and Federalberghi in the front row - even about the trade in fake reviews that Dissapore has told so many times, and everyone is asking for the abolition of anonymity.

But in the condition of the "largest virtual community of travelers in the world", the only one that really matters to him, Tripadvisor has no intention of making a difference (with turnover growing 25% year on year I would like to see you). And to defend them, he flaunts the rhetoric of democracy from below with massive doses of cheek, the inviolable democracy from below.

Way out? None seems. Tripadvisor is convenient as it is, take it or leave it. Do you see millions of readers blocking data traffic by walking through the streets to peek at restaurants before entering?

And for hotels?

Don't have a comfortable car?

Recommended: