Can a company sue me for a bad review?
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Can a company sue me for a bad review?
You can be sued. The company responded with demand letters to remove the poor reviews, then filed a defamation lawsuit worth $112,000 dollars claiming the bad reviews caused reputation damage.
Can you be sued for online comments?
Yes, you can sue for social media defamation.
How bad reviews can ruin a business?
Research shows that one negative review drives away 22\% of prospects, around 30 customers. The percentage of lost customers increases with an increase in negative reviews. Three negative reviews drive away customers by 59.2\%. More than four negative reviews increase your lost customers to 70\%.
Is it illegal to leave bad reviews?
To be honest, the answer is: It depends. For the most part, reviews are covered under the First Amendment, which protects free speech. If a customer posts a review that is factually inaccurate or contains accusations about your business that are untrue, you may have grounds to sue the online reviewer for defamation.
How do you deal with online defamation?
If you’re confident that you are indeed dealing with an instance of online defamation, there are several steps you can take to remedy the situation.
- Do Nothing.
- Collect Evidence.
- Get a Lawyer.
- Send a Cease and Desist Letter.
- Publish Your Own Statement.
- Sue for Defamation.
How do you respond to a negative online review?
Steps To Responding To Negative Reviews
- Respond Quickly.
- Acknowledge The Customer’s Complaint.
- Apologize & Empathize.
- Take Responsibility.
- Provide An Explanation If Needed.
- Take The Discussion Offline.
- Make It Right.
Can I get in trouble for writing a bad review?
Can you sue someone for writing a bad review?
For the most part, reviews are covered under the First Amendment, which protects free speech. If a customer posts a review that is factually inaccurate or contains accusations about your business that are untrue, you may have grounds to sue the online reviewer for defamation.
Is it illegal to delete bad reviews?
File a Legal Removal Request for the Bad Review of Your Business. In the case of your business, this would potentially in the case of possible slander against you or your brand, which is illegal in the United States.
Can a company sue you for leaving a bad review online?
Some companies would even go to the extent of using non-disparagement clauses in contracts to sue consumers who left bad reviews online or outrightly intimidating them into giving positive reviews.
Is it illegal for companies to ban customers from posting negative reviews?
To back this up, Congress passed a law in 2016 called the Consumer Review Fairness Act, which made it illegal for companies to add terms to their contracts that banned customers from posting negative reviews—or fined them if they do. These terms were becoming increasingly common at the time.
What to do if a company is suing you?
If a company ends up suing you on these grounds, report the matter on the FTC website. If you live in any one of the 29 states that currently have an anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) laws, and are being sued for a bad review, you can petition the court to dismiss the suit on the basis that it lacks merit.
Who is harmed when businesses try to squelch honest negative reviews?
But another group is also harmed when others try to squelch honest negative reviews: businesses that work hard to earn positive reviews. The Consumer Review Fairness Act was passed in response to reports that some businesses try to prevent people from giving honest reviews about products or services they received.