Contesto: Ho avuto un’esperienza molto scadente dal dentista, ho scritto una recensione onesta, è stata segnalata su Google Maps, ho dimostrato a Google che era veritiera. Passano pochi mesi: ricevo una lettera di cessazione da parte degli avvocati che dicono di rimuovere la recensione entro la data X o di dover affrontare una causa di 20.000 €. Non c’è da stupirsi che lo studio abbia una valutazione stellare su Google Maps.
Aggiunta una parte della lettera in lingua originale e tradotta in inglese.
La mia opinione: Anche se posso eliminare la recensione (eliminata nel momento in cui scrivo questo), mi sembra così ingiusto che tu possa ricevere azioni legali per aver espresso la tua opinione e se non sei nella posizione di assumere avvocati, sei costretto ad abbandonare le tue convinzioni e la tua morale.
Domanda: Qualcuno ha già affrontato questo problema? Quali sono le opzioni in questi casi?
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1rm8kqx
di serixs
36 commenti
why do you instantly act just because a lawyer writes you a letter? they can demand a lot of things but in the end it’s your decision. you simply gave in here? why? you can prove all of what you wrote in that review.
As long as you stick to the truth and label your criticism as your personal experience/opinion, you’re generally on the safe side. Google also deletes reviews that violate its own guidelines (e.g., spam or spam attacks). They can’t sue you under these conditions..
I got one for reviewing a China buffet in Köln. They then got around it and blocked me from writing future review anyhere. I give up writing a review since then.
(Turned out, they intimidated many people who gave them bad reviews) Screw you, D!
Your option is a) to defend yourself in court (lawyer up!) or b) take it down so they leave you in peace. There is no third option.
Yes, this is capitalist bullying and yes, it is unfair but this is how the system works unfortunately.
I think the sad truth here is: Either get a „Rechtsschutzversicherung“/„Legal Protection insurance“ or just accept the desist letter…
Reinstall the review and add, that they sent a lawyer and C&D letter.
if you dont insult or spread false information, they cant to anything and they know that. so nothing will happen
Write a 1 or 5 star (depending on your mood) review that you were forced to remove your (honest) review by lawyer letter. (Make sure you have not signed a Unterlassungserklärung)
This looks like an email. To be honest I wouldn’t react to anything if it isn’t sent via post.
If it was honest and truthful, and you visited other dentists to correct the first dentists mistake, there is enough proof for you to fight this! Or at least it was until you deleted your review. Basicly by deleting it you agreed to the lawyers letter, so that is done. For the future if you are honest and someone tries to purge your review, stick to it. They cannot do harm to you. They can try to sue you, let them. The horendes amount is just to scare you off, even in case a judge says you are wrong, 20k, in germany for something like that? Nonsense.
I still would try to contact your Health Insurance or the “Ärztekammer”, with a copy of your review and the letter of the lawyer. May cause some ruckus for the dentist.
If you observe most of the businesses in Germany have very good rating/reviews on Google ( some even have 5 stars) but in reality they are shit . This has to be stopped somehow !
Write a review that they cooked your teeth and then sent a C&D for negatively reviewing them.
The options are to do nothing (and see if they really want to open a case that would be dropped immediately by the court) or to delete the review (if you don’t really care and want to avoid wasting time).
Usually Google just deletes negative reviews if the owners requests it, though. That’s far more common than a lawyer asking you to do it.
Name and shame these assholes. This happens too often in this country.
Once I left a negative review at a hair salon and the owner phoned me up and threatened me.
Maps reviews is dead. I deleted all my reviews (good and bad), I do not want them make money with my data. Never check ratings again on maps and tell your friends that they are hell biased…
Actually there was a atatistic showing that one of the country with most deleted google reviews is Germany.
I can’t give legal advice, but want to say that I feel you.
The fact that she lawyers up is already speaking for itself.
What I did in similiar circumstances, the Dentist I went to gave me completely false medication after a botched practise, was to file a formal complaint with my insurance.
They said they will forward it to the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung.
Double down, create another review where you add the letter and explain that they are actively suing anyone who leaves a negative review, they shouldn’t get away with these kind of maffia practices.
What the hell did I just read?!
I always thought (and still do) that Americans were high on something when they said there was no free speech in Europe. Now I kinda get them… This is insane.
At the very least report them here: https://www.myreviewgotdeleted.com/
This is why I don’t want to grow old here…
Look, you might be frustrated, but everyone has the right to defend themselves. Even a terrible dentist. It’s not a bad thing that people could be held responsible for what they write on the internet.
Schau nach ob du die Rechnung noch hast und die 800€ stimmen. Dann Update der Rezension: „Erhielt am 06.03. eine Mail vom Anwalt, der mich drauf hinweist die Praxis bezüglich meiner Rezension zu vertreten. „
Put the review back up or else I will sue you for 100,000,000,000,000€.
See, people can make all sorts of silly legal-ish threats. From what you have shared, it doesn’t appear their lawyer’s threat is any more legitimate than mine. Do they cite any law? Do they claim any damages? Are they even a real lawyer?
lawyers don’t want you to know it, but C&D letters are free ( as in, non binding for the writing party ). you can hire a lawyer for 5 min to stamp a C&D to the people sending you C&D’s. in some western countries you can even pretend you have legal counsel writing up said C&D letters. ( not sure here in germany tho).
get a legal insurance on check24,, let them know you have this C&D and that you wish to reinstante the comment, and the documents you have.
hell, you could even have the new dentist write a “yes, this was a fucking mess when i got to fix it” letter.
If it is the truth, and they end up trying to litigate, it’s gonna be free money for the legal company you’ve hired.
normally people listen to C&D because they don’t want trouble. but a mouth is almost as personal as it can get.
Don’t worry about that. This mail means nothing in your case. A serious lawyer would never just send it per simple mail, cause lawyer wouldn’t be able to prove that you’ve received that mail. They are trying to intimidate you using the cheapest way. It’s really sad how many comments are suggesting to take the review down. You did nothing wrong so don’t be frightened.
I can’t help you with this matter but maybe try crossposting it in r/LegaladviceGerman, if you haven’t already?
I really hate when this happens. But you can ask Google to reinstate the review and send evidence that you were there. Even a credit card charge with date or Google maps location history is enough.
3 of my reviews are still live with this method, and are the sole reasons why these businesses don’t have perfect 5 stars. Asshats.
My shitty previous dentist does that too. Not only did he get all negative reviews removed, presumably by threatening people, but the vast majority of his positive reviews are very clearly fake. Unfortunately, this is the reality of google maps reviews in Germany.
I also in the past have posted on google a honest 1 star review. First they removed it. I posted again with pictures. Then I got contacted by google, they told me that they need proof that I stayed in that place, that my review might break the rules and that I can get sued from the owner if I don’t modify or cancel the review. They offered me the chance to demonstrate that I was there, I have sent them the invoice and the review I made in Booking to show that they were the same. In the end they didn’t accept it anyway and they have canceled it. I could post again, but I am afraid exactly about what you got.
this is really unfair and it reflects on how trustworthy can be the review system in google maps.
If your already out of the country as you say then I wouldn’t even worry. Reinstate it, the law is on your side anyway, and in order to serve you for a lawsuit anyway they’d have to be able to serve you in person. You are at no legal risk.
Generally one can send these letters to anybody threatening a law suit. The two interesting questions are; a) would they actually take you to court? I personally have my doubts. b) would they be able to win in court? All of your review is just a description of what you have went through, if it is truthful, there is nothing they can do. They would have to prove you were lying to hurt their business.
If you are willing to go to court you will likely win as you can prove that you went to other dentists and they can confirm it wasn’t fixed.
When you win they will have to pay your legal costs.
Not at this level, but I recognize a new wave of opportunity to whitewash things in google maps. I’ve been rating things for 15 years on Google Maps. until 2 years ago I never had a problem. Now last year and already this year I had a complaint about “defamation.” And even though it was clearly an objective rating, my appeal was rejected. It seems that google changed something, and now businesses are trying to exploit it.
Please, ignore me, I’m here just to laugh my ass off from this backwards country.
I have had a similar experience. They actually reported me as a fake reviewer and google maps have asked me for proof I had been there. Despite it being over two years later I had the proof. Few years passed and I got the same inquiry again (five years after the review) and Google reviewed the case saying I did nothing wrong so it’s still sitting there. Might be worth reaching out to them?
You have at least two actual problems in your review because you are making two claims that, in the way they are worded at least, not opinions.
The biggest issue is the claim that the equipment is outdated. Now, you may be of the opinion that it is outdated and they may not have the newest and hottest shit. But for it to be actually outdated would mean that it no longer meets the minimal requirements to provide the necessary medical care.
The other issue is that the way you worded it, you are making a general claim about the dentist’s behavior. They may have been impatient and unfriendly to you, or you may have felt like it, but what you wrote is that they are like that in general.