Fake / Damaging Google Reviews
Discussion
Hi
Just wondered what the legal position on this is? There's a planning row going on at the moment where an application has been made to demolish a building. Objectors want the building to be listed. Anyway, one of the objectors has posted a link to the Architect's Google review page and basically asked people to trash it. The link is on a Facebook group with 17,000 members.
The Architect is acting as an agent for the owner of the building. So if there's any anger to be directed surely its at the owner of the building?
I was more interested to know if legally people can just give fake reviews for a business because they don't like what the business is doing having never been a customer with no recourse?
So could one go on Google and just say businesses are crap that I have never been a customer of without fear of recourse or start a campaign as in the above case ??
Thanks
Just wondered what the legal position on this is? There's a planning row going on at the moment where an application has been made to demolish a building. Objectors want the building to be listed. Anyway, one of the objectors has posted a link to the Architect's Google review page and basically asked people to trash it. The link is on a Facebook group with 17,000 members.
The Architect is acting as an agent for the owner of the building. So if there's any anger to be directed surely its at the owner of the building?
I was more interested to know if legally people can just give fake reviews for a business because they don't like what the business is doing having never been a customer with no recourse?
So could one go on Google and just say businesses are crap that I have never been a customer of without fear of recourse or start a campaign as in the above case ??
Thanks
Ok. The guy posting the Architect’s link is saying there’s nothing legally to stop him posting ( the link) and asking people to (negatively) review the business. I thought it may be harassment plus if the business owner is having to spend time getting in touch with Google, Facebook etc to remove false reviews then they have incurred a cost ?
I just get pissed off with people thinking they can trash businesses under ‘opinion’ and freedom of speech without a modicum of common sense. In this case air your views with the building owner not the Architect’s business.
I read a very negative review of a hotel a couple of months ago because a woman had got up extra early and there was a drowned frog in the swimming pool (with photo of deceased frog). She was saying the hotel should have a 24hr cleaning system in place. People were agreeing with her saying their children could get poisoned and not to use the hotel.
I just get pissed off with people thinking they can trash businesses under ‘opinion’ and freedom of speech without a modicum of common sense. In this case air your views with the building owner not the Architect’s business.
I read a very negative review of a hotel a couple of months ago because a woman had got up extra early and there was a drowned frog in the swimming pool (with photo of deceased frog). She was saying the hotel should have a 24hr cleaning system in place. People were agreeing with her saying their children could get poisoned and not to use the hotel.
As I am in marketing I know this feeling well. We had a repeat fake reviewer.
There really is essentially two steps:
1) Respond as soon as you are made aware of the review. Respond with an apology to the person involved, but also where possible check records to see if you can prove that it is fake and the person has not been in contact with the business. Finish it with simply ways to contact you should they need to discuss it further
2) Report it to Google for review - these are the reasons for why reviews can be removed - https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answ... and this is how to do it - https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773...
When ours occurred I was only made aware by chance and nothing more, unfortunately for the fake reviewer he had done multiple ones over a short period, I checked our internal records and found no contact. Easy from there and the fake review was removed in 48 hours of the report (I had also covered us by doing step 1 as well).
There really is essentially two steps:
1) Respond as soon as you are made aware of the review. Respond with an apology to the person involved, but also where possible check records to see if you can prove that it is fake and the person has not been in contact with the business. Finish it with simply ways to contact you should they need to discuss it further
2) Report it to Google for review - these are the reasons for why reviews can be removed - https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answ... and this is how to do it - https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773...
When ours occurred I was only made aware by chance and nothing more, unfortunately for the fake reviewer he had done multiple ones over a short period, I checked our internal records and found no contact. Easy from there and the fake review was removed in 48 hours of the report (I had also covered us by doing step 1 as well).
Not so easy when in retail as you probably won't have a record of the visit if they don't buy something.
We've had fake reviews from people we just know to be competitors in areas that we operate but can't prove they weren't a visitor for other items so it's ignored by Google and the like.
Trashing other peoples businesses just because they can is rife.
We've had fake reviews from people we just know to be competitors in areas that we operate but can't prove they weren't a visitor for other items so it's ignored by Google and the like.
Trashing other peoples businesses just because they can is rife.
Ive suffered this before, a job applicant didnt get the job, so decided to trash our google reviews with fake reviews, we knew they were fakes
Worst thing was we didnt want any reviews , good or bad
I flagged the review - sod all happens
I actually managed to get through to someone @ Google and sod all happened
The only way I could remove the reviews was to remove my listing from google "places" which is now "google my business" which was their app for listing your business on the map. The reviews were tied in to the business listing, once the business listing was removed the ability to leave or list reviews is gone, its the nuclear option but worked for us . The product we sell does not necessitate Google reviews, good or bad, but bad reviews would really put off future clients
This was about 3/4 years ago, heres a similiar link : https://support.google.com/business/answer/4669092...
It was a complete pain for us as whenever we were googled the first hit in the top right corner was a load of 1 star fake reviews.
I think the whole system of online reviews is just ripe for abuse
Dont even get me started on Glassdoor...
Worst thing was we didnt want any reviews , good or bad
I flagged the review - sod all happens
I actually managed to get through to someone @ Google and sod all happened
The only way I could remove the reviews was to remove my listing from google "places" which is now "google my business" which was their app for listing your business on the map. The reviews were tied in to the business listing, once the business listing was removed the ability to leave or list reviews is gone, its the nuclear option but worked for us . The product we sell does not necessitate Google reviews, good or bad, but bad reviews would really put off future clients
This was about 3/4 years ago, heres a similiar link : https://support.google.com/business/answer/4669092...
It was a complete pain for us as whenever we were googled the first hit in the top right corner was a load of 1 star fake reviews.
I think the whole system of online reviews is just ripe for abuse
Dont even get me started on Glassdoor...
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Friday 3rd August 12:25
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Friday 3rd August 12:26
Encouraging someone to post fake damaging reviews probably isn't illegal.
Posting fake damaging reviews is "Defamation" the company targeted can sue for damages and take out an injunction agaisnt the accuser.
There may also be some recourse against the company providing the review system if complaints about fake reviews are not handled in a timely manner.
The best course of action is for the Architect to publicly respond suggesting something like "we're keen to resolve and issues" and privately send letter suggesting legal action for defamation is being considered.
Of they could hammer frozen sausages in their usb port.
Posting fake damaging reviews is "Defamation" the company targeted can sue for damages and take out an injunction agaisnt the accuser.
There may also be some recourse against the company providing the review system if complaints about fake reviews are not handled in a timely manner.
The best course of action is for the Architect to publicly respond suggesting something like "we're keen to resolve and issues" and privately send letter suggesting legal action for defamation is being considered.
Of they could hammer frozen sausages in their usb port.
ts like him, I find it hard to have sympathy for his cause.Vron said:
Interesting thanks folks. The thing that’s really bugging me is the guy encouraging the others hasn’t even had the balls to leave a negative review first!
Hasn't the balls or has the intelligence to get other people to take the risks for him. I would think it's far harder to prosecute and instigator than a perpetrator."He told me to do it" hasn't been a valid defence since I was in the playground.
Agreed. This sort of thing instantly turns me off of what may have been a valid campaign in the same way as I make a mental note not to support charities that use chuggers or pushy campaigning.
hornmeister said:
Encouraging someone to post fake damaging reviews probably isn't illegal.
Posting fake damaging reviews is "Defamation" the company targeted can sue for damages and take out an injunction agaisnt the accuser.
..
OP, the above is well intended but is inaccurate. Posting fake damaging reviews is "Defamation" the company targeted can sue for damages and take out an injunction agaisnt the accuser.
..
Encouraging someone to commit a civil wrong against someone else might itself be a civil wrong. All would depend on the circumstances. As for an injunction, leaving aside the fact that no one can "take out an injunction " against anyone, prior restraint of alleged libels is vanishingly rare. Injunctions are granted in defamation cases after final determination of liability, but almost never on an interim basis.
Damages would only be awarded on proof of serious harm to the business.
Disregard all posters referring to slander, as they are also barking up the wrong tree. Slander is the sub set of defamation that occurs when false and damaging words are spoken by A to B about C. Online defamation is libel. Disregard also misplaced references to prosecution.
Remedies via websites are usually quicker and cheaper than litigation. Outside the crazy fantasy litigation world of PH, where everyone seems ready to sue over the slightest thing, defamation lawsuits are usually best left for rich and silly people.
\
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 8th August 21:18
People have been jailed over fake review extortion in america
One guy twice for doing it against the same company
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/06/25/extortion...
Basically don't do anything really disagreeable online, as the consequences can be far more serious than you expect
It seems that many of the laws regarding computer crimes are along the lines of
I don't know what a computer is, but i've heard they can be used to commit crimes, let's make a broad law that makes everything illegal and let the courts pick and choose what they don't like.
One guy twice for doing it against the same company
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/06/25/extortion...
Basically don't do anything really disagreeable online, as the consequences can be far more serious than you expect
It seems that many of the laws regarding computer crimes are along the lines of
I don't know what a computer is, but i've heard they can be used to commit crimes, let's make a broad law that makes everything illegal and let the courts pick and choose what they don't like.
had this recently when we wouldn't employ someone who tried to hide a fraud conviction from us.
as you can imagine soon as we found out recruitment process went south pretty quick. queue us getting slandered round the trade and a few dodgy reviews. problem is he's not bright enough to use an account rather than the one with his name in it. either that or he doesn't care
as you can imagine soon as we found out recruitment process went south pretty quick. queue us getting slandered round the trade and a few dodgy reviews. problem is he's not bright enough to use an account rather than the one with his name in it. either that or he doesn't care
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