what to do with fake reviews

[Florge]

Hi Everyone!

i hope everyone's okay. I just want to rant about the photographer I hired for my wedding.. well, bottomline... he made a fake review at freeindex using my name, and telling everyone what a great job he did! Of course, I didn't take it sitting down.. I emailed him, he apologized, then removed his post. now, the page cannot be found. I didn't pursue the matter at that time because he still has my pictures and video.

I got my wedding photos not long after this email and to be honest, I think his work is crap. There are nice ones but it was not as nice as I have expected. Nonetheless, I wasn't satisfied.

A week ago, I went through my yahoo inbox as I was looking at the price quotations emailed to me in relation to my wedding blessing in Pinas. In the search tab, the email exchange I had with this photographer came up so I began to read them again. Then I googled search him just to check if the fake review was still there. It wasn't. Then I searched more and came across this hate campaign against him by another photographer. Apparently, my photographer has been using pictures and videos of other photograhers in his website. Even the website content was copied from another photographers website. This hate campaign was already featured in BBC.

And then, as I kept reading, I saw my name there. According to the hate-campaign organisers, this phtographer used my name to enquire about a service and then posted a review against the hate-campaign organisers. This hapenned after my wedding. The hate-campaign organisers knew it was a fake review because they saw my freeindex review telling him that I am the real Florge.

After reading all these, I googled the new reveiw site he used (Trustpilot) and there, I made my review of his work.

See this thread: http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/squashedapple.co.uk

I think you can also read here my reply to his claim that my wedding was raided by immigration officers?! Goodness! what a big liar!

Anyway, is there any legal action I can do? The hate-campaign organisers already reported him to trade standards and to the police. I want him to be out of business as this is, for me, not a clear and fair way of dealing with past customers. I can't do anything with his crap photos and videos but I don't like him using my name and claiming to be me.

[bornatbirth]

why not pretend your him when your online :D

im not sure theres much you can do :Erm:

[Florge]

BAB,

LOL... that can be done.. well, right now, i'm just waiting for his reply..

[bornatbirth]

take some bad photos and post them saying how crap he is :D

im sure you know what to do :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[KeithD]

You can just put up bad reviews all over the internet, try and saves others from the muppet :action-smiley-081:

[RickyR]

Take some screen shots of the website, you could have a case against them. Firstly they have posted slanderous comments, but secondly they have posted personal information about you on the website which would breach privicy and data protection laws. T

[rubislaw]

unfortunately posts and reviews can be made by anybody, it may have come from a competitor trying to damage the company. The response by the company looks very unprofessional, but again it may have been posted by a competitor, the internet is rife with it.

Talking this to court would cost you thousands and their is no guarantee of success, looking at the review both posts clearly breach data protection, you should never mention names to protect yourself from libel.

How much did the service cost you? You should contact the company personally and air your disappointment you may have had a satisfactory outcome. The bottom of your post "I want him to be out of business" could be classed as hatred or harrassment, be very careful.

Good luck with dealing with the alleged fake review

[Florge]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for your comment. Well, apparently his competitor filed a case against him. He still keeps posting false information about my wedding day... but then, karma will get to him somehow.. will just have to be vigilant :doh

[KeithD]

If it really bothers you Florge £50 will get you a solicitors letter threatening him. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Ayumbar]

I remember seeing something on BBC TV recently, similar to this. It was also related to a photographer, who's company name was used to create fake reviews. It turned out that it was not them who had posted the reviews. The company received loads of complaints from other competitors and so the guy who ran business had to try and find out who was doing it. Not sure what the end result was though. Good luck on resolving the issue.

[Northerner]

Have a word with the local trading standards, see what they say?

[Florge]

That's him.. that's the one!


I remember seeing something on BBC TV recently, similar to this. It was also related to a photographer, who's company name was used to create fake reviews. It turned out that it was not them who had posted the reviews. The company received loads of complaints from other competitors and so the guy who ran business had to try and find out who was doing it. Not sure what the end result was though. Good luck on resolving the issue.

[Florge]

The competitor had already filed a case with the trading standards...


Have a word with the local trading standards, see what they say?

[Ayumbar]

Hope they sort the person involved out. Remembering the BBC feature, it was bang out of order what the person did to the photographer he claimed to be.