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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Complaint about a zombie post of mine

329 replies

Chefwifelife · 15/07/2020 19:06

I had an email from MN report team today to inform me that a post of mine from June 2019 has been reported as possible libel for defamation.

I’ve read the post several times and stand by the post as honest. I’ve informed MN that I don’t want the post deleted.

I can see today that several of the posts by other members on the thread have been deleted.

I was intrigued if there were similar posts on Mumsnet so Googled this company and found that a few days ago there quite an unpleasant exchange on Trust Pilot with a customer who had left a negative review about them.

AIBU to stand by my original (ancient) post or should I just be done with it and delete it? I don’t want to feel bullied into removing an honest post asking for others experiences.

Has anyone been in this situation?

FYI MN have been great throughout.

OP posts:

giantangryrooster · 15/07/2020 23:45

@biglouis Its pretty easy to get a temporary email address.

I'll admit, I'm a total novice at this, any hints?

BubblyBarbara · 15/07/2020 23:51

I don't think there was any libel and I don't support the company at all but I do think what OP received in the originally thread was appropriate for a 22 month old. Likewise though she had the right to send it back for a refund

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 15/07/2020 23:54

I can never understand why any genuine company would invest so much time and energy in fighting and suppressing people they've let down rather than just work harder on not letting them down in the first place.

Of course, I'm not suggesting that this company in question is acting illegally in any way, but I always think of this principle when I see Watchdog reports of companies that go to so much effort in planning and building a dodgy business from the ground up and then threatening anybody they've ripped off who speaks up and watching over their shoulders to evade the law. Why don't they just invest their considerable efforts and skills in a legitimate company - must be a lot less stressful, surely?

Just as Lynn Anderson sang "Along with the sunshine, there's got to be a little rain sometimes", it's the (hopefully few) bad reviews that validate and authenticate to majority glowing ones. You're always going to get trolls, competitors and/or idiots trying to make you look bad, but it often actually works in your favour when you graciously acknowledge them and challenge/counter them purely with statements of fact. They usually only make themselves look stupid and you look like a well-run, caring business willing to acknowledge/challenge and remedy any complaints respectfully and factually. When you start sneering at complainants just because of the day of the week they've chosen to leave their review, you've 'lost' instantly.

DiddlySquatty · 15/07/2020 23:55

I had a similar email from Mumsnet once, with the (MLM) company threatening legal action if I didn’t delete them.
One I did delete, but the other I left up as I had said ‘in my opinion etc etc’ and there was evidence to back up what I’d said.
I felt nervous but I refused to be intimated unto retracting something that was factual and reasonable and true.
And guess what I never heard any more again.

User214934514 · 16/07/2020 00:10

WHERE ARE THE JOURNALISTS? The irony of the company name and this thread blowing up would make a good piece for the DM...

TileLane · 16/07/2020 00:14

Hi Op... if anything does come of this, please do crowdfund your legal fees... i would happily put in...

PickAChew · 16/07/2020 00:30

Methinks they're taking keep em quiet a little too literally.

MamaFirst · 16/07/2020 00:30

Wow they really don't do themselves any favours do they? The TrustPilot responses are shockingly rude and unprofessional (and lacking grammer!) the MN replies are blatantly employees with their over the top replies... I don't see how your original thread is libel. It was just your opinion, nothing you said was false, so how could it be libel?

HouchinBawbags · 16/07/2020 00:39

Slow clap for "Dan" and his staff/family for managing to damage his business far more by his tantrum reporting and bitchy review attacks (saying rebuttal would indicate he had a valid argument to give his version of events. He doesn't) than a couple of negative but not even that bad reviews ever could.

I don't trust a lot of review sites now, good or bad because you will often see, as in the case of this particular company, numerous similarly spelled (or should I say misspelled) reviews written in the same language style, clearly penned by one person using numerous pseudonyms. And there's the fake bad reviews too. A friend who owns a niche shop had a scathing Tripadvisor review claiming she was nasty to customers, slammed her door on their service dog hurting its paw, and sold fake goods. Her shop CCTV showed a different story. As it turned out, they owned a rival niche shop and the cctv showed her asking and being given the go ahead to pet the dog as she loves them, smiling through the entire visit, showing them her goods etc. The trip advisor made her out to be a monster.

NudgeUnit · 16/07/2020 01:15

I also think your thread was fine, OP. I can see that a year on, it still coming up on google searches must be a bit galling for them and could understand if they'd contacted you either direct or via MN to politely ask if you'd consider taking it down as they felt they'd resolved your complaint. But looking at Trustpilot, politeness clearly isn't in their skillset, and their aggressive suppression of anything less than glowing praise is really revolting. It's also fairly obvious that they had shills on the original thread. I expect they think MNers are really dim.

I'd leave it up if it were me. I'd love to see them try and win this one in court. I daresay their very public harassment of Trustpilot reviewers might be relevant. It's the sort of fight I'd enjoy taking on but I'm a bit of a David and Goliath type!

InsideOutChickenParm · 16/07/2020 01:17

I wasn't aware of the company before now but I'm not going to purchase just in case they turn out to be as bad as described.

Wooo, well done company! You've really achieved your aim

BlackeyedSusan · 16/07/2020 01:40

dipsticks. lots of people have now heard that they are not as good as op expected and about their response to criticism

GnusSitOnCanoes · 16/07/2020 02:48

Another one who wouldn’t use Keep Em Quiet after this, and having read their response to the Trustpilot reviews. Very much looks as though there was a person from the company on the Mumsnet thread as well - completely over the top accusation of ‘tearing a small business down’ over a very balanced and calm post.

SonjaHeniesTutu · 16/07/2020 03:39

This was a very silly reaction on their part. I always read one star reviews first for any product I plan on buying. If a product has no one, two or three star reviews I find it a bit suspect and tend to move on to another product/company. There are generally a variety of stars for any product unless they are very new or are being censored, so it's a bit of a red flag if there are no negative reviews.

When I read one/two/three stars it is easy to tell if the reviewer is being honest or is just cranky. I also look for how the company handles these reviews. I came across an author once who was really lovely with how he dealt with negative reviews, so I gave his books a chance. Like his behaviour, his books were wonderful. Bought all of them and reccomended them to friends and family. Negative reviews do not stop me from buying a product, but poor customer service and censorship most certainly do!

YouokHun · 16/07/2020 03:49

@DiddlySquatty not surprised at that level of aggression from an MLM company. They’re paranoid because most of them know they’re operating outside the law. I’m part of the anti MLM movement and have had to go to quite some lengths to hide my identity because of legal threats and threats against me personally. They’re all cunts “in my opinion”

chaoticisatroll55 · 16/07/2020 05:04

Mumsnet probably receive money from the company. I think Mumsnet need to realise that if they keep silencing people on these threads for nothing then we're going to get pretty sick of their site.

chaoticisatroll55 · 16/07/2020 05:07

Read your thread and I don't see the problem! That's a miscalculated reaction to threaten libel.

Original poster

Chefwifelife · 16/07/2020 06:27

@justasking111 morning. Yep I’ve checked my emails and have all of the previous correspondence.

OP posts:

bookmum08 · 16/07/2020 07:20

I found the old thread and had a read. Personally I think the seletion of toys in the bag look a bit rubbish due to what they actually are whether they were cheap 'poundland' ones or ones you could buy in Harrods - as in stacking cups. Stacking cups? For travel? The purpose of stacking cups to a toddler is to stack them up then knock them over while laughing loudly. The cups then scatter, you gather them up and then the stacking up/knock down/laugh loudly continues.
Now how exactly is that toy meant to be used on a train/plane/car ?

FredaFrogspawn · 16/07/2020 07:33

I wondered about the stacking cups too!

bookmum08 · 16/07/2020 07:38

Exactly Freda. It's like giving a kid a tennis set to play with on a crowded commuter train !!

CircleofWillis · 16/07/2020 07:44

@bookmum08

I found the old thread and had a read. Personally I think the seletion of toys in the bag look a bit rubbish due to what they actually are whether they were cheap 'poundland' ones or ones you could buy in Harrods - as in stacking cups. Stacking cups? For travel? The purpose of stacking cups to a toddler is to stack them up then knock them over while laughing loudly. The cups then scatter, you gather them up and then the stacking up/knock down/laugh loudly continues. Now how exactly is that toy meant to be used on a train/plane/car ?

I thought the same about the puzzles when one reviewer claimed to be delighted with puzzles for her toddler on a plane.

bookmum08 · 16/07/2020 07:52

If you have a table/tray on a plane or train then a small puzzle is sort of ok - ish !
I also out of curiosity looked at the company site, then I just popped over to my Facebook and - surprise surprise - there is now a 'suggested post for you' from them !!!
Pic of a kid holding a plastic doctors set. Ok toy. Doctors kits are fun - we still have bits of the one my girl had when she was about 3 (12 now).
The one in the picture looks very similar in style to the one we had. I think ours came from Poundstretchers. Or we might have won it at the fair

YinuCeatleAyru · 16/07/2020 07:58

there's nothing libellous about accurately reporting a disappointing customer experience. so long as you weren't lying you haven't committed libel. just ignore it, if it ever gets to court they won't win, and will waste enormous amounts of money doing so which will help pay the salaries of numerous legal professionals and support the economy generally due to their idiocy.

Climbingallthetrees · 16/07/2020 07:59

Wow I’d never heard of Keep Em Quiet before. I’m in their target market and would be interested in buying stuff like that. Their semi literate, abusive responses would make me nervous about them having my address though. The OP’s previous post clearly isn’t libel. There’s a photo, people can make their own minds up. Clearly a massive mark up on cheap stuff, which is what you’d expect really or they wouldn’t be making a profit. Personally I would rather pay a bit more for it to be more appropriate and better quality and not risk abuse from the owner. And those fake positive reviews on the previous thread are ridiculous.

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