Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be annoyed that my review has been removed off Yell.com?

18 replies

TheDetective · 06/07/2013 14:08

I just went in to my review section on yell.com to find my review deleted.

Why?

Because it was a negative review (negative as in giving the facts about the experience I had).

AIBU to be annoyed by this?

Surely the point of the review is that you have to accept the good with the bad?

Anyway. Not to be deterred Blush. I've just written it again.

And posted it on his new listing also (he's started a second listing up with different addresses, but it is the same person - same phone numbers, website, information etc.

Here is a copy of my review, so you can decide if I am being unreasonable? (Sorry it's long - end the AIBU here if you don't want to be bored!)

I have already posted this review once already - and XXXXXXXXX has removed it...

I feel I have to write this review again. And I will keep posting it as it is an honest and accurate description of my recent unfortunate encounter with this tradesperson.

I contacted XXXXXXXXX when my oven needed repairing. I told him exactly what was wrong with the appliance - the fan for the fan assisted oven was faulty. He gave me a rough guide over the phone of the price, and said he would come out the next day to give a quote when looking at the appliance.

When he arrived, he removed the oven from its unit, and took the fan motor out. He then declared that yes, the fan was faulty. And told me the cost for repair.

He was thanked for his quote and informed that we would get back to him to confirm if we wanted him to do the work.

At that point he became aggressive in his manner, and stated that we had to pay him for the full price of the repair (£100) because he 'didn't come out for free'. He clearly knew I just wanted a quote for the repair. I had already had a quote from one company (cheaper than the price he quoted) who were more than happy to come and give me a quote without expecting to be paid for it!

He then stated that if we did not agree for him to do the work and pay him that he would take my fan motor with him, and leave the oven on the kitchen floor in pieces.

He threatened to sue me for writing a review on this site.

He threatened to send debt collectors to my door.

Not the actions of a decent, honest trader.

He eventually put the oven back. However he did not put it back correctly, and left the unit and the oven damaged.

I have now spent time repairing the whole thing plus the damage he has caused.

I have reported him to Trading Standards for the threatening language and behaviour he used.

Trading Standards are currently investigating this case. They have advised me to submit a claim to the small claims court for the damage he caused in the meanwhile.

It is also worth noting that prior to this his Yell.com advert, did not state that '.I Give "FREE ESTIMATES OVER THE PHONE" '

It stated the same as his website does, 'Call us today for your free, no obligation estimate!' and ' get your free, no pressure estimate!'

I wouldn't describe my experience anything like no obligation, or no pressure....

OP posts:
spangledboots · 06/07/2013 14:14

I feel bad that you've had that experience but your review is far too emotional. Stick to the facts of the experience and keep it short.

ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 06/07/2013 14:14

Perhaps because you mention legal action?

Can people delete their own reviews or do Yell do it? Have you contacted Yell to ask them?

Sorry you had such a bad time with him. Sounds bloody awful!

xylem8 · 06/07/2013 14:17

an estimate is different to a quote.

TheDetective · 06/07/2013 14:24

How is it emotional? I actually edited it right down from that as he said far worse things that I actually wrote! :(

The person who pays for the listing can contact Yell. com and have it removed. I've had a look around the site to find this information out.

No one to contact at Yell due to it being a weekend - they have an email service, and I have emailed.

xylem I know that. However it still doesn't say that he charges whether it is a quote or an estimate! I mean, to charge to come out to give a price for a job seems illogical to me. Unless you are going to employ the tactics he did. I wouldn't want anyone else to be put in that situation. I felt very vunerable a woman at home with a young baby and being shouted at in my face.

OP posts:
wannabedomesticgoddess · 06/07/2013 14:35

YANBU at all and I cant see how the review is too emotional either.

TheDetective · 20/07/2013 21:54

UPDATE:

It has been removed again.

I'm trying to contain my anger.

It isn't even about this guy any more. It's about the fact that yell.com encourage you to write a review giving an accurate and honest description of your encounter with the business. But then it can be removed for no reason other than the business requests it to be removed.

So bloody angry. Need to get out more.

Have re-posted the review. Blush

OP posts:
Xihha · 20/07/2013 22:02

try removing Trading Standards are currently investigating this case. They have advised me to submit a claim to the small claims court for the damage he caused in the meanwhile.

It maybe that yell are removing your post because of that part as i don't think you are allowed to tell people someone is being investigated by trading stanards

TheDetective · 20/07/2013 22:05

Why would you not be able to say this? If it is true? Which it is - I can provide a case number.

Also, in my first review I hadn't mentioned this. It was still removed.

The second time I just saved it so I could C&P it again.

OP posts:
Groovee · 20/07/2013 22:09

Estimates and quotes are different things. And Estimate is usually free and done before you accept a price for the job to go ahead. A quote is usually the actual price they will charge.

The part about trading standards and your legal action is probably what is getting it deleted. Leave posting negative reviews until it's sorted.

My husband had a horrific review removed which was totally inaccurate. He knew exactly who'd written it but the details were all wrong, and he proved this and had it deleted.

WinningBread · 20/07/2013 22:11

Sounds like a miscommunication to me.

There was no need for him to be aggressive, but I do think it was a misunderstanding.

Gregorythegreen · 09/06/2014 14:38

Yell have often removed bad reviews that I have given. Yet somehow they don't remove good reviews. The Yell review system is an untrustworthy system. Much more accurate and trustworthy is the Yelp website. I understand people can put unfair reviews, but I believe the customer should always be right. Even if they are wrong if you know what I mean. I experience this on Ebay, and i just refund because overall, It helps me to make more through having good feedback than to stick to who is right / wrong or be stubborn.

quietbatperson · 09/06/2014 19:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rainbunny · 10/06/2014 16:48

Well fair or not if you keep re-posting the same review he'll likely keep taking it down. At a certain point your behaviour could be seen as harassing if you re-post it everytime. Your review is pretty incendiary and alleges criminal conduct so if it was left up this guy will likely never get business through this site ever again which could be a significant economic harm (even if he deserves it). Of course you could post on a different site like yelp.co.uk...

doziedoozie · 10/06/2014 18:59

Well basically it means that Yell's reviews are nonsense so don't pay any attention to them.

alreadyfedup · 27/08/2019 08:11

It does seem in my experience that if you post a negative review of a company they can easily erase it. So Yell counts for nothing if you want to find out about the quality of a business.

SandraOhshair · 27/08/2019 08:19

I imagine Yell have concerns regarding defamation. How do they know what you are saying is correct? For all they know you could be a competitor.
When looking at reviews, you need to see the volume and frequency, and look for repeating themes.
If you cut it down to something like ' refused to give a free quote even though stated on website' it might help?

Ilikethisone · 27/08/2019 08:50

The mention of him possibly acting criminally and trading standards and court, probably have them not wanting to get involved.

Let's say, for arguments sake, you pursue this and its found not in your favour, or you were lying. The damage to his business could be blamed in part on yell for letting g it stand.

Even on mumsnet if you are talking about actual people and accusing them of criminal act, will get the comment or thread deleted.

Websites have to think of their business first. And leaving something up, isnt the beat decision for the business

HalfDeadHousePlant · 27/08/2019 09:16

One would imagine that FIVE years later this issue has been resolved.

ZOMBIE thread.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page