Is coercing or even bribing students to write a good review for a school legal?

[Mashu]

What is the name of your state? Virginia

If a previous student of an accredited institute left a negative review and it was met with multiple responses from current students all reading the exact same, is that evidence of coercion? And is that illegal?

Speaking from personal experience, I know people that have been paid to write a good review for this school, and have other evidence of the owner of the institute editing reviews.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state? Virginia

If a previous student of an accredited institute left a negative review and it was met with multiple responses from current students all reading the exact same, is that evidence of coercion? And is that illegal?

Speaking from personal experience, I know people that have been paid to write a good review for this school, and have other evidence of the owner of the institute editing reviews.

A negative review was written and all of the responses to the negative review were identical?

That is not necessarily evidence of "coercion" nor would it necessarily be illegal.

It could only be evidence that the student-responders lack creativity.

 

[justalayman]

What is the name of your state? Virginia

If a previous student of an accredited institute left a negative review and it was met with multiple responses from current students all reading the exact same, is that evidence of coercion? And is that illegal?

Speaking from personal experience, I know people that have been paid to write a good review for this school, and have other evidence of the owner of the institute editing reviews.

No, it is not evidence of coercion, but even if it was, why do you believe there is anything to be done about it?

The owner of a website be generally has the ability to edit postings on their website.

 

[xylene]

Don't write reviews unless you get something out of it, directly or indirectly.

 

[quincy]

Following is a link to the FTC on online reviews, fake or deceptive ones of which can lead to legal problems for the companies publishing the reviews.

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2014/03/can-you-believe-review

The FTC video is especially gripping.