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AIBU?

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Original poster

To worry about repercussions from leaving bad reviews

61 replies

worrier77 · 27/07/2021 11:48

Does anyone else ever worry that leaving bad reviews on platforms like Amazon etc could lead to repercussions?

I've occasionally had disappointing experiences when buying an item online or visiting a pub/restaurant. If the issue is resolved by the seller or venue at the time then I would never leave a poor review, as I don't think that's fair.

However, on the rare occasions where they don't show any interest in attempting to resolve the situation, then I've been tempted to leave an honest review of my experience online to warn other customers.

However, what worries me is that these people know where I live and if they felt aggrieved by a bad review, they could retaliate in some shape or form.

Am I being completely paranoid or is this a legitimate worry?

OP posts:
snackodactyl · 27/07/2021 19:01

had this dilemma with a landscaper who booked us in for a job and then didn’t show up. at the time i felt furious enough to want to leave a bad review on Yell where his record was spotless. but i also recall him coming over to take measurements while sporting a black eye, and thought better of it! i’m sure there will be other unsatisfied customers angry enough to speak up…

Username916 · 27/07/2021 19:10

I've had this issue the past week. We stayed at a campsite we found on Facebook which looked amazing and was so cheap. On arrival it was nothing like the pictures we had seen and quickly realised it was just stock images they used off Google! The owners were actually a family of ex travellers and we overheard them selling drugs to other campers. The place was a building site and the toilets revolting. It was an awful experience to be honest. I want to review to save other people the experience but they have my name, address and details and I'm nervous of them contacting me Blush

Bookworm20 · 27/07/2021 19:44

I left a bad review once on tripadvisor for a local restaurant. At the time of complained and the chef came out and got quite aggressive, so we left snd left a review.
Think the guy was a bit of a psycho. He responded to my review but basically made himself look bad just putting us down as terrible customers. But then a few things did happen and I still wonder if it was him. Think car scratched, bike tyre slashed, front garden items stolen. All in a week. The week after the review

SummerWillow · 27/07/2021 20:57

I had a terrible experience trying to buy a wedding dress years ago. Left a bad review on a third party website and nothing came of it for ages. Eventually I was contacted by website saying business asked me to remove it. I did as it was a long time previously. Business went bust shortly after! I did feel nervous like you OP as the business owner was very unpleasant.

DHandInterview · 27/07/2021 21:14

About 12 years ago, I ordered about £150 of stuff from Dorothy Perkins. It was a big deal for me, a lot of money. The package never turned up so I ring up to enquire about it, I wasn't rude or anything like that but I asked them to replace the missing items. They reluctantly did but they blacklisted me from making any further purchases. Any orders I tried to place after that got cancelled. So I definitely think companies do sometimes retaliate.

Thevoiceofreason2021 · 27/07/2021 21:24

I found Amazon don’t publish less than favourable reviews.

ArabellaStrange · 27/07/2021 22:14

I agree with the Amazon not allowing bad reviews. Ordered some champagne flutes on a daily deal as a birthday present for someone, only for the order to be cancelled due to 'limited stock'.
The next time I saw the company doing a daily deal, tried to leave a review telling people to not bother, Amazon refused to publish it. Despite my complaint being one hundred percent justified.

ILovesPeanuts · 28/07/2021 00:08

Not paranoid OP. I left an honest and factual review of a restaurant.
A few weeks later a dreadful review appeared on Google about me for the organisation I worked for! Total lies. Couldn't work it out. Eventually discovered (via on line searches) that the fake review was left by a director of the restaurant I'd reviewed!!!
We reported the review umpteen times and wrote many letters to Google. Never got a response and review is still there to this day. Google were hopelessly unhelpful and disinterested in removing a retaliatory review from someone who'd never been a customer of the organisation.
Oddly I work using a different name to my name in the review so they went to a bit of effort.
Yes, it's put me off reviewing.

Babycarrottt · 28/07/2021 05:20

I don't think you are being paranoid or unreasonable OP. I have an Etsy shop and there is now a website called "Karencheck" where you can put in a user ID and see the reviews left by that person. Apparently, this is to help the seller decide whether they want to proceed with the sale. I'm sure this does help in the minority of cases but it's put me off as a buyer. If I leave a bad review, it's only because it's deserved and I shouldn't be penalised for being on the receiving end of poor service etc.

Jenasaurus · 28/07/2021 05:32

I complained about an Amazon issue a couple of years ago and my friend told me that she had seen my complaint in the Sun and Daily Mirror! I was shocked as they gave my name and location, the only thing is I was one of many bad reviews about the same thing and so lots of them also appeared alongside mine in the paper.

Jenasaurus · 28/07/2021 05:34

Just did a google and there are loads of online links to the same reviews including mine. www.familiesonline.co.uk/news/amazon-say-sorry-for-sending-batteries-and-condoms-instead-of-nintendo

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