One recent case has soared into the outrage stratosphere, as a small inn in upstate New York City has been called out for a policy that ostensibly charges weddings a $500 fee for any negative Yelp review. The inn in question is the Union Street Guest House, and has been drawn into a widely controversial stream related to discouraging negative reviews.
First reported by gossipy Page Six, the original policy stated:
Please know that despite the fact that wedding couples love Hudson and our inn, your friends and families may not. If you have booked the inn for a wedding or other type of event . . . and given us a deposit of any kind . . . there will be a $500 fine that will be deducted from your deposit for every negative review . . . placed on any internet site by anyone in your party.
