Threat Of Lawsuit For A Negative Review???

[Jeff Miller]

Dang! I was just sent an email by an angry online retailer threatening to sue me because I put up a review that he didn't like. My review was factual and even stated things that were good about his product but stated matter of fact that it did not work as advertised for me. He considered this slander and is referring it to his lawyer for defamation. REALLY!!!

What is next? Hopefully nobody will start suing Elio forum users for saying things they don't agree with.

 

[BilgeRat]

Crikey... Guess I'd better watch my back with a certain Chicago auto insurance company then. At least I'll have company; fourteen of us gave them a 1 star review on Yelp...

 

[WilliamH]

Dang! I was just sent an email by an angry online retailer threatening to sue me because I put up a review that he didn't like. My review was factual and even stated things that were good about his product but stated matter of fact that it did not work as advertised for me. He considered this slander and is referring it to his lawyer for defamation. REALLY!!!

What is next? Hopefully nobody will start suing Elio forum users for saying things they don't agree with.

Wait till they start making veiled threats like "I know where you live".
Already been there.

 

[floydv]

Truth is a defense to a defamation case. I wouldn't worry about it unless you lied or made something up that's material to the company.

 

[WilliamH]

Truth is a defense to a defamation case. I wouldn't worry about it unless you lied or made something up that's material to the company.

Yes it is.
But can you afford the legal fees to defend a defamation case?

 

[Jeff Miller]

Truth is a defense to a defamation case. I wouldn't worry about it unless you lied or made something up that's material to the company.

Yes it is.
But can you afford the legal fees to defend a defamation case?

I have been truthful and factual so I do not believe I am in any legal trouble. I do however fear having to defend myself, the headaches it will cause, and any costs associated with it.

What is alarming to me is that after doing just a few searches it appears that this type of behavior appears to be very common. I find it unfortunate that online sites ask you to give a review and when they don't like it they remove it and threaten you. It just tells me that I should never trust any reviews. This makes me want to go back to swapping services and tools with only those that can do a handshake on the deal. Unfortunately, with so much going to the internet those opportunities are becoming few an far between.

 

[BilgeRat]

If you look on "that insurance company's" website, you see only positive reviews. There's also a fine print note with a logo that reads something like: Comments managed by reputation.com. When you look them up on yelp.com, you find an entirely different tale.

 

[Coss]

Dang! I was just sent an email by an angry online retailer threatening to sue me because I put up a review that he didn't like. My review was factual and even stated things that were good about his product but stated matter of fact that it did not work as advertised for me. He considered this slander and is referring it to his lawyer for defamation. REALLY!!!
What is next? Hopefully nobody will start suing Elio forum users for saying things they don't agree with.

He's threatening to sue because you gave him a bad review.
That sounds as nutz as the time I had a lawyer call threatening to sue because one of my website showed up ahead of his in the search engine.
Never laughed that hard in the face of a lawyer before; and as long as you're not affiliated to the guy that sent you the email you should be doing the same, because his lawyer is going to do the same to him. He's got a snowballs chance in hell of having a case against you.
Because the internet is not the US only internet, he's got nothing on you. He's blowing smoke and just venting.

 

[floydv]

Yes it is.
But can you afford the legal fees to defend a defamation case?

I don't lose sleep worrying about it. Little to no chance anyone's going to take you to court on a truthful review. Plus my attorney's license gives me some comfort.

 

[3wheelin]

I have been truthful and factual so I do not believe I am in any legal trouble. I do however fear having to defend myself, the headaches it will cause, and any costs associated with it.

What is alarming to me is that after doing just a few searches it appears that this type of behavior appears to be very common. I find it unfortunate that online sites ask you to give a review and when they don't like it they remove it and threaten you. It just tells me that I should never trust any reviews. This makes me want to go back to swapping services and tools with only those that can do a handshake on the deal. Unfortunately, with so much going to the internet those opportunities are becoming few an far between.

You can always sue them back for legal fees "if" they lose their case against you. Just make sure you can prove that as you claimed it "didn't work for you as advertised".