The article draws most of its facts from a tiktok video of a person saying they found X, discovered Y, heard Z from Facebook.
The link that says "businesses team up with bots" links to a tiktok video.
They reinforce the idea that people figured this out because people said it was happening in India, on Facebook.
I wonder if there's any smoking guns?
Also just a fucking disgusting UX. Gross website.
They quoted someone with over 20k followers and 5M likes on TikTok, those are some serious bona fides.
I wonder if there's any smoking guns?
People must be smoking something else if they think that restaurants would waste their time doing something so stupid.
I don't know whether this story is real or not, but I've worked for several restaurant owners who would absolutely do this. They would not only do it, they would brag non-stop to anyone who would listen about how clever they were to come up with the idea. There are unfortunately a lot of business owners out there for whom the only thing they like more than making money is making money by directly screwing someone over. It's the only thing that makes them feel smart. I've had the misfortune of working for a few of them.
If this isn't a thing now, I guarantee someone is going to try it.
Omg tiktok journalism once again
Are they being advised by Nathan Fielder?
Whoever came up with the idea probably had really good grades.
Nah, this is more a Scott Auckerman deal
Maybe a half of a wyr scenario
The second I saw TikTok I realized this is news generated for 12 year olds.
No thanks. Report as fake and move on.
This is the most made up sounding story I've allowed myself to be clickbaited into for a while.
Great plan. There’s no way this can backfire!
“She found out that there are restaurants now posing as people on dating apps, just so you go to their business. And once you get stood up, they know that probably 9 times out of 10 you’re going to buy something from them.”
Wow.
She "found out", yet she provide no evidence?
What's more likely? Restaurants are engaging in an elaborate conspiracy, or this woman is mentally ill?
Did you read the part where she found out because multiple women had the exact same experience at the exact same restaurant?
Definitely more likely that some company is fucking with people for profit. That’s, like, their thing.
Wow, that's a pretty horrible. It's creative, but heinously immoral.
Horse shit. If any restaurant has time to do that shit, they aren't making enough money to stay in business. Fucking making an article where your source is a comment chain from a video. What nonsense.
Not that I think this is real, but tbf the restaurant doing this is absolutely the one floundering to stay in business.
Pretty sure this article was written by AI... Bots all the way down.
bored panda is a social media aggregator... they rip shit from reddit all the time.
Thanks, came here to say this does not read like a human wrote it
Tell them: "Don't worry, my date is paying for the meal." And leave.
What a garbage article. The entire basis of the story is conjecture from a TikTok comment.
I bet it's true. Need some evidence though.
I think its one of those "i made it up but it turns out its true" stories.
50-50 whether this is real or made up for likes
Just don't go to a restaurant for the first date. Go for a walk first.
Whoa that's a great idea
Damn, capitalism, you dark!
After reading half of article, things seem fishy. Not sure I believe it.
Stonks
very credible story
I mean we're on "notheonion" so it makes sense
Hey mods, please remove this. Whether or not this is a real phenomenon, this article shows and proves nothing.
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