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I got a call today from someone who said that, if you google the name of one particular business that I am associated with, you get a derogatory report on the first page. For a fee, and a monthly service he said he would help me deal with it.
So I googled the name and sure enough, there it was - a report on RipoffReport.com The posting was obviously fraudulent. As one example, it was complaining that one particular section on my web site was stolen from another source. If you actually go to the page they are claiming is stolen, all it says is "Coming soon!" The part they are saying is stolen isn't even online yet.
So I look around to see what can be done about it. RipoffReport.com can't be sued because it is an anonymous person doing the posting. They won't even tell you who did the posting. If you want to reply to the posting, you have to pay a subscription fee.
So there it is -- anonymously slander random businesses and then ask for money to post a rebuttal. If you want further "protection" you have to sign up for their Corporate Advocacy program at a monthly fee.
In the old days they would have called this outright extortion -- a "protection racket."
Everyone should be aware what the site is really about.
Wow. I didn't know. Sucks because they have some valid ripoffreports in there as well. Anyone else get pushed like the OP?
In doing some research, I found http://ReportsRipoff.com -- In short, it seems that the founder of the site has been sued numerous times, busted several times, and is currently in hiding from judgments against him. I am not the first to get a call from his people by a long shot.
So the whole thing is clearly an extortion scheme, even if some of the complaints happen to be valid.
His last known address was in Tempe, Ariz. and he apparently has no cars or property registered in his name that anyone could attach in a lawsuit. He just knows how to get his site on the first page of Google so anyone who gets mentioned on his extortion site has a big PITA.
I'll confess that as a "hobby" I will read up on companies on Rip Off Report from time to time, along with other consumer complaint sites. I have always heard that ROR is a bunch of bull but I've never bothered to learn why some say that.
A lot of the reports are really spot on. Some of them show how gullible and stupid people can be. I've read several reports that I knew was bogus because they sounded like nothing more than revenge/sour grapes type stuff.
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to cry with a friend is a warm hug..no words need to be spoken... --bob
There's just too many imitations after one original comes along. I just use the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org). You can look up a business right from their web site.
I'm sure BBB isn't perfect, but it beats "googling" things.
There's just too many imitations after one original comes along. I just use the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org). You can look up a business right from their web site.
I'm sure BBB isn't perfect, but it beats "googling" things.
I wouldn't have a problem with it if it was an actual imitation of BBB. That is, if they let you actually post a response. BBB operates in a fair manner and will let businesses respond and then they will make a fair determination of the validity of the complaint.
These guys don't do that. They just post something slanderous and then, if you want to respond, you have to pay them. There is a big difference between a legitimate complaint service and outright extortion.
But, I agree with you -- use the BBB. They do an honest job at it.
If you are being damaged monetarily by the posting, why not see an attorney and find out about suing Google?
I'm not saying it can be done, but it might be worth looking into...
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uhlawpup - deep in the heart of Downtown Houston
"The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
If you are being damaged monetarily by the posting, why not see an attorney and find out about suing Google?
I'm not saying it can be done, but it might be worth looking into...
I can't sue Google. They don't do anything but list the link to the page. They didn't really do anything wrong. You can't really expect them to make a determination on which sites are good or not. My beef isn't with them.
I can't sue Google. They don't do anything but list the link to the page. They didn't really do anything wrong. You can't really expect them to make a determination on which sites are good or not. My beef isn't with them.
If they are a vehicle in your being harmed, they may have liability. That's how the law works. They can easily block the access the bogus company has to their listing order. If they choose not to, how are they not harming you?
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uhlawpup - deep in the heart of Downtown Houston
"The only limits to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
I guess the BBB won't help with your immediate problem, so I guess I was just throwing it out there. It's too bad that in a "google-blog" world, everyone thinks every web site is authoritative and that everything posted is true.
If they are a vehicle in your being harmed, they may have liability. That's how the law works. They can easily block the access the bogus company has to their listing order. If they choose not to, how are they not harming you?
Interesting idea, but I don't think it would fly. They are going to argue that they can't be responsible for monitoring good sites from bad, especially on something as contentious as consumer complaints.
Besides, the money involved is not huge, not enough to justify wasting time with an attorney. The business will be changing somewhat itself which will make it a non-issue in 2010, anyway. So it isn't worth pursuing much at the moment.
It is just a real pisser that people can do that. I understand that he gets $15,000 per month from some companies as a result of his extortion site. If it was that big a deal to me I think I would probably be all over him with some Colombian buddies.
If they are a vehicle in your being harmed, they may have liability. That's how the law works. They can easily block the access the bogus company has to their listing order. If they choose not to, how are they not harming you?
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