Wrote a bad trip advisor review and the location responded with my full name and called me a liar. WIBU?

[Thefatedarrow]

I had a truly bad stay at a country house hotel in England over Christmas. I was charged £1500 a night for the stay, raised issues as they happened and nothing was resolved. I resorted to writing a trip advisor review when I got home where I gave 2 stars and gave the reasons why. I was not rude or offensive and I did not describe or name anyone in the post. Just talked about the venue and how vast amounts of it is still under construction, the extras they charged for that we were not aware of, the fact that dinner was booked up every night so we had to leave the venue to eat our meals.

my username on trip advisor is from an old gmail account, so it’s a nickname eg bubbles AT gmail.com and I post reviews eg as BubblesWales - ie unidentifiable.

in their response to my review on the site they wrote “dear my full name” - so they had obviously gone on to their records, looked at who stayed in the room and cross checked with the review timing.

they then proceeded to say I had lied about the events of the stay.

AIBU or is it wrong to NAME me in their response?

It is, but what does that look like to people reading your review? It doesn't paint them in a good light.

Maybe look up doxing.

I think name isn't too bad but its not very professional. Maybe email Tripadvisor.

Be glad its not your address or anything more.

I’m sure they’re in breach of GDPR in doing so-
threaten to sue!

And to add to it, out of pettiness, they have breached their legal obligations in respect of GDPR

I think you could add to your review?

I think they could be sort of breaching some sort of GDPR by doing that. Very unprofessional. Reply and call them out on it. Threaten trading standards maybe.

agree on the GDPR angle
report to ICO

Complain formally and if no resolution report them to the Information Commissioner Office (ICO). Screenshot it all first. ICO can also advise. This is a breach of data protection/GDPR and potentially serious as also likely breaches their own privacy policy also. ICO can investigate. Sensitive Personal Data must never be shared like this.

ico.org.uk/for-the-public/how-to-make-a-data-protection-complaint/

This happens on TrustPilot all the time; when reviewing an online clothing company, I refused to give an order number for that reason. So they reported me as a competitor to get it removed. I proved to TP that I had ordered the items I’d reviewed and the review was reinstated.
It’s how companies try to silence people basically.
I would report the hotel’s response for revealing your personal data under GDPR. It will disappear quickly.

Maybe they are trying to intimidate you into removing your review. Don’t fall for it.

Report. They shouldn't be using your full name at all. Some people like to keep their names off the Internet. If someone searches your name now the trip adviser review could come up. Shitty.

yanbu - agree with previous posters to report this. It’s unfortunately becoming more of a thing with businesses biting back, and even trying to sue in some cases but this one is particularly unusual given they outed your name.

Last year I had a hairdresser disagree with my version of events and also just insult me generally when I wrote about her on Google review. She then sent me a nasty text
and told me not to come back which was funny since of course I had no plans to give her anymore of my money or subject myself to her rough handling of my hair.

I just updated my review to refute all her lies and then later also updated it again to say that she had sent me a rude text about my review and I dropped my rating from 2 stars to 1 star.

I didn’t hear from her again and my review is still standing.

My review has several likes, I suspect it’s from others who were burned (literally) by her too during their salon visit.

Agree with pp they do this to shame or scare you into removing your review.

£1500 a night for the stay

WTF?!!

Should be 7 star treatment for that price!

Sorry you went through that OP. Just write more reviews on booking dot com. etc.
Show them up for the shits they are. And include the info that they used your real name on Tripadvisor. That's bullying. Fuck them.

Yep… Doxing is illegal. Have you any solicitor friends? Would come in really handy right now. Also with receipts of what you spent and photos if you have them.

I agree with others, im sure it’s illegal to use your information that way. Obviously them responding to your review is fair enough but not with your name.

Yes, screen shot it first, reply saying that in addition to the issues raised they’re also in breech of GDPR, report to Trip Advisor.

OP tell us the name of the hotel so we can avoid it!!

Haha editing your 2 star review down to a 1 star is a pretty funny response 😂👏

I guarantee they look insane to people reading the review.

YABU to spend £1500 a night for a hotel! Find one for 500 per night next time and donate the 1K to food banks!

No op, don’t tell us the name of the hotel, at least not while your real name is on showing on the reviews. I’m sure you understand why.

Although I will never be able to afford to stay at a hotel costing £1500 a night I would like to know which one it is so that I can be pleased about never staying there.

If I spend that kind of money and it was anything less than the best experience of my life I'd be gutted! So definitely report them to ICO, the shady bastards!

🙄 there's always one.
Op you should have slept in a cardboard box and given your money to a worthy cause. 😏

Try writing one on trust pilot.
Always gets lots of attention.

Oh, please; I'm sure we all could pick apart one another's budgets. The amount spent on an internet connection to post on Mumsnet would be a nice contribution to a food bank, too!

FGS. How ridiculous. The OP can spend her money however she chooses to.