To be so upset people think we left without paying?

[ShownOnCCTV]

Went for Sunday Lunch - have been to the pub many times before.

15 of us celebrating a birthday - balloon for the birthday girl.

Spent a lot- three courses, plenty of alcohol as well always do - all this is irrelevant but want to put the whole picture - left a 15% tip- service/food/ everything was excellent as always.

Have just been made aware of a FB post, CCTV picture of a couple standing by our table, all of us in full view - with a big post from the owner of the pub saying that these people left without paying please find them

Below this is text saying how hard it is to run a pub without people doing a runner and in this wall of text it says 'the people at the table are not involved '

Cue loads of people saying- 'its a kids 10th birthday it can't be hard to find them'
'scum, who goes for a birthday and doesn't pay'
'great pictures, easy to find then- and a link to my work page'

I have rung up and asked them to take the post down - they refuse
I have asked them to blur our images they refuse.

My son has just had someone ring him asking him why didn't we pay.

I have posted on the page asking them to remove our images and that we have proof we paid but still nothing.

Owner is responding to other posts on the page so must have seen mine. Just saying how hard it is for people to walk without paying (I'm sure it is, but we are booked for next week- 20 people, but I shall now go elsewhere)

AIBU to be so upset about this- so many comments thinking we are thieves.

That’s technically a libel. Letter before action.

Awful. take screen shots which show the time the post was made and all your correspondence.

at the very least they should make clear that they are looking for the ‘man in the blue shirt and the lady in the pink dress only and the other people in the image were paying customers.’ You’ve made reasonable requests and now they’ve left you own to abuse and have implicated you libellously. What was a misunderstanding has been blown up by their behaviour.

Keep evidence of every call or message you receive from acquaintances asking why you didn’t pay and screen shot every comment on that post, especially the comment linking your business page. You need evidence of the damage to your reputation so screenshot all of it.

Speak to a solicitor and see if you can sue. What they’ve done is no joke. Yes, they did say it wasn’t your family but hidden away in a walk of text so that’s not what people are seeing. They’re just seeing your photo and the headline that you dined and dashed.

Get a screenshot of her original post stating that you, at the table, are not involved, just in case it creates a problem at work . . .

Take pictures of the post, send them a solicitors letter, you won't be the first person to be falsely accused.
They'd be in court for defamation.

Tell them you are considering going to the local paper with you sad face story.

I would copy the photo, blur your family out and ring the non/paying couple and be posting it on FB in every local group, friends and family pages and asking people to share it.

🤬🤬🤬🤬

I would be bloody fuming OP. Great advice on her as to what to do! Let us know how you get on!

A pub has been forced to pay £75,000 to a family that were falsely accused of not paying for a meal.

A Facebook post from the Horse and Jockey in Tideswell, Derbyshire, condemned the behaviour of Peter and Ann McGirr, who had been dining at the pub with their two adult children.

You need to contact all of your friends and get them to react to your receipt photo (shocked face, angry face, crying face etc not just like it). This will put your comment higher up.

Technically they weren't accused of anything so I don't think it's libel.

However, people have jumped to the conclusion based on a Facebook post.

Just as anyone can see something and jump to an incorrect conclusion

Hey OP, I would be so disappointed - surely they can blur you all out.
Escalate it further if they don't respond to you with an appropriate solution

Surely libel doesn't apply as the pub HAVE stated that they weren't the ones to not pay?

I am work in data protection law, happy to help you out if you need me to write something

People online have real difficulty with their reading comprehension these days, as evidenced further by these replies.

I'm not sure what you can do op other than direct anyone and everyone to the post where the pub says you weren't involved. They haven't committed a crime so i'm not sure what people think the police will do and nor is it libel as they haven't falsely accused you.

Can't you report it to FB, with a copy of the receipt and explain that you have not given them permission to use a photo of you on the pubs FB page and they should have, at the very least, blurred you out as you have nothing to do with the incident being reported and you are getting a lot of abuse over it?

It wouldn't be hard for the pub to at least put as a first sentence "People in the birthday party were not involved"
and carry on

Comment and make reviews, as a customer that would put me right off the pub if they can't be bothered to make it clear it had nothing to do with you! Especially a large party spending a lot - how are they going to treat me when I come as a couple?

And that's relevant how exactly?

Screen shot the posts in case you want to complain or take action

That's how I feel. So disappointed. We had a lovely time, I just don't understand why they couldn't blur us out.

@verycloakanddaggers I am not even sure the owner is there- I have never met them, it is run by a very capable couple day to day.

@Chonk thanks but hoping this all disappears rather than has more comments.

I think those saying it isn't libel as they have said it isn't us are right- but it is so wrong

Thanks, I thought there was laws around sharing CCTV

The people responsible for the pictures, videos and posts are refusing to communicate with you. Report the content to the online platforms as targeted harassment against you. Consult a solicitor to begin the process of filing a lawsuit. They are misusing your image to make others believe you are guilty of something you can prove you didn’t do. This public exposure puts you at risk of attacks both online and in real life.

He needs to put that fact you aren’t involved first in his text

I'm not sure a small sentence hidden in a bulk of text absolves them when they've posted multiple pictures of people who didn't pay and the OP and her family are in all of them.

Go direct to the brewery tomorrow. Check your house insurance for legal cover and if necessary get a solicitor.

Meanwhile, constantly list pictures of your receipt/bank payment.

Solicitor’s letter and local media first thing tomorrow.