Meriton's 5-Star Masking Scheme - ACCC vs. Meriton

Many businesses today rely on social media and positive reviews to attract business.  Consumers like to read reviews before staying at a hotel or holiday destination or trying a new product or service.  Certain websites such as TripAdvisor, facilitate this process by ranking businesses that have received more positive ratings and reviews more highly than those which have not.  Of course, it is not surprising that some businesses have deliberately attempted to manipulate their reviews/ratings in order to achieve a higher ranking against competitors.  Meriton Property Services Pty Ltd (Meriton) is the most recent organisation to face legal action over such conduct.  In a Federal Court judgment commenced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and handed down on 10 November 2017 by Moshinsky J, Meriton was found to have engaged in conduct that was misleading or deceptive or was likely to mislead or deceive consumers in contravention of the Australian