back to article Yelp files competition complaint against Google search biz in EU

Local services review site Yelp has formally submitted a complaint against Google's search business to Brussels' competition officials. It comes as the European Commission's antitrust chief Joaquin Almunia pushes to bring an end to a lengthy probe of the ad giant by sealing a proposed settlement deal with Google, even as …

  1. Richard Jones 1
    Flame

    Who, What, Why

    Who the heck are this apparently secret lot? Apart from having a name that sounds like a neighbour's dog complaining, why have I never heard of them before and more to the point, why would I need to know about them?

    Broadly speaking I am in favour of choice, but I am also in favour of getting things done with the least effort. This does not included looking under every stone in case there is some other hidden group with which I may or may not be able to do some form of as yet unknown business.

    If they are so darned good (at what?) why have I never heard of them?

    Are they some form of yellow pages?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Who, What, Why

      Yelp is a ratings/review site that has been accused of extortionist practices by some small businesses - http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/31/business/la-fi-lazarus-20140401.

      Having said that, I don't know how true the accusations are, and I've used it often when I am searching for a nice restaurant. They do have a decent directory with good customer reviews. I have yet to understand what is their beef with Google, though. To me the business models don't seem to overlap, only touch in places. In fact, I found Yelp ratings through a Google search.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      'If they are so darned good (at what?) why have I never heard of them?'

      We need local listings...

      Yelp does offer functionality over Google... Outside the USA Yelp can return more local info than Google i.e. SME's in UK & Ireland.

      Its the type of info that can prove important when searching for smaller businesses, the ones we still need for real-world services i.e. specialized fabricators or engineering shops or just plumbers and hairdressers etc... i.e. The type of business that does good work by word of mouth, but that doesn't have an online presence or footprint...

      Its the type of business that Google doesn't care about, and therefore doesn't bother to index or does index, but then substantially demotes in its search results i.e. page 10-100, because there's so few site interlinks, and its not being paid to promote it, which is key here!

      Another possibility is that its a business that Google has become confused about, i.e. one operating in Dublin, Ireland versus Dublin, Ohio etc...

      Overall local index pages have merits, and can appeal to local businesses. Whereas Google is too global facing, and all too often promotes those paying more to move up its search results in unrelated countries...

    3. Stevie

      Re: If they are so darned good (at what?) why have I never heard of them?

      More importantly, having seen the name, why couldn't you simply Google them?

      Like this: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=yelp

  2. cracked
    Mushroom

    Search Restrictions

    People just won't listen, will they?! It must make the EU hopping mad.

    And if people don't start to listen ... Eventually it will be like water restrictions, won't it?

    People will only be allowed to use Google on Wednesdays and Sundays. Every other day they'll have to use Bing (apart from Monday, 4pm - 7:30pm, when they must use Yahoo).

    EU Citizens will be able to earn EuroCoins for searches on niche engines. Triple coins on a Sunday, for using that Wolfram thing. Anyone using Ask more than twice in a decade will be entitled to a week off work, unpaid, and receive three years worth of Saturday afternoon Google search credits (for use before 6am)

    As a weekend approaches, with people desperate for their Google-fix, a black market in screen-grabs of the Google Results Page will flourish. The most highly prized gear will be animated gifs of the end-to-end search process (including auto-complete!!). People will be murdered for possession of the raunchiest material and old men will be prosecuted for enjoying it in the company of teens.

    The Grabbie-Racket will finally be exposed in the Daily Mail, when a ninety-four year old great grandmother of nineteen is heartlessly jailed for the possession of only 4 (four!) USB sticks.

    Horrified by the fallout of the old woman's jailing, advertisers will abandon search engine placement altogether. Instead concentrating on advertising in pr0n videos and unlicensed streams of sporting events.

    Thereby completely ruining the only previously decent content on the web, causing everyone to abandon it and return to using Teletext.

    This will cause the fledgling ski-tourism industry in North Korea to collapse, as everyone returns to holidaying for a fortnight in Torremolinos. In a fit of pique, the North Koreans will launch a massive nuclear strike against Google's HQ; wiping out much of the moon (and several hot air balloons) in the process.

    Before a dead Steve Jobs arises and puts all the blame on Samsung, then has a law passed mandating every man, woman and child buy Apple wearables engraved with the face of Jonny [sic] Ive.

    The EU says: Stop using Google. You know it makes sense.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well I've had a look and I think I should file a usability complaint against Yelp with the EU.

  4. Stevie

    Bah!

    Yelp should leave a stinking review of Google on Yelp.

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