Nobody wants to be the subject of nasty internet reviews. Discover your legal rights, as well as how and when to reply to a negative internet review.
What you’ll discover:
What alternatives do companies have to remove unfavorable reviews?
How can a company get fraudulent reviews deleted from an internet platform?
Does reacting to negative reviews assist businesses?
Is it possible to sue an online platform or a reviewer for a negative, fraudulent, or misleading review?
Is it legal for me to create my own reviews or to urge others to post reviews for me?
Is it permissible to provide incentives to remove a negative review or submit a favorable one?
Internet reviews have the power to make or ruin a company. One negative review may be devastating to your company, discouraging prospective new consumers and tarnishing your reputation. Small company owners may want to combat negative feedback by editing or erasing internet reviews and complaints. Sadly, this is not always simple or even practical. When it comes to dealing with negative reviews, small company owners must think strategically and patiently. Continue reading to understand how to reply to a negative, inaccurate, or misleading review and how to fight back.
Table of Contents
What alternatives do companies have to remove unfavorable reviews?
Here are some methods for removing unfavorable reviews to assist maintain your company’s online reputation:
Delete any negative internet reviews.
If you’ve been in company for any length of time, you’ve almost certainly gotten a nasty or improper internet review. You don’t have to put up with these negative reviews harming your brand on a daily basis. Depending on where the review is placed, the search engine or website may provide the opportunity for company owners to erase bad reviews.
Several systems, for example, restrict the following in online reviews:
Illegal material.
False information (including spam).
The material is offensive.
Containment that is derogatory.
Impersonation.
If a review includes any of the following, you may ask for it to be removed. Check the site’s policy for inappropriate material first.
Request that the consumer or client amend or remove the bad review.
You may request that the customer or client change or erase the unfavorable review, which may assist you in turning a poor customer experience into a good one.
Consider the customer’s point of view before contacting them. For instance, does the review accurately represent their experience? Is there anything you can do to help the situation?
Then, call the consumer and convey sympathy while offering a solution. Inform them that you appreciate the chance to “put things right.” If the consumer accepts your offer to resolve the issue, you may ask that the review be revised or deleted.
According to the Customer Review Fairness Act, it is unlawful to punish or intimidate consumers who provide an honest review. Instead, be patient and empathetic, as in other customer encounters. This repair will most likely take time.
Things to do before filing a lawsuit
If all else fails, you might take legal action to get the bad internet review removed. For example, if the review breaches any laws, you may notify the website or search engine directly with this information.
Flag the material first before contacting the site or search engine with your complaint. Let’s have a look at how to accomplish it on Google.
Just click on the flag (or three dots) next to the improper negative review to notify the business. Google then examines the flagged reviews to see if they should be deleted.
In addition to flagging, you may send the poster a Cease and Desist Letter. If a disgruntled client is defaming you and your company via online reviews, you may send them a Stop and Desist Letter instructing them to cease publishing and removing false bad evaluations.
How can a company get fraudulent reviews deleted from an internet platform?
Internet platforms feature a wide range of fraudulent content, including fake news, phony profiles, and fake reviews. You may take action if your company is being targeted with phony internet reviews. Most online review sites consider fake online reviews to be a clear violation of their terms of service. If you can show that a review is fraudulent, you may be able to contact the platform’s support and get the review deleted.
Moreover, the poster of a fraudulent review may suffer legal ramifications. It is common to hear or read about companies suing people for defamatory and misleading internet evaluations. Yet, doing so might be expensive.
You may contact the consumer directly to urge them to delete the review, comment to the review, or contemplate legal action, such as filing a Cease and Desist Letter, as you would when responding to bad reviews.
Does reacting to negative reviews assist businesses?
When consumers submit real unfavorable internet reviews for your organization’s goods or services, commenting online may have a beneficial influence on how others see your brand if done correctly.
The formula is straightforward. When contacting a dissatisfied customer or client:
Thank them for drawing your attention to the matter.
Express sympathy and recognize their annoyance.
Inquire if they are open to continue dialogue, and give prospective solutions.
Get out to the consumer on the platform where the unfavorable review appears as soon as possible after the publication. This might aid in the maintenance of your company’s internet reputation. Negative reviews are often the first thing that new prospective buyers look for. If you reply to bad reviews in a manner that demonstrates that you care about your clients and give exceptional service, your answer to a negative review might be the difference between making or losing your next transaction.
In terms of consumer involvement, a little pity, or empathy, goes a long way. Let negative reviews to be a learning experience for your firm, and utilize the opportunity to strive to improve your reputation and show that you really care about your client connections.
Is it possible to sue an online platform or a reviewer for a negative, fraudulent, or misleading review?
If you are unable to address a negative, inaccurate, or misleading review informally or via the web platform, you may choose to seek legal counsel. A lawyer can assist you understand what rights you have and how you may enforce them via a lawsuit. Taking legal action is a serious and expensive choice.
Depending on the nature of the post, you may be able to sue the reviewer for defamation or harassment. If the reviewer’s identity is unknown, you may still be able to launch a lawsuit, but you will need to take further efforts to learn who the reviewer is.
In contrast, the online platform may not be legally obligated or forced to remove a user review. Businesses cannot generally sue internet platforms for a negative, fraudulent, or misleading review written by a user and displayed on their site. Websites and online platforms cannot be held accountable for content posted by third parties under the US Communications Decency Act.
Several exceptions exist. If the online platform modifies or updates the content, you may have a legal claim against the website. A lawyer can guide you through the legal procedure if you are contemplating taking legal action.
Is it legal for me to create my own reviews or to urge others to post reviews for me?
You may write your own reviews and ask people to post reviews for your company as long as the evaluations are not deceptive and properly state the link between your company and the reviewer.
Undisclosed paid endorsements, rewards, or free items, including online evaluations, are specifically prohibited by the Federal Trade Commission. Moreover, if uncovered, the Better Business Bureau may reduce your ratings. Consumer protection laws ban fraudulent advertising, thus it may be prudent to consult with a lawyer about any problematic advertising methods.
Also, before submitting your own review or requesting others to do so, you should read the terms and conditions of the web site. Internet platforms may prohibit you from soliciting reviews or offering incentives to reviewers.
Is it permissible to provide incentives to remove a negative review or submit a favorable one?
If you are not cautious, paying for favorable ratings or erasing negative ones might get you in hot water.
There is a distinction between requesting someone to edit or remove a negative review after an issue has been resolved and asking someone to remove a negative review in return for a direct monetary payment.
Although providing incentives to reviewers is lawful, the motivations must be acknowledged by the reviewer or be obvious from the context. If you are unsure how to protect your company while paying for reviews or negotiating with a reviewer to delete or amend a negative review, you should get legal counsel.