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Archive 2016 · Negative Google Review

  
 
tonyhart
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Negative Google Review


Someone I’ve never heard of (or worked with), has just left a 2* review on my Google Business page. Anyone have any experience of this sort of thing and how to go about getting it removed/sorted?


Jan 01, 2016 at 10:56 AM
hardlyboring
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Negative Google Review


Saw that on FB... sucks.
Maybe you could call google and see what they have to say. Although that may be a losing battle since it is hard to prove they were not an actual client.



Jan 01, 2016 at 06:53 PM
nolaguy
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Negative Google Review


https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=jewelry%20defamation%20review

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/09/yelp-hands-over-user-info-in-jewelry-store-defamation-case/

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/09/jeweler-tries-to-sue-anonymous-woman-who-left-1-star-yelp-review/


"Yelp has handed over account information for a previously anonymous account, named "Linda G," to a Massachusetts jeweler seeking to sue the user.

The company was ordered by a municipal court judge to hand over the user's name and address after Boston-based Pageo Jewelry provided documentation to Yelp and to the court indicating that the user's review may be false."



Tons of links if you follow the google search above. It may or may not be worth your time but as I recall it was an interesting example of pressure on the host review site to divulge the fraudulent reviewer's identity.


Sorry it happened, Tony. Good luck with it.

Chuck


Edited on Jan 01, 2016 at 07:21 PM · View previous versions



Jan 01, 2016 at 07:17 PM
wer2012
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Negative Google Review


We have a fake two star review on our Google business page as well. Just respond to all of your reviews and make it clear what kind of business you run. Google will not help.



Jan 01, 2016 at 07:19 PM
glort
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Negative Google Review



I think these review sites are a load of Crap!
A friend alerted me a couple of years ago to negative " Yelp" review. ( seriously, you going to take any notice of something you see on a site with a name like that??)

When I stopped laughing enough to actually find what it was, I found it was from someone I had never dealt with from another country. My friend insisted it was important to have it removed so I contacted them and got an indignant reply that I would have to contact the person that posted the review and ask them to remove it.

I don't know them, how the fk am I going to contact them?
Clearly these sites and the small minded people with too much time on their hands that use them think they are for more important than what they actually are.

I would recommend you give them the exact same credibility and importance I do,
ZERO.

I'm surprised they even exist.
With the overly pedantic legal mentality that appears to exist in the US and people maintaining that you could be held liable for something you show on YT that someone hurts themselves doing, It seems only a matter of time before someone with too much time and a fat bank account sue the backside off one of these sites for real and justifiable reasons.

Surprised they are around at all really and even more surprised anyone puts any faith in something obviously aimed at a rabble rousing mentality audience.
Glad that's something that we don't have here.



Jan 01, 2016 at 07:43 PM
nolaguy
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Negative Google Review


glort wrote:
I think these review sites are a load of Crap!
A friend alerted me a couple of years ago to negative " Yelp" review. ( seriously, you going to take any notice of something you see on a site with a name like that??)

When I stopped laughing enough to actually find what it was, I found it was from someone I had never dealt with from another country. My friend insisted it was important to have it removed so I contacted them and got an indignant reply that I would have to contact the person that posted the review and
...Show more


Agreed. Pretty much.

The problem is the speed at which technology and pseudo connected-ness has exploded has greatly surpassed humankind's ability to process it and maintain much common sense or critical thinking skills - not that we had a bunch to begin with. It'll be a long time before the nonsense reaches any measure of equilibrium, if ever.

Same old stuff that's always gone on... its scope, accessibility and visibility is just greatly amplified now.

We were a better species when we were monkeys.

If it is different down under, maybe that's why I've always been fond of Aussies.



Jan 01, 2016 at 08:14 PM
Marcus Watts
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Negative Google Review


I would imagine a competitor. Is there anyone from your local photographers that has some gripe with you?

I was getting some hate mail a few years ago on a daily basis from an anonymous person. I had a pretty good idea who it was as I only knew one photographer that did not like me. I opened up a free email with [email protected] or something like that and sent him an anonymous email asking him to stop sending the following- then pasted some of his hate mail.

The hate mail stopped right there.

A bit rude when someone post something public like that and you cannot just remove it. Hope you can get it sorted.



Jan 02, 2016 at 10:34 AM
tonyhart
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Negative Google Review


Thanks for the feedback guys, much appreciated. It looks like it'll be bloody challenging to remove it so I'm more minded to bury it. If had some ex-clients write reviews and hopefully the 2* one will, over time, be lost - I've never really asked clients to review me on Google, but I worry that bad reviews may feed into, and have negative impact, on organic search results. We'll see.


Jan 02, 2016 at 11:06 AM
ashton lamont
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Negative Google Review


This is not any old review site it is Google reviews and therefore has the potential to be influential. It needs to be sorted.

Tony, I did a search on your name and trade and so I can see your reviews page come up on the right on page one of the results. The 2-star review is already drowned by the 5-star ones so its unlikely to matter but none-the-less I would make efforts to have it clarified or removed.

I would be very surprised if Google will not assist you in resolving this. My experience of G is that they fall over themselves to help - after all its not in their interests at all to have inaccurate information. But I am an Adwords user so that may influence their attitude to me.

The 2-star reviewer hasn't said anything so that suggests it may be a mistake - maybe they quit the page early when they realised that they were on the wrong page. Or sometimes people just get it plain wrong, for example you see reviews on Amazon in which the reviewer praises the product to the heavens and then gives it 1-star by mistake or misunderstanding.

Could it have been a potential client? I had one who booked a consultation two weeks in advance. I stressed to her I would not reserve the date. And sure enough someone else booked it so I had to cancel her consultation. She left negative comments on Hitched but it didn't matter as it was perfectly clear what had happened.

Pete



Jan 02, 2016 at 11:24 AM
jmraso
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Negative Google Review


Talking to a client about all these Internet reviews such as Google, forums ... he told me that prior to their wedding they spent a lot of time readings reviews and that after a while they could smell the faked ones miles away.

Social justice is strong, I suppose !

Yours, not being pleasant to have it, is one of those that smells faked and you answered properly to it.



Jan 02, 2016 at 11:34 AM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Negative Google Review


SEO is definitely something I'd worry about for a negative Google review. I also wonder if it is someone's SEO strategy (or an SEO professional) giving bad reviews to boost their own respective ranking by dropping you a peg.


Jan 02, 2016 at 12:07 PM
tonyhart
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Negative Google Review


TTLKurtis wrote:
SEO is definitely something I'd worry about for a negative Google review. I also wonder if it is someone's SEO strategy (or an SEO professional) giving bad reviews to boost their own respective ranking by dropping you a peg.


I wondered the same. Am going to get on to Google and see if they're willing to help. I find Google to be one of the largest, and least intuitive online services to use though. Step away from their simple search engine and while the offerings are clearly powerful, I do find the glut of services and options somewhat confusing at times. Must be getting old!



Jan 02, 2016 at 12:20 PM
tonyhart
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Negative Google Review


Marcus Watts wrote:
I would imagine a competitor. Is there anyone from your local photographers that has some gripe with you?

I was getting some hate mail a few years ago on a daily basis from an anonymous person. I had a pretty good idea who it was as I only knew one photographer that did not like me. I opened up a free email with [email protected] or something like that and sent him an anonymous email asking him to stop sending the following- then pasted some of his hate mail.

The hate mail stopped right there.

A bit rude when someone
...Show more

Not that I am aware of! I'm nice!

Still, will keep an ear to the ground.



Jan 02, 2016 at 12:21 PM
tonyhart
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Negative Google Review


ashton lamont wrote:
This is not any old review site it is Google reviews and therefore has the potential to be influential. It needs to be sorted.

Tony, I did a search on your name and trade and so I can see your reviews page come up on the right on page one of the results. The 2-star review is already drowned by the 5-star ones so its unlikely to matter but none-the-less I would make efforts to have it clarified or removed.

I would be very surprised if Google will not assist you in resolving this. My experience of G is that they
...Show more

Cheers Pete, really appreciate the input. I'll definitely be getting on to Google as I'd hate it to influence my Google ranking.

It's possible that it's a mistake certainly, but I don't think it could be a client, I've not had anyone in recent memory who hasn't been basically entirely happy. I've had a few minor gripes but we've dealt with them effectively I'd say.



Jan 02, 2016 at 12:23 PM
canerino
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Negative Google Review


Wasn't there a scam going around where a negative review would show up then the photographer would get an email a week later saying "we can help you with any negative reviews"?




Jan 02, 2016 at 12:43 PM
ashton lamont
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Negative Google Review


Tony, meant to add that yes the googlesphere is highly complicated and it can be difficult to know where to start.

I would start with a search / post on the Product Forums, specifically the Webmaster Central one:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/webmasters

There must be lots of other users who have experienced the same issue so even if there is not a solution posted there is probably advice on how to start the ball rolling. Google staff frequent the site as well as experienced members.

Pete



Jan 02, 2016 at 12:58 PM
Brian Virts
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Negative Google Review


Can we all give you ***** and bury it? Complete rubbish!


Jan 02, 2016 at 02:39 PM
paparazzinick
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Negative Google Review


Google doesn't care. It sucks I know. I have one. Some asshole gave me a 1 star and said I never delivered his album. I never shot his wedding and I have no clue who he is. Google is no help. Good luck. All you can do is get more people to post positive reviews to burry the negative one.


Jan 03, 2016 at 08:44 PM
FrancisK7
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Negative Google Review


Indeed Google will not intervene. They allow businesses to post replies so the system can be fair and 2-sided, but they won't remove a review unless it breaches the TOS (profanities, threats of violence, etc.). This does not qualify.

You neutralized the review by posting a sensible and professional response, which is the best way to approach the problem. Brides who consider you will quickly dismiss the negative review after reading your response.

It does suck because it still impacts your average therefore can influence local map listing placement.



Jan 04, 2016 at 12:30 AM
leethecam
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Negative Google Review


This has always been my fear - and there are so many places a review can pop up without us even knowing.

I just read your response and you wrote exactly the right thing. Compared to all the rave reviews out there on your profile, any decent minded person will read the 2 stars for what they're worth... nothing...!



Jan 04, 2016 at 06:05 AM
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