Social networking soapboxes: The problem with these unfiltered sites is that there is no referee to prevent false claims. These can come from customers who don't have a leg to stand on or from opposition businesses to damage a competing company.

Gay Byrne ran a consumer complaints section on his radio programme and he often said that the majority of complaints were vindictive, trivial or just plain wrong (and he made detailed examinations of thousands of complaints). You can imagine the percentage when people can hide behind the anonymity of a website. So I don't have the gung-ho approach that Conor Pope has to these sites. – John Williams

Many experienced users of forums and Twitter can filter their results, knowing which user's opinions they respect and can usually spot fakes or imposters. These would make up the bulk of people providing this headache for big business. Take TripAdvisor, it is often littered with ridiculous reports trying to damage a hotel's rep. But anyone with a bit of sense will look beyond the Americans complaining about the bathroom taps or the size of the bed in a three-star Parisian hotel and look more to the English and Irish who will note more important things like door locks not working, if it's cheaper to eat breakfast down the road and whether the sheets are filthy. – Paul M