Company sells ID cards to reviewers to get them better service at restaurants

I don't like the interviewer or the interviewee. "I took out my card and asked if I could pay 200 euros," Newman said. "In return, I would write a great review on TripAdvisor. The woman at the hotel immediately said yes. It was a win-win for both of us." This contradicts his own statement later: "If the hotel is close to the train station or has a comfy bed, that's why it's getting a good review."

That said, threatening to write a bad review is hardly extortion. And anyone can do it, so it's not like the preferential treatment is limited to only a few people who can write reviews online.

To me this idea seems like a double-edged blade: if you go in expecting better service via flashing your ReviewerCard, you're probably more likely to notice any minor problems or be frustrated at smaller signs of the waitstaff "neglecting" you.

"I showed her my ReviewerCard and it still took her 30 seconds to refill my Coke?!"

It defeats the point of a review. It's an almost sure way not to have the same service as other customers, so what's the point in reading it?