Hi,
Has anyone received a legal notice for posting a review on google for a service?
If yes, please guide how to deal with such notice/issues?
Thanks
Hi,
Has anyone received a legal notice for posting a review on google for a service?
If yes, please guide how to deal with such notice/issues?
Thanks
@egurv I have not personally been served a legal notice for my reviews.
In my opinion, if we write honest, fair, constructive reviews based on our own experience in that location, with some proof we were actually there (for example receipts in a restaurant), we should not be in any trouble, unless there are some local laws that forbid it. If we are served with a legal notice, best to consult with a legal representative to get help.
I will tag our Connect moderator from Canada @Shirley for her opinions on this.
Not a lawyer myself, but I have not received legal notice for a review. but I have had legal action with a business I reviewed which was unrelated to the review I posted, but which brought my review into the legal action (for no reason other than being comprehensive about my interactions with the business in all forums).I can share with you the legal advice I received, which isn’t revolutionary, but it can help to be reminded of the guidelines.
@egurv : Disclaimer, I am also not a lawyer. I am based in Canada though on the west coast.
It is rather difficult to provide suggestions given I’m not sure on what grounds you have received this legal notice. @Kwiksatik has provided some rough “guidelines” but I also want to point you to the Terms and Conditions of the Local Guides program as well. If the legal notice points to indication that you have violated the T&Cs of the program, then there may be some legitimacy to it but if it does not, then I’m not aware of any laws within Canada, at least not in BC, that would prevent you from posting reviews for a service.
At this point, have you already been served?
Thanks, @StephenAbraham @Kwiksatik @Shirley for the prompt response.
Am I OK to post the review here and add my comments to the review? Maybe we can dissect it further? Are these posts searchable by the public?
I have not received notice as yet but I got a call from business (who happens to be a law firm) and looks like I will be getting one soon.
Thanks
@egurv :
Local Guides Connect is a public forum, so yes, it is possible to view what you post here (even if someone does not have an account to the forum). If you feel comfortable, you can post very broadly or in a general sense what the situation is, ie. without identifying the business or any explicit details. However, at the same time, given that none of us are lawyers, I’m not entirely sure we would be able to provide a lot of insight. Do you have in mind what questions you may have? We will do our best to assist, but I’m unsure what your expectations may be.
Thanks @Kwiksatik for your help!
Thanks @Kwiksatik
@Shirley - I want is very general opinion from some experts as to if you see any maliciousness in this review. I am pasting 4 lines followed by my comments.
The firm does not own ownership for the work assigned.
>> I have an email trail that they dropped the ball with regards to the task they were assigned (multiple times).
Had to keep following up for dates and tasks.
>> Have email trail where multiple follow-ups had to made to get a couple of issues sorted out.
Missed closing date.
>> Have proof for this too - paperwork
Try different firm and save hassle.
>> My opinion
I have heard that I will be receiving a legal notice for this review. Thanks a lot in advance for your time.
@egurv : I wouldn’t call myself an expert, at least not on this matter, but I can provide what I think.
A few things come too my mind:
Were you informed that the legal notice is due to maliciousness?
It seems like the first three statements are indeed facts, and facts that you can actually back up. I don’t know if it may be worthwhile to elaborate a bit more on those statements, ie. including the comments you have or a concrete example of how the firm did not take ownership.
The fourth statement may be interpreted as maliciousness though if maliciousness is to be considered on a spectrum, it would barely be considered as malicious. While you are encouraged to provide your opinion and experiences, this particular statement may come off a bit aggressive and misleading, though it likely was not your intention.
When I provide reviews on Google Maps, I tend to provide the facts, both good and the bad. I think it is important for readers to make an informed decision rather than telling the reader what to do. This is why I indicated that the fourth statement could come off as malicious as it seems like you’re telling the readers to take their business elsewhere versus the readers should come to that conclusion themselves upon reading your review.
Let me know what you think, not sure if this is helpful or not.
Thanks @Shirley for the detailed explanation. I learned something new.
I am going to put this conversation on hold for a few days to wait and see if I receive the notice and what are the content of the note and then will be able to discuss it openly.
Thanks again - have a good weekend.