Meituan addressed recent viral videos alleging that high-level Dazhong Dianping users were extorting merchants for free meals by threatening negative reviews. The company stated that investigations revealed these videos were staged, with some featuring business owners themselves posing as customers.
The platform confirmed that it found no evidence of actual extortion by users after reviewing the claims. Meituan emphasized that Dazhong Dianping treats all users equally, noting that the base traffic and weight of a review are identical regardless of whether the account is new or holds an Lv8 status.
To combat potential abuse, the company introduced a reporting feature last year allowing merchants to submit evidence, such as screenshots or video recordings, when faced with extortion attempts. Once verified, the platform takes action against the offending accounts.
During the current year, Dazhong Dianping has penalized 59 high-level accounts for extortion-related activities. Sanctions include hiding reviews, deducting integrity points, restricting review capabilities, lowering account levels, and banning users in severe cases.