Since 1994 Utopia Management has prided ourselves at providing top-notch property management services to our customers. Today we manage over 1,000 properties throughout Southern California. So how does an established, reputable company end up with such an alarmingly low Yelp rating? The answer, while unfortunate, is quite simple. Yelp has been accused of extorting thousands of businesses like ours in an attempt to drive their “premium listings” and other services. We absolutely understand the importance of thoroughly researching and vetting any business you are considering patronizing, in fact we have an extremely stringent process that we put all of our vendors through prior to working with them. But sadly, the fact of the matter is Yelp is not an unbiased source of information. A quick Google search of “Yelp Extortion” will return over 150,000 results, ranging from articles in major news outlets to lawsuits that are currently pending against the company.
We have been contacted by Yelp sales reps on countless occasions, and we have always politely declined their services. We do not believe in supporting a business that bases itself in deception of both consumers and business owners. When we realized that our Yelp page was being manipulated, we asked Yelp to simply remove our listing, which has been refused by them each and every time.
We urge you to extend your research beyond the manipulated reviews on our Yelp page. We have a 5 star rating on Customer Lobby, an A+ rating on Better Business Bureau, and a 4.1 average rating on Google. In addition, we would love to put you in touch with some of our current customers who we feel can provide honest, transparent feedback that won’t be subject to the financial motives that Yelp is.
A great deal has changed in the years since we first posted this letter, and some of it has been encouraging. In October 2024 the Federal Trade Commission’s rule on consumer reviews and testimonials took effect, and it finally puts in writing much of what we have argued here for years:
- fake or paid reviews, whether positive or negative, are now prohibited outright;
- buying or selling reviews, and faking indicators of social-media influence, are banned;
- knowing violations can carry civil penalties of up to $51,744 each.
We welcome every bit of that. We have never bought a review or paid to bury an honest one, and we are glad the rules now say plainly that no company should. Our own approach to feedback has not changed in all these years: we read what our customers write, we respond to it, and where an owner or resident raises a fair concern we would rather fix the underlying problem than the rating.
If you’re interested in talking to one of our many happy customers, please fill out the form on the right and we will happy to put you in touch.
We appreciate that our customers go the extra mile to ensure that their properties will be taken care of by their property management company, which is why we are always open and honest about our service offerings. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can help clarify any misconceptions you may have seen on our Yelp page.
If you are still skeptical about the legitimacy of Yelp reviews, we recommend the video below which is one small business owners well-documented account of this shady behavior on Yelp’s behalf.
It deeply saddens us that we have to write this post, but you as the consumer deserve better than to end up in the hands of a company that provides subpar service but is willing to pay to conceal it.
Sincerely,
Utopia Management Team
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Utopia Management handle reviews?
We read what our customers write and respond to it directly. We have never bought a review, paid to bury an honest one, or asked a platform to hide a fair complaint, and the FTC’s 2024 rule now bans all of that. Where an owner or resident raises a genuine concern, we would rather fix the underlying problem than the rating.
Are online reviews reliable?
Some are and some are not. We understand the importance of thoroughly researching and vetting any business, which is why we put every vendor through a stringent process ourselves. But not every platform is unbiased, so we recommend extending your research across several sources, including Customer Lobby, the Better Business Bureau and Google, rather than trusting a single page.
How can I leave feedback for Utopia Management?
Contact us directly with any questions or concerns so we can help clarify them. We are always open and honest about our service offerings, and we would rather hear from you than have you rely on a manipulated review page. You can also fill out the form on this page, and we will be glad to put you in touch with current customers.