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.

Get off Mumsnet and onto formal legal advice. Have a legal letter sent to them. Plus they need to undertake a public apology on their site acknowledging their cheeky fuckery. Seriously, it would have taken them 2 seconds to crop or blur before posting so they just didn’t care.

Are you a lawyer? If not stop stating something is so clearly one way when you don’t have the legal expertise to know

But people have assumed she hasn’t paid based on the unnecessary actions of the pub landlord - putting up their picture was completely unnecessary

Honestly, is it complete laziness or what? Sharing an opinion and looking completely foolish for not reading the post correctly. I really worry about people.

This is an obvious case of defamation. Then writing a couple of words buried in a wall of text is not a get out of libel free card. That said, defamation is an expensive process - though with a slam dunk they're in the wrong scenario you may get a few solicitors happy to take it on as no-won, no-fee.

i hate this vigilantism that is so common
give them a bad review

Add this to their fb post about the non-payers

‘ Although our group features in this photograph (WHICH WAS TAKEN WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION) I can assure everyone that the people who left without paying are NOTHING to do with our family or friends. We DID pay our bill and left a generous tip too! ‘

Contact the Information Commissioner’s Office advice line on 0303 123 1113. They should be able to assist.

Ensure you retain copies of any correspondence with the pub as well. Is the pub independently owned or part of a chain/brewery? If the latter it’s also time to involve them.

Where's the Daily Mail when you need it? <waves to any passing journos>. Coo-ee, over here!

This is an awful situation. So sorry OP.

I also wanted to add, that I think it’s unreasonable to post accusatory images of anyone (including the couple who allegedly left without paying). It may be that they just forgot or got interrupted, or had an emergency etc etc. This is a cruel and reactive way of dealing with it.

Let alone for poor OP who has nothing to do with it.

Can you go into the post and report every post by other people?

Or, post a photo of the pub plus the owners faces and say This Pub Puts Innocent People On Their FB page and Accuses them of Not Paying
But then I am petty like that

I am a lawyer.

Yes, do this.

That would be my worst nightmare - I am very private - do not share any photos of my family online - plus it would put it to a wider audience, more chance of people getting the wrong end of the stick.

@ShownOnCCTV.

Write out what has happened in as much detail as possible, with dates, times, everything you can think of. Specify that you are in the UK.

Whack it all into ChatGPT and ask it to write you a letter before action.

Send the letter by email, by post (recorded delivery) and post a screen shot of your letter with any personal details such as your name and address redacted out in the comments, reiterating that if they do not take the post down or blur you out because you were NOT ACTUALLY INVOLVED, you will take legal action.

I would also do your own post on Facebook, tagging them in, set to public, and ask people to share it.

I don't think this would happen because the newspapers at least have in house lawyers who ought to spot that the people in the picture are not the people who didn't pay their bill.

If they were dumb enough to publish it without fact checking then you could get a substantial amount of compensation.

I think OP means the idiots reading the article would get the wrong end of the stick, you know, just like in the facebook post where they only look at the headline and pictures. So the comments would be horrific.

Yes but if they republished the photo without blurring out the OP and her family, they would be in serious trouble.

Not sure exactly how much compensation the OP could get from the paper but probably enough to make it worthwhile.

The tabloids aren't dimwits who manage a shitty pub. They're professionals who know the law around publishing pictures of members of the public without their consent, and whose employers have deep pockets with which to pay compensation if they get it wrong.

While I don’t disagree it’s wrong, are you sure it doesn’t meet the exception of truth for libel?

Surely there’s nothing libellous about me posting a picture of you and saying “sometimes people don’t pay for meals at pubs, but this person always does”. Because that’s true.

Where is the line between that and what the pub has posted?

I’m not a lawyer but work adjacent to law and spend a lot of time in court. I feel like a good solicitor for the pub could run a good argument that the pub has not said anything untrue and therefore it cannot constitute libel.

I’m not certain they’d win, but it doesn’t feel as clear cut as you’re making out?

I have asked them to blur our images they refuse.

This is the bit that makes no sense. Why?

The thing is that the pub knows full well that most people have interpreted the picture to mean that the party sitting at the table didn't pay, because that is what the majority of people in the comments are saying.

They know the picture has been misinterpreted and they have refused to take the picture down and issue a clarification. This means they are knowingly perpetuating a misunderstanding which is extremely prejudicial to the OP and her family, despite there being a very simple solution - take the picture down and issue a clarification and an apology.

So no, they wouldn't be able to rely on that as a defence.

IAAL.

That’s what I was thinking too. Maybe they don’t know how?

In the meantime OP, just to get the damn photo down, perhaps you could blur the faces on a screenshot your own laptop and email the blurred photo to her and ask her if she wants to use it instead of the other one.

Saying “If you don’t remove the photos showing photos of my family including children, this I will take action under GDPR as you have breached this in posting our photo. You may wish to Google GDPR about using personal information inappropriately. You can be heavily fined and it costs nothing for me. I will also contact the brewery.”

Forgot to say if you have Word you can Draw a circle in pen round the faces of the guilty to highlight that and also your own faces and then black infill the centre to hide them. Screenshot it after or save as pdf.

Because they are benefitting from the extra publicity and discussion created by the intentional implication that it was OP's party of 10 who were having a child's birthday party that haven't paid; and they believe that the non prominent disclaimer within the text of the post is enough to protect them from legal recourse.

@ShownOnCCTV I put your posts into ChatGTP and asked for a letter before action. I am a lawyer (although this is not my area of law) and I think this is pretty good.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email Address]
[Your Phone Number]

[Date]

FAO: The Owner / Manager
[Pub Name]
[Pub Address]

LETTER BEFORE ACTION
Re: Unlawful Use of Image / Defamation / Data Protection Breach / Request for Refund

Dear [Owner’s Name / Sir or Madam],

I am writing regarding a Facebook post published on or around [insert date] on your [Page Name] that includes CCTV footage in which my family and I are clearly identifiable. Although a brief disclaimer buried in the text states that we were not involved in the alleged non-payment incident, the imagery, context, and public reaction have caused significant and ongoing distress and reputational harm.

Your post has:

• Featured multiple images where my family and I are clearly visible;
• Led to a torrent of public comments falsely implying that we left your establishment without paying;
• Resulted in personal distress and damage to my professional reputation, including being directly linked to my workplace;
• Prompted phone calls to my family, including my son, questioning whether we committed theft.

Despite multiple requests to remove the post or at minimum blur our images, you have refused and are now ignoring communication. You have acknowledged that we paid, and I have provided proof of payment. Nonetheless, the defamatory implication remains live and damaging.

This situation involves:

1. Defamation, under the Defamation Act 2013;
2. Unlawful processing of personal data, under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR;
3. Improper use of CCTV, contrary to ICO guidance for surveillance systems in public-facing settings.

This letter serves as a formal Letter Before Action. I now require the following, to be received by me within 7 days of the date of this letter:

1. Immediate removal of the Facebook post and any other distribution of the images showing me and my family;
2. A public clarification and apology posted in the same space, clearly stating that we were not involved in the alleged incident;
3. A private written apology addressed to me;
4. A written confirmation that all images and footage featuring us have been deleted;
5. A full refund of the total cost of our meal (including tip), in recognition of the damage caused and your refusal to take reasonable remedial action when alerted to the harm;
6. Confirmation that no further similar posts or uses of our images will be made.

Failure to comply will result in immediate steps to initiate legal proceedings without further notice. This may include claims for defamation, misuse of personal data, breach of CCTV usage regulations, and recovery of financial and reputational damages, as well as legal costs.

This letter is sent in accordance with the Pre-Action Protocol for Media and Communications Claims.

Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]

I agree with the poster talking about sending them a letter before action. Hopefully you can frighten them into seeing sense.