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Ahhh the internet. It is really is something, else. You can connect with people anywhere in the world. Find old friends, pay bills, get directions. It is an information superhighway. If you are interested in trying out a new restaurant, you can find it online, look at the menu and even look up comments and see what other people think of the restaurant. And in you can do the same thing! If you have a wonderful experience with great service and delicious food, you can tell the world. But what if you have a bad experience? Have you ever left a negative review online?
Lately, posting negative reviews is having some repercussions. Some people are getting sued for posting a negative review online.
According to a report, a guy in Florida was recently sued because of a negative review he left online and now he owes $20,000 in legal fees. It all started with a vet visit when his dog was ill. The office told him that his dog needed surgery. The man waited six hours when the vet finally told him they were unable to perform the surgery because there was no surgeon available. He took his dog to another clinic and by that time, it was too late. His dog had to be put down. Afterward, he went online and posted a review on how the first clinic wasted his time.
The vet office retaliated and took him court for defamation. After a year-long battle and countersuing the vet office, the vet office finally settled. It was discovered the surgeon, who was originally going to do the surgery decided not to do the procedure and left early for vacation.
Unfortunately, this has become a trend. Big companies trying to break people financially who voice their opinion online. Some people could end up being afraid to tell their experience because of fear of a lawsuit.
You can read more about this case here: CBS News: Posting A Negative Review Online Can Get You Sued
I once came close to posting a negative complaint online. After waking up exhausted, I was in dire need of a cup of coffee. I was more than thrilled to find that I had enough time to pick up a coffee instead of waiting to brew a pot at work. But when I arrived, the workers were also arriving. The opening manager was running late and the shop would not be open for a half-hour. This was especially frustrating because this was not the first this has happened. In fact, this was the third this shop failed to open at the correct time. I went to work, opened the website, started typing but then changed my mind. What if this woman accidentally overslept? She could have had a flat tire or anything. Or what if my comment would, in turn, get this employee in trouble by her director? She could lose her job. And, what if they found out, that I had posted a negative comment, and they started to give me bad service or worse, serve me decaf coffee. It was not worth the trouble or that pang of guilt. So I decided against it.