If you’ve ever been on the Ripoff Report, you know how frustrating it can be and how helpless it can make you feel. You’ve read the contract with a small pinch of salt and probably thrown in the towel. There’s no getting away from the Ripoff Report once it’s published.
However, I will tell you that there is a proven (and until now almost secret) way around this problem.
This method does not remove the Ripoff Report listing itself, but it prevents the average web searcher from finding the Ripoff Report, which is the most crucial part. The key here is to backtrack a bit.
For those unfamiliar with Ripoff Report, Ripoff Report is a consumer complaint site where anyone can post a “ripoff report” about any business or person. The only guarantees of truthfulness required by the site are a valid email address and verification (by mouse click) by the poster themselves.
Once a Ripoff Report is posted, it remains forever. Pages published on the Ripoff Reports website have an incredible ability to rank very high in search engines, especially Google. Even if the parties agree, the Ripoff Report will not let you remove the original complaint.
What is its legal status?
Ripoff Report claims that it is not liable under the federal law, the Communications Decency Act. Under this law, websites are not responsible for content posted on their websites by third parties. (This law makes some sense. If Yahoo were legally liable every time someone slandered another person on a Yahoo forum, the forum would not exist).
Unfortunately, the law also protects websites like the Ripoff Report, which can be sued for defamation if it receives notice that certain content posted on its site is false if the original author of the offending content demands that the content be removed, or if a court finds that the report is defamatory. We refuse to remove illegal content even if we find that the content is defamatory.
What is particularly frustrating is that both parties are demanding the removal of offensive content; according to the Ripoff Report, allowing the parties to remove the posts would be a way for big business to force consumers into submission.
How to remove a Ripoff Report post on Google?
How much does this option cost? So far, Google has never charged you for this service, so the only costs you will incur are legal fees. Litigation costs can range from a few hundred dollars to filing fees, court costs, and attorney fees.
However, in my experience, I have found that defamatory allegations in Ripoff Reports are often so patently false that the defendant cannot defend himself in court. If you bring a strong defamation claim, the defendant will usually quickly accept the court’s declaration that the report in question is false and defamatory.
Note that this strategy is not limited to defamatory posts on the Ripoff Report; Google follows court decisions regarding other websites’ content (such as Complaints Board, Pissed Consumer, and Scam.com) and removes them from the search index.
Also, note that this method works on a per-search engine basis. Just because Google has removed an offending report from its list does not mean that another search engine (e.g., Bing.com) will also remove that report. Given Google’s large market share, releasing the list’s information is undoubtedly a big step in the right direction.
I don’t have the first-hand experience with this, but you can probably use the same method with Bing or any other search engine that displays illegal websites that the courts have declared illegal.
Why do I need a court order?
I can’t speak for Google, but Google will not remove defamatory websites from its search index without a court order, in my experience. If you put yourself in Google’s shoes, it makes sense to seek a court order.
Like any search engine, Google wants to be neutral about the content that appears in its search results. Users trust Google to display the most relevant search results every time. Google does not want to violate that trust by changing its search results based on unsubstantiated, easily falsifiable defamation claims.
However, the court orders are a game-changer.
If you want to be neutral, you can’t just say “anything goes” – that’s socially irresponsible. Instead, you must respect the role of society’s true arbiters – judges and juries – in legal disputes. Although our legal system is not perfect, it is the best system we have, and it has safeguards to protect all parties’ rights. By respecting court decisions, Google maintains responsible impartiality.
Of course, the best medicine is always prevention. Try not to engage with sites like the Ripoff Report (there are also many similar sites). Conduct your business in such a way that the parties do not have to resort to such guerrilla warfare via online tools even in the event of a dispute. Defamation on the Internet is a two-way street, and once it spreads, it’s tough to undo or contain.
If you find yourself going down this road with your opponent, swallow your pride, bite your lip, and do everything you can to stop him from posting more (this sort of thing can snowball quickly because retaliation is so easy). And it just fits the business model of companies like Ripoff Report, who demand that you let them clean up the mess.
So stay on the straight and narrow if you can. However, if you fall victim to damaging reports from Ripoff Report or similar complaint sites, you now at least have the opportunity to prevent the damage. It is not perfect, but it is far better than most other options if it is successful.
One of the best ways to remove your Ripoff report complaints is getting ripoff report removal services from a reputable firm. These companies have expert professionals who help you in removing complaints.
