How to Remove False Content From ComplaintsBoard.com

ComplaintsBoard.com is a user-generated online review website touting itself as the “most trusted and popular consumer complaints website,” where posters come to post reviews and comments about every industry imaginable. ComplaintsBoard not only provides a forum for reviews and ratings of neighborhood restaurants and hotels, but also uncovers scams, phishing, and and other unethical behavior.

Despite good intentions to act as a transparent community for consumers to warn others of bad businesses and services, ComplaintsBoard has evolved into an online platform for character assassination, defamation, and unsubstantiated accusations, posing a serious threat to not only your business, but your reputation as well.

ComplaintsBoard.com is one of the most comprehensive online review and complaint sites on the Internet, sorting complaints by category, offering consumer tips and trick articles, and allowing users to create common interest and complaint groups. They also have an active social media presence, posting regularly to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Instead of leaving it to defamed and accused parties to stumble on defamatory content by accident, ComplaintsBoard allows the instant sharing of such content, resulting in the rapid spread of lies, false content, and malicious attacks. Additionally, such instantaneous dissemination promulgates information across the Internet before anyone has a chance to verify and dispute it.

If you, or your business, has been the subject of a malicious online attack, don’t let it sit and and spread. It’s time to proactively protect your reputation, before your spouse, potential employer, or even mother-in-law becomes privy to embarrassing, false, and offensive information. The Cleveland-based defamation lawyers of Minc Law want to fight for your reputation. Reach out to schedule a free no-obligation case evaluation at (216) 373-7706, or by scheduling an appointment online by filling out our online contact form.

What is Defamation, Libel, and Slander?

First, before getting into the effects of defamation on your business’s reputation and livelihood, let’s take a look at what the tort of defamation is.

At its simplest, defamation is a false statement of fact causing damage to a person or entity’s reputation, and is typically classified into two types; libel and slander. Both concern the assertion of a false fact as truth, but take different forms.

• Libel is a false written statement, while
• Slander manifests itself in spoken form.

How Defamatory Reviews Can Destroy Your Business’s Integrity (and Livelihood)

Defamation of character, and of your business, not only has the potential to affect your personal life, but your ability to earn a living and keep your doors open. U.S. law classifies certain statements as so inherently defamatory, that damages are presumed, and a plaintiff need not prove them. Such statements are collectively referred to as “Defamation Per Se,” and may also be referred to as “Libel Per Se,” or “Slander Per Se,” depending on whether the statement is written (libel), or spoken (slander).

False statements will constitute defamation per se, when a defendant alleges a plaintiff possesses, or has committed one of the following acts:

• A false statement injurious to a person’s business, trade, or profession,
• A false statement alleging the plaintiff possesses a “loathsome disease,” such as leprosy, mental illness, or even a sexually transmitted disease,
• A false statement implying a plaintiff is “unchaste,” or engaged in improper sexual misconduct, or
• A false statement accusing a plaintiff of engaging in criminal activity, or committing a crime of “moral turpitude.”

As a business, your reputation is your most valuable asset, and as an intangible asset, it’s not something that can always be recovered or fully restored. Should defamatory reviews and ratings spread and further embed themselves into the Internet, your business could suffer disastrous consequences, including:

• Loss of loyal customers, ultimately decreasing your customer base,
• Damage to existing and future professional partnerships and connections,
• Loss and exposure of your business’s goodwill (intellectual property),
• Increased negative publicity and scrutiny,
• Severe financial loss, leading to a diminished bottom line, and causing you to shut down.

Now that you are familiar with the definition of defamation and the potential effects on your business, let’s briefly look at three recent defamation legal cases in the U.S., all of which address a different professional industry, and the various impacts on their business.

Can I Hold Posters of Online Defamatory Content Liable?

Unlike some consumer review sites which don’t list proper contact information, or allow injured and innocent parties to dispute or remove defamatory posts, ComplaintsBoard.com has a contact page, and there have been documented past cases of content removal. However, that’s not saying much, considering ComplaintsBoard has even been sued by Ripoff Report for copyright infringement, and found to “scrape” reviews from other toxic user-generated content platforms and post it as their own.

So, can I hold ComplaintsBoard.com Liable for Defamatory Content?

Unfortunately, no.

Like most user-generated content platforms, ComplaintsBoard is protected from liability under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a controversial piece of Internet legislation drafted in 1996. The CDA proves an overwhelming hurdle for defamed parties looking to hold defamers and malicious online posters liable for false online content, as it requires defamed parties to go directly after the offending poster instead of the website.

Section 230 provides protection for user-generated content platforms because they were not the actual contributors or publishers of the questionable content, just the provider of an interactive platform. Third-party posters to such platforms are the true authors, and can be held liable for defamatory content. However, keep in mind that there have been instances of user-generated content platforms making original comment or edits to reviews, opening them up to liability.

Approaching online defamation can be an overwhelming and time-consuming process, especially when identifying a malicious poster. Reach out to Cleveland, Ohio-based Minc Law team of experienced removal lawyers to give yourself a fighting chance in permanently removing defamatory content. We have a nearly 100% removal success rate, and has been named five times by Super Lawyer as a “Rising Star” in the legal world.

For a free, no-obligation consultation, call us at (216) 373-7706, or schedule a meeting by filling out our online contact form today.

Call Minc Law Today to Schedule a Confidential Consultation

If you’ve found your name, or business, listed on ComplaintsBoard.com, and want it removed immediately, call the Internet Defamation Lawyers of Minc Law right away to get started. At Minc Law, we leave no stone unturned, and work with you to formulate an effective take-down game-plan. Our experienced attorneys use all available removal tactics, including confronting malicious posters and defamers, and working with website administrators, content managers, and arbitration services. And, if necessary, we will seek a court-ordered removal.

What can you expect when working with our team of experienced removal lawyers?

• Websites Respond to Minc Law Lawyers: We know who to contact and how to contact them. We have proven success working directly with websites, ultimately leading to a swift and seamless takedown.
• You Will Be Treated with Courtesy and Respect: Uncovering defamatory online posts can be stressful, and we know it. Our goals are your goals, so take solace that we are always on your side. Additionally, your initial, no-obligation case review is confidential and free.
• We Will Work With You: After getting started, we will stay in constant contact with you concerning the details of your case via phone, text, email, or whichever medium is most convenient for you. Staying informed is important, and we will do everything to make sure you feel comfortable.

To schedule a no-cost, private initial case evaluation, call our firm at (216) 373-7706, or fill out our online contact form. At Minc Law, we have near 100% removal rates, all for a flat and reasonable fee. We want to fight for your reputation, so let’s get started today.