Getting harassed by a Google Reivew

Options
Cella30
Cella30 Posts: 539 Member
in Chit-Chat
tl;dr...i know, sorry

I need advice and what better place than from strangers on a website that has nothing to do with the topic. :frown:

A few months ago I had a really bad experience at a local retail store. It upset me to the point that I went online and posted a (bad) review for the business describing what happened. Well, Google now posts both your full first AND last name on any reviews you make. Last night I received a phone call from one of the people I dealt with at the store. I basically reiterated what I wrote. My theory is, if you can't say to someone's face what you're saying behind their back than you shouldn't be talking, right? He was nice and asked for my suggestions on how they can improve. I'm sure that wasn't an easy call for him and I appreciated it.

After the call I wondered if I should remove my review. I was really pissed about everything that happened so maybe not remove it completely - just add my thoughts and appreciation for the phone call? Perhaps give them an extra star for the effort?

Then this morning I wake up to an email from a friend of this guy. He is not affiliated with that company at all, but had a discussion with his friend and wants me to take my review down. How did he get my email??? The guy who I worked with at the store had to have given it to him...isn't that some sort of privacy issue??? Who else did he give it to? And now these people have my phone number, email address and first and last name!! You plug that into Google and up pops my address with a satellite view of my house.

I'm totally freaked out. I shouldn't be bullied into taking down an honest review of a company. But haven't some sort of privacy laws been broken? My safety isn't worth a bad review. Should I contact a superior at this company regarding the email? And Google...wtf! What happened with first name, last initial or something a little more anonymous???

Anyway, just wanted to know what you would do...I appreciate any feedback, thank you!

Replies

  • Sparkle_Princess
    Sparkle_Princess Posts: 926
    Options
    I wouldnt be taking down the review now. yes I would be approaching someone higher up in the company and filing a formal complaint in regards to your information being passed onto a third party. That is extremely unprofessional and borders on harassment.

    If it continues I suggest a friendly visit to your local police station and asking an officer to speak to these people.
  • dennik15
    dennik15 Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    You should absolutely speak to the manager or owner of the store. It may or may not be against their privacy policy, but it's bad business regardless. You had a bad experience at their store, allowing some stranger not affiliated with the business to harass you is surely not going to rectify that.


    ETA: If you willingly gave your e-mail address to the employee without signing a privacy statement I'm afraid you may not have recourse against them for violating a specific policy.
  • tarag8100
    tarag8100 Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    I don't review on Google anymore because they publish your full name. It's ridiculous! I'd contact a superior at the company you reviewed and maybe the better business bureau, too.
  • LetsTryThisAgain54
    LetsTryThisAgain54 Posts: 381 Member
    Options
    You have to remember, NOTHING is private on the Internet anymore. I'm amazed at what you can find on Google!!!
  • griff7809
    griff7809 Posts: 611 Member
    Options
    I feel your fears are valid.. I would definitely contact google and share your concerns with them regarding displaying full names in reviews. In the meantime, I would ignore any other correspondence with the retail store (freinds). Also, if you truly appreciated the initial phone call asking for your input of ways they can improve, maybe you could add that to your initial review? Hopefully, you won't receive any more emails/phone calls. BUT, if you do, I would file a police report. This issue should be dead between you and the retail store, if they continue to contact you...that's a red flag to me.
  • bdtyson77302
    bdtyson77302 Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    I wouldnt be taking down the review now. yes I would be approaching someone higher up in the company and filing a formal complaint in regards to your information being passed onto a third party. That is extremely unprofessional and borders on harassment.

    If it continues I suggest a friendly visit to your local police station and asking an officer to speak to these people.

    THIS! I am in shock that your information was given to a third party. Make the phone call and seriously....contact local authorities if you can't get resolution! WOW...sorry this happened..so scary!
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
    Options
    I would add this to your review.

    yes, I would post a review that states you received a perfectly polite call from the business, and then an email from some random buddy saying you should take your review down. actually, I would post the email, complete with email address.

    if you show yourself to be a person who will make everything that happens public it will deter any further bullpoop.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Options
    I'd complain to both google and the senior managers of this company

    dunno what country you're in but in the UK it is totally illegal for an employee or company to pass on your information on like that. It's a violation of the data protection act, something companies take very seriously. If you're in the UK you should complain to the most senior level of the company, explaining exactly what's happened (all of it, link them to the review and everything) and say you're considering legal action, and mention that it's in breach of the data protection act.... or you could even see if a solicitor can write on your behalf, some solicitors will write letters to companies for a very low cost or even free (so I've been told, not done this myself), and they'll be crapping themselves, basically and the guy will probably be fired because what he did is totally illegal and leaves the company open to litigation and all sorts of trouble.

    If you're not in the UK, I doubt the law is all that different, but how to go about dealing with it may be different.

    Also, report it to google. And don't take the review down.
  • CoozyRoo
    CoozyRoo Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    Like a previous poster said, contact the BBB, and also write a letter to the Department of Consumer and Affairs, and most importantly write to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). CFPB will actually make the place address the issue and research the data privacy breech thoroughly, while the others really only make sure the company responds with a letter not that they do anything about the actual situation.

    Due to what has already occurred, I would take down your review from Google but go and add it to another review site or multiple other sites that will not publish your personal information. Your review needs to stand. Data Privacy is a huge issue, I'm sorry you are going through this.
  • ajvideo1
    ajvideo1 Posts: 8
    Options
    The smartest thing you can do is avoid ANY contact with Google. That includes G-Mail, Google Search, YouTube, Google Earth, Apps on Android phones and anything else Google. I know others on the Net gather information BUT GOOGLE IS THE WORST.

    I agree with the other post that you should file a complaint with the Top Management of the company and contact the authorities to see what else can be done to protect you from this employee and company.
  • Cella30
    Cella30 Posts: 539 Member
    Options
    Thank you everyone, these are great suggestions...::taking notes::
  • Ninguneado73
    Ninguneado73 Posts: 832
    Options
    ?
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    Options
    on some review sites people only review to complain. Our company got nailed on a review for something that was entirely the customer's responsibility.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
    Options
    I would add this to your review.

    yes, I would post a review that states you received a perfectly polite call from the business, and then an email from some random buddy saying you should take your review down. actually, I would post the email, complete with email address.

    if you show yourself to be a person who will make everything that happens public it will deter any further bullpoop.

    I like this suggestion.

    I'm not saying that this guy would attempt to hurt you, but if he did, the whole story would be right there in full public view of the world AND the justice system.
  • niftyafterfifty
    niftyafterfifty Posts: 338 Member
    Options
    I agree with the previous post. I would add another review with the latest developments. Your private information is already out there; I'm not sure taking it down now would matter. I would also contact a superior authority at the business to discuss the matter.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
    Options
    The first guy simply wanted to resolve your complaint....as for the second one, it is odd indeed.
  • latenitelucy
    latenitelucy Posts: 1,314 Member
    Options
    I feel your fears are valid.. I would definitely contact google and share your concerns with them regarding displaying full names in reviews. In the meantime, I would ignore any other correspondence with the retail store (freinds). Also, if you truly appreciated the initial phone call asking for your input of ways they can improve, maybe you could add that to your initial review? Hopefully, you won't receive any more emails/phone calls. BUT, if you do, I would file a police report. This issue should be dead between you and the retail store, if they continue to contact you...that's a red flag to me.

    This for sure
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Options
    I feel your fears are valid.. I would definitely contact google and share your concerns with them regarding displaying full names in reviews. In the meantime, I would ignore any other correspondence with the retail store (freinds). Also, if you truly appreciated the initial phone call asking for your input of ways they can improve, maybe you could add that to your initial review? Hopefully, you won't receive any more emails/phone calls. BUT, if you do, I would file a police report. This issue should be dead between you and the retail store, if they continue to contact you...that's a red flag to me.

    This for sure

    I'm inclined to think that the employee who contacted her first is the one who's going to be in trouble over her bad review, that he was bricking it, and asked his friend to ask her nicely to try to make her take the review down. I don't think it means anyone's trying to threaten or bully her.... maybe this employee doesn't understand the severity of data protection breaches, or how being contacted by some stranger who got your number from a store you shopped at feels like. But it sounds like he's trying to cover his own backside by doing something that's going to get himself into a whole lot more trouble than the bad review would have done, i.e. he's dug himself into a much deeper hole. The senior management most likely have no idea what he's done and will instantly fire him as soon as they find out. And also, senior managers should review their staff training to ensure staff understand the importance of protecting people's private information and the severity of such breaches of privacy. And it's highly unlikely that this is company policy, it sounds like the actions of one individual within the company, and probably no-one else knows what's going on with it. Hence reporting it to the company.
  • veerichie
    veerichie Posts: 214 Member
    Options
    I feel like they crossed the line to look up your phone number and to call you about it, when you didn't ask them to.

    A typed response from the business on the review website would be way more appropriate. I see it on Trip Advisor all the time. I've even been messaged by companies on Trip Advisor appreciating my positive reviews or apologizing for my negative reviews and/or offering compensation for bad experiences.

    And for someone else to even ask you to remove the review is way out of line! Regardless of how the follow up went, you still had that negative experience in the first place.

    And the whole other issue of them having all of your info, well yes that is a little scary to me! And I just remembered my username on Trip Advisor is my first and last name and my home town is posted under it.... thinking about changing that now!

    Sorry for your crappy experience with how the company is following up with you. :(

Categories