Roll Call spamming - SPB Tours

[KeithJenner]

I obviously don't know who is doing this, and it may be an enthusiastic satisfied customer, but please treat posts about SPB Tours from new CC users with a shovel full of salt.

 

These are just a selection of posts that I found on the Norwegian Spirit and Getaway roll calls.

 

[dogs4fun]

6 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

I obviously don't know who is doing this, and it may be an enthusiastic satisfied customer, but please treat posts about SPB Tours from new CC users with a shovel full of salt.

 

These are just a selection of posts that I found on the Norwegian Spirit and Getaway roll calls.

 

You should report these posts to the moderator - especially the "one post wonders". We always take one post wonders with a grain of salt but I find it quite suspicious that all the posts were submitted within a 24 hour period.

Edited May 28, 2019 by dogs4fun

[KeithJenner]

1 minute ago, dogs4fun said:

You should report these posts to the moderator - especially the "one post wonders".

I have reported the one that was on my roll call. Hopefully they will all be removed. They are basically all "one post wonders" as even those with two posts were just reacting to responses to their post. I decided to post on here as a warning because some people who are on those roll calls will also look here.

 

I have previously heard good things about SPB, but this sort of thing makes you wonder about the legitimacy of those reports. I very much hope that it is an enthusiastic customer rather than the company itself.

[Turtles06]

26 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

You should report these posts to the moderator - especially the "one post wonders". We always take one post wonders with a grain of salt but I find it quite suspicious that all the posts were submitted within a 24 hour period.

 

21 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

I have reported the one that was on my roll call. Hopefully they will all be removed. They are basically all "one post wonders" as even those with two posts were just reacting to responses to their post. I decided to post on here as a warning because some people who are on those roll calls will also look here.

 

Keith, thanks for posting the warning here.  

 

I'm flagging @CC Help Jennhere, so CC will see the extent of these "one post wonders" and can deal with them across the various Roll Calls, besides the one you reported.    

 

[John Bull]

These are all posting before their cruise, which is against CC rules.

And no it's no coincidence that we have a little glut of one-post wonders extolling the virtues of a tour operator - I doubt they're posts by SPB, my money is on these folk being promised discounts to post. 

 

Can't find a members list on this new format, and I'm not about to scroll thro' pages of NCL rollcalls to report them, so I'll report  this thread.

 

Many thanks, Keith, for bringing it up.

 

JB 

[KeithJenner]

49 minutes ago, John Bull said:

These are all posting before their cruise, which is against CC rules.

And no it's no coincidence that we have a little glut of one-post wonders extolling the virtues of a tour operator - I doubt they're posts by SPB, my money is on these folk being promised discounts to post. 

 

Can't find a members list on this new format, and I'm not about to scroll thro' pages of NCL rollcalls to report them, so I'll report  this thread.

 

Many thanks, Keith, for bringing it up.

 

JB 

That sounds like the most likely explanation. People who have signed up for a tour being asked to sign up to CC and post about them.

 

I’m not sure about the legitimacy of that tactic, but if that is the case then I don’t like it. Ask people to post with their experiences after the event by all means, but I think this reflects badly on the company.

[dogs4fun]

34 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

That sounds like the most likely explanation. People who have signed up for a tour being asked to sign up to CC and post about them.

 

I’m not sure about the legitimacy of that tactic, but if that is the case then I don’t like it. Ask people to post with their experiences after the event by all means, but I think this reflects badly on the company.

JB's explanation also seems likely to me.

Posting on one's roll call that they have booked with a particular tour operator is a common practice among the Saint Petersburg tour operators. These independent operators offer discounts to cruise critic members and, in turn, the member posts on their roll call that they have booked their tour with said company.

I could be wrong but it is my understanding of the CC rules that it is against the guidelines to write a review or recommend a tour company with which one has not yet toured  but it is within CC guidelines to post tour shares and the names of companies with whom one has booked. It is NOT, however, legitimate to spam the forums or the roll calls.

If these are legitimate posts from different persons, then I suspect that a single post to one's roll call would not be considered spam. It just seems suspicious that there are so many of these "one post wonders" that all submitted within the same 24 hour period. But ... who knows?

In any event, thank you for reporting the issue - I am sure that the mods will address the issue.

Edited May 28, 2019 by dogs4fun

[GlennaRoseGoes]

I used SPB Tours in 2013, so when I booked another Baltic cruise that departs next month, of course I booked them again (why change companies when this one met all my needs?). Booked this tour back in February, so many months ago....then YESTERDAY I received an email from SPB stating that if I posted in CC about my booking and referred another member (who of course would have to use my name when booking), I get $20 off. 

 

So that may explain the sudden increase in posts, but I do agree it’s weird to have so many one hit wonders. FYI, I did not post because I don’t need to save $20 on a trip that is literally thousands of dollars. Even if I needed the $20, I am not pleading with strangers for it!

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

 

Keith, thanks for posting the warning here.  

 

I'm flagging @CC Help Jennhere, so CC will see the extent of these "one post wonders" and can deal with them across the various Roll Calls, besides the one you reported.    

 

 

 

I see that Jenn at CC is now amongst those who've "liked" Turtles' post, so she's on the case. 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/601548-do-not-post-here-until-youve-read-the-rules-for-posting-in-this-forum/

(second item)

 

JB 

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by John Bull

[KeithJenner]

Just now, GlennaRoseGoes said:

I used SPB Tours in 2013, so when I booked another Baltic cruise that departs next month, of course I booked them again (why change companies when this one met all my needs?). Booked this tour back in February, so many months ago....then YESTERDAY I received an email from SPB stating that if I posted in CC about my booking and referred another member (who of course would have to use my name when booking), I get $20 off. 

 

So that may explain the sudden increase in posts, but I do agree it’s weird to have so many one hit wonders. FYI, I did not post because I don’t need to save $20 on a trip that is literally thousands of dollars. Even if I needed the $20, I am not pleading with strangers for it!

Thanks. That would explain things.

 

I’ll leave CC to do what they want with this. I’ve mentioned in our roll call that it looks suspicious but also mentioned that I had previously heard good things about SPB. It does seem from the link that John Bull has posted that these posts are against the CC rules.

[gnome12]

I think there was a spate of these glowing recommendations for tours people hadn't taken about this time last year, when I started following this forum for Copenhagen and a Norwegian cruise (since cancelled).

[Turtles06]

2 hours ago, GlennaRoseGoes said:

I used SPB Tours in 2013, so when I booked another Baltic cruise that departs next month, of course I booked them again (why change companies when this one met all my needs?). Booked this tour back in February, so many months ago....then YESTERDAY I received an email from SPB stating that if I posted in CC about my booking and referred another member (who of course would have to use my name when booking), I get $20 off. 

 

So that may explain the sudden increase in posts, but I do agree it’s weird to have so many one hit wonders. FYI, I did not post because I don’t need to save $20 on a trip that is literally thousands of dollars. Even if I needed the $20, I am not pleading with strangers for it!

 

Thanks for the intel.  And good for you for declining.

 

$20?   Reminds me of the famous passage from "A Man for All Seasons," when Sir Thomas More is questioning Richard Rich, who has perjured himself to harm More, in exchange for being named Attorney General for Wales: "Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Wales?"

[Aus Traveller]

We did the two-day tour in St Petersburg with SPB Tours and found them excellent. It was a tour organised by a member of CC.

I hope people won't be put off using SPB by the many posts that don't appear to be legitimate recommendations (as mine is).

[Marselpo90]

2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

We did the two-day tour in St Petersburg with SPB Tours and found them excellent. It was a tour organised by a member of CC. 

I hope people won't be put off using SPB by the many posts that don't appear to be legitimate recommendations (as mine is). 

our friends were unlucky in using their services.

[Aus Traveller]

30 minutes ago, Marselpo90 said:

our friends were unlucky in using their services.

Sorry your friends did not have the great experience with SPB Tours that we did. Our group had eight mini buses. Others in our group who I spoke to, were as happy as we were.

[Marselpo90]

KeithJenner

I fully agree with your idea about the legality of writing posts that you cited as an example in the beginning of the topic.

[Dukefan]

I agree with KeithJenner posts questioning single posters.   From past visits to SPB I know several of the Major Tour Companies try to get you to put a favorable post on Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor often times providing you with a free token gift for doing so.  That probably accounts for many of these type posts.   Even the Marelpol90 above never posted on Cruise Critic until this past Tuesday at 6:23 AM for the first time when he posted how great his SBP tour company was.  

 

Cruise Critic is a great spot to review other people's  personal experience with a particular tour company.  It allows you to work with them either on Cruise Critic or via email and get more information on their experience.   I question folks that post second or third hand comments about a particular experience.

 

[dogs4fun]

43 minutes ago, Dukefan said:

I agree with KeithJenner posts questioning single posters.   From past visits to SPB I know several of the Major Tour Companies try to get you to put a favorable post on Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor often times providing you with a free token gift for doing so.  That probably accounts for many of these type posts. 

Agree - there are posts on TripAdvisor complaining about the "reviews for gifts" issue. Until reading your post, I did not realize that any company was offering gifts for positive posts. I thought that it was expressly against the rules of TripAdvisor to offer gifts in return for positive reviews. Below are just 2 such TripAdvisor posts that I immediately found (I removed the name of the tour company in question):

 

We did the 2-day deluxe tour with them. The guide and driver were both nice and the tour was good albeit a bit hectic but what put us off was that on the last day as we were coming back to the ship the guide asked us to write reviews about the tour, and promised a gift for each positive review. Those who did got a souvenir Faberge egg each. Makes you wonder whether all these Tripadvisor reviews are genuinely true.

 

We booked the 2 day deluxe tour of St Petersburg as part of our Baltic cruise on Norwegian Breakaway. We also booked tours with them in Germany and Sweden. .....

So why only 4 stars? Well, I don't like being asked to write a review of a tour for Facebook, in order to get a gift. Particularly when it has to be written on the tour that afternoon. 3 people in our group chose to do so, and got some nice presents. That may be the way in Russia, but in Australia such inducements are frowned on, and in some instances, illegal. ...

Edited May 30, 2019 by dogs4fun

[Dukefan]

Almost every travel company (hotels, airlines, VRBO, airbnb, Tour Companies) have ask me, and I guess everyone else on this site, to post a favorable review on Facebook. Twitter. Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor, or another social media site at one time or another, and yes a few offer a perk or some other small thing for doing so.  It is one of the main reasons we all need to take on-line praise with a grain of salt.   If a company has thousands of favorable posts and only a few negative ones, I will still read the few negative ones and based on I read then I might feel very comfortable with the company.   One of the downsides of all social media is that each posting contains a degree of bias (unfortunately some even more than a degree).

[KeithJenner]

1 minute ago, Dukefan said:

Almost every travel company (hotels, airlines, VRBO, airbnb, Tour Companies) have ask me, and I guess everyone else on this site, to post a favorable review on Facebook. Twitter. Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor, or another social media site at one time or another, and yes a few offer a perk or some other small thing for doing so.  It is one of the main reasons we all need to take on-line praise with a grain of salt.   If a company has thousands of favorable posts and only a few negative ones, I will still read the few negative ones and based on I read then I might feel very comfortable with the company.   One of the downsides of all social media is that each posting contains a degree of bias (unfortunately some even more than a degree).

Certainly some companies mention TripAdvisor to us and ask that we leave a review. Sometimes we have been given a card or something with details of TripAdvisor. I would say that it is far from being almost every one, especially when it comes to things like hotels (in fact I barely remember ever being asked to review a hotel and I stay at 20+ hotels every year).

 

What has certainly never happened to me is being offered any sort of incentive to do so. If anyone did then I would certainly mention the fact in any review I wrote.

 

What I have seen more often lately is individual staff members asking that, if we do write a TripAdvisor review, we mention them by name. I believe this is because some companies offer bonuses to their staff based on the reviews. I only mention individual staff members if they have done something specifically to warrant it, and I largely ignore any mention of specific staff members by name when reading reviews. I am certainly not going to turn up somewhere and "make sure I ask for Chuck to be my driver".

[Dukefan]

5 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

Certainly some companies mention TripAdvisor to us and ask that we leave a review. Sometimes we have been given a card or something with details of TripAdvisor. I would say that it is far from being almost every one, especially when it comes to things like hotels (in fact I barely remember ever being asked to review a hotel and I stay at 20+ hotels every year).

 

What has certainly never happened to me is being offered any sort of incentive to do so. If anyone did then I would certainly mention the fact in any review I wrote.

 

What I have seen more often lately is individual staff members asking that, if we do write a TripAdvisor review, we mention them by name. I believe this is because some companies offer bonuses to their staff based on the reviews. I only mention individual staff members if they have done something specifically to warrant it, and I largely ignore any mention of specific staff members by name when reading reviews. I am certainly not going to turn up somewhere and "make sure I ask for Chuck to be my driver".

I like small boutique  hotels and get ask probably more than 50% of the time to make a comment on social media.   My guess is that you stay in larger chain hotels where I admit this is less common. Probably because they have a sizable advertising budget. Smaller hotels have to reply on word of mouth as their major form of advertising.  It is interesting though that you stay in 20+ hotels a year and have never been ask to post a favorable rating on Social Media.   As an individual with 10,000+ posts on Cruise Critic, I would think you would get asked often.  I have stayed in over 40+ nights in hotels for over 50 years and the biggest change that I have noticed in the past 10 years is the promotion of Social Media.  For the first 35 years of my travel it was all done through a travel agent, now I find myself doing more and more of my bookings myself because of the information available on sites like Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor and other Social Media.   Also I guess because I am retired I have more time to do it myself.

[gnome12]

I still think that there is a big difference between asked to rate after the fact (even with an incentive) and being asked to plug a company that you have not yet used.

[kochleffel]

On 5/28/2019 at 5:40 PM, John Bull said:

These are all posting before their cruise, which is against CC rules.

 

Almost all posts on a roll call are before the cruise. It's a violation of the rules to recommend a tour that you haven't taken, but not to share with others in the roll call what you plan to do. The questions here are whether the glowing reports that these posts cite are genuine, and whether the person who posted is even booked on the cruise. If it's the person's only post ever, I'm skeptical about both.

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, KeithJenner said:

Certainly some companies mention TripAdvisor to us and ask that we leave a review. Sometimes we have been given a card or something with details of TripAdvisor. I would say that it is far from being almost every one, especially when it comes to things like hotels (in fact I barely remember ever being asked to review a hotel and I stay at 20+ hotels every year).

 

What has certainly never happened to me is being offered any sort of incentive to do so. If anyone did then I would certainly mention the fact in any review I wrote.

 

What I have seen more often lately is individual staff members asking that, if we do write a TripAdvisor review, we mention them by name. I believe this is because some companies offer bonuses to their staff based on the reviews. I only mention individual staff members if they have done something specifically to warrant it, and I largely ignore any mention of specific staff members by name when reading reviews. I am certainly not going to turn up somewhere and "make sure I ask for Chuck to be my driver".

To your points above: 

We have been asked to write reviews after the fact (examples: private tour in Ephesus, boutique hotel in Budapest) but, like you, we have never been offered an incentive for writing reviews or, specifically, positive reviews. We have no problem with a legitimate request to review a product/service we have purchased. However, I find offering rewards/incentives for posting positive reviews unethical. 

We have never been asked to mention a specific staff member when writing a review. We have been asked to evaluate the service provided by a particular employee - these were internal company evaluations and never posted publicly.

The TripAdvisor examples cited in post #18 appear to be clear violations of TripAdvisor's policy. I found the following: https://www.tripadvisor.com/TripAdvisorInsights/w591

The TripAdvisor posts that violate the rules should be reported and removed. Problem is, only those posts that complain would be removed - there is no way of knowing how many incentives were offered and reviews posted in reference to the company in question.

 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2019 by dogs4fun

[lois1112]

On 5/28/2019 at 4:40 PM, GlennaRoseGoes said:

I used SPB Tours in 2013, so when I booked another Baltic cruise that departs next month, of course I booked them again (why change companies when this one met all my needs?). Booked this tour back in February, so many months ago....then YESTERDAY I received an email from SPB stating that if I posted in CC about my booking and referred another member (who of course would have to use my name when booking), I get $20 off. 

 

So that may explain the sudden increase in posts, but I do agree it’s weird to have so many one hit wonders. FYI, I did not post because I don’t need to save $20 on a trip that is literally thousands of dollars. Even if I needed the $20, I am not pleading with strangers for it!

I booked (and have made payment) SPB after reading good reviews here on cruise critic. I leave in August , anyone use them lately. I'm getting nervous and leary now