complaint website

[eskipii]

hi,

I was just searching to see what new links we have to our site when I noticed that the 3rd listing in google is from a complaints website, snipped.com

I read it and this is all BS, I want to contest it but what gets to me, is that if I wrote something back it will still be listed there...(from what I understand reading all there policies, the only way to get it removed is by going to court!)

anyone have any experience in dealing with these people?

we are a small family owned business (just celebrated our 4th year online) and never had a problem, until now...really sucks

thanks.

[edited by: DaveAtIFG at 5:55 am (utc) on Jan. 21, 2004]

[DaveAtIFG]

Let's try to keep Terms of Service [webmasterworld.com] item 12 firmly in mind during this discussion. It says in part, "This forum is not a venue for the resolution of personal disputes with members or companies."

Discussions about specific sites are discouraged for many reasons. A general discussion about dealing with a complaint site is welcomed.

[eskipii]

Hi again, Well I want to do this right so I'll explain, I noticed that a “complaints” website was appearing right underneath our main company listing in google.

I read it and its completely absurd. In more than 4 years of business I've never dealt with this type of website before, I asked here yesterday but I posted incorrectly, and the posts where removed.
I was told that the thread should be "How does one deal with a complaints site?"

As I said before, this “complaints” website posted a BS complaint, from a (competitor I believe). In another page in their “complains” website they post the following:

“EXAMPLE.COM is not responsible for the validity of the consumer message complaints posted to the EXAMPLE.COM site.

Consumers are responsible, legally and otherwise, for all posted consumer messsages. If a consumer writes something that isn't true, and that message is posted to EXAMPLE.COM for public view, that consumer is responsible for the validity of that message.

If a court were to find that a consumer complaint constitutes libel or defamation, that consumer would be held legally responsible for damages to the reputation of that business. Under federal law (the Communications Decency Act), because EXAMPLE.COM does not censor posted consumer messages or investigate them for accuracy, EXAMPLE.COM is not legally responsible for the complaints that are posted, even if those complaints contain remarks that are defamatory. However, this law does not protect the person who leaves the complaints from responsibility for those complaints.”

How does one deal with this, when the only thing posted/collected is a bogus email from the "consumer"!

This type of behavior is completely irresponsible. Basically they are saying they don’t care if they hurt small businesses, which is what they are doing. There a 1000's of complaints about amazon, bn etc... but of course they don't hurt them because they had 1000s of links on top of this "Complaints" website.

They do provide a link to write and contest a complaint (which I will be doing) But I see it as this, if a customer does a search for your name, a registered trademark, and they see the first 2 listings as yours, and then right beneath listing from this “complaints” website.

Do you think people will order?
of course not.

They state that they have been included in articles from publications such as these:
Business Week Magazine, The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN), The Arizona Republic, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report

At first I though I couldn’t even write them a certified letter since all there is, is a PO BOX.
I finally found the address of the corporation/person that runs this website by doing a corporate state search in Illinois.

And will be writing to them shortly. Anyone have any idea of how it’s best to handle this?

Thank you all for your help in this very frustrating situation that can happen to anyone.

A couple of days ago, this was the last thing I could imagine and now...its the only thing that I need to get resolved.

thank you for you rhelp

ps (thanks DaveAtIFG)

[bird]

[/i]EXAMPLE.COM is not responsible for the validity of the consumer message complaints posted to the EXAMPLE.COM site.[/i]

This varies a bit between legal systems, but I think the general rule is similar in all of the western world. Such a clause may protect them at first, because they can claim not to know about the contents/validity of each individual complaint.

As soon as you send them legal notification about a bogus complaint, such a claim is void, and they become fully liable for publishing false/defamatory/libelous statements on their site. So it seems to me that it's up to you to *make* them liable.

Apart from that, you need to ask a good lawyer specialized in that field for advice, and for the necessary paperwork.