"Outrage over fake Jetstar Facebook page" - News Ltd

[Fruitcake]

Everything you've always wanted to write on an airline's social media page, but weren't able to:

Outrage over fake Jetstar Facebook page | Information, Gadgets, Mobile Phones News & Reviews | The Courier-Mail

JETSTAR has landed in the middle of a PR disaster after an internet hoaxer hijacked its Facebook page and started snapping at customers.

Customers of the budget airline were left confused and angry when an anonymous prankster registered on Facebook under the name "Jetstar Australia'', and using the airline's official logo, began rudely responding to their queries on the company's official page.

"This is a 'comment box', not a 'write a long story box'. Please shorten it and send it to someone who cares,'' the hoaxer replied to one woman's lengthy query.

Another who inquired about sale prices on a flight to the Gold Coast received the reply: "Don't be such a tight cough, and pay the full price. It's cheap anyway.''

 

[Fruitcake]

Ooops, wrong section - supposed to be 'travel news'. Now to figure out how to find a moderator around here...

 

[markis10]

Seek and ye shall find .

As to the subject, it's little wonder many people in Australia seem to think Facebook is a place mainly for narcissistic behaviour when something like this happens so easily.

http://allfacebook.com/study-australian-facebookers-are-narcissistic_b36770

 

[The Rok]

I PMSL when I read this early this morning. I thought it was hilarious.

 

[yohy?!]

love the 'we cancelled your flights' one ...hilarious

 

[Jousams]

Oh god this has made my day.



Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly app

 

[richie9x]

Some were funny. But i really think that telling someone their flight was cancelled crossed the line.

 

[Simo]

One of our fellow AFFer's members actually posted on the fake site with a response.

 

[smit0847]

This is hilarious - I wonder which company will be next to suffer this prank?

I can imagine a comment on the QF page: 'why are you cutting services to xx_?'
Prankster - 'here at Qantas, we tell you where and when to fly. If you don't like it, too bad'

 

[anat0l]

Is it really humorous due to the act, or is it only because we all hate Jetstar and enjoy watching them fail?

TBH I'm surprised it hasn't happened more often - not just to other airlines but more than once. Maybe this example was the only one to make the news.

It's rather easy to do, and to get away with, too (viz. it's hardly illegal, and/or no one will find out who did it). And of course, it does unmitigated collateral damage, since almost no one can tell between the real and fake comments / pages, and the company can't easily clean up the mess afterwards, which is further compounded by the fact that most of those who post already have an axe to grind with the company.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AustFreqFly

 

[dk4]

Well I just got stung with a fake email from "Jetstar".

Speaking as someone who doesn't hate them, and does fly with them quite a lot (mostly in economy on flights under 2 hours, where their price for HLO is competitive): I just assumed that it was a “schedule change” email, and automatically opened the attachment (momentarily forgetting that Jetstar now sends the flight detail in the body of the email, not as an attachment) not realising that it was a .zip rather than a .pdf.

So am left feeling duped and wondering what virus(es) I have now installed on my computer.

 

[Damon Klotz]

These sort of attacks happen quite often. I'm a Digital Strategist by day so this sort of thing is my worst nightmare when managing a brands online presence. A community management forum had a good laugh at this but also felt sympathetic for the team trying to clean up the mess.

 

[dfcatch]

Anat0l - it's because the prankster's responses are the responses that most on AFF would thoroughly believe as the private legitimate thoughts of JQ

I've said it before but I'll say it again, IMHO part of the whole JQ positioning WAS to come across as the a-holes of the airline industry in order to deliberately sabotage the image of LCC flying. Ie. make consumers aware that LCCs provide coughpy service and a "we don't care attitude".

Remember that JQ was formed to compete with DJ. By talking down the LCC image, JQ highlighted the difference between full service QF and LCC options.

By accident - JQ actually became successful and profitable and QF changed its strategy with JQ to one where JQ was actually viable in its own right rather than just to sabotage DJ.

This Facebook prank is just the chickens coming home to roost

More importantly - QF strategists should note that the lesson here is a timely reminder of how much JQ is loathed in the general community (regardless of how many fly it), and that people believe JQ would in fact harbour the opinions proffered by our prankster friend.

 

[markis10]

More importantly - QF strategists should note that the lesson here is a timely reminder of how much JQ is loathed in the general community (regardless of how many fly it), and that people believe JQ would in fact harbour the opinions proffered by our prankster friend.

The only lesson here is for the marketers, the easier it is to contact/get close to your customer via a certain portal you dont control, the easier it is for your opposition to do the same.

 

[dfcatch]

The only lesson here is for the marketers, the easier it is to contact/get close to your customer via a certain portal you dont control, the easier it is for your opposition to do the same.

I don't see how they could have prevented it one way or the other..??

 

[moa999]

Was it a fake Facebook site, or just a fake poster.
Just shows that Facebook needs to do more to protect corporate brands and have for example Authorised Reps or something.

 

[yohy?!]

Was it a fake Facebook site, or just a fake poster.
Just shows that Facebook needs to do more to protect corporate brands and have for example Authorised Reps or something.

an entire fake fan page

 

[markis10]

I don't see how they could have prevented it one way or the other..??

Dont make Facebook your main portal, versus an online forum hosted by JQ or whatever.

 

[medhead]

Well I didn't find the situation funny at all. Disgusting in fact, to prey on the weak minded types who generally write comments on the JQ Facebook page. They basically have no idea about flying. To get on there as a fake Jetstar and tell this disempowered people you've cancelled their flights is absolutely disgusting. Not to mention its fraudulent, which is illegal.

Sure Jetstar might deserve this cough, but their customers (aka victims) do not. Perhaps it might be nice to think about the victims of this prank.

Now I'm sure some of your are asking what's the different to me making fun of these people as well. The big difference is I don't misrepresent who I am, I'm open about who I am.

As for the fake Jetstar. They actually set up FB profiles as people called Jetstar Australia. (firstname, surname). As best I could work out there might have been 2 accounts, one male and one female. It was rather easy to spot them as fake because they were "people" you could add as a friend, they had been started 3 hours before, clicking on the link took you to a completely different "page" to the real Jetstar page and the appalling comments, of course.


Sent from the Throne

 

[medhead]

an entire fake fan page

It was 2 fake posters!


Sent from the Throne