Can Posting Negative Review of Bad Service On-Line Constitute Libel

[Y-O-Y]

What is the name of your state? Washington

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state? Washington

Based on the facts you presented, the answer is yes.

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state? Washington

**A: the answer is yes and no.

 

[Y-O-Y]

Even if negative information is in the interest of advising others about service?

I've seen negative reviews of businesses on-line before; this is specific to auto repair done very badly. Isn't there some protection for that?

 

[Zigner]

I've seen negative reviews of businesses on-line before; this is specific to auto repair done very badly. Isn't there some protection for that?

Yes there can be.

 

[Y-O-Y]

Protection - who/what/where?

Thanks for the info, BTW. So say I got a guy's name from Craigslist and he didn't do the work properly and won't make it right. If I post about my experience, could that be actionable? I have no reason, obviously, to post a negative review if my experience weren't negative, and I for one would be grateful to read information beforehand about potentially inept "service providers."

 

[quincy]

Stick only to the facts of your experience with this Craig's list guy and you should be okay. Avoid words like fraud, cheat, thief, liar, crook, etc. - any word that implies he always conducts business poorly. You don't know that, so don't say it. Defamation cases are based on damage to one's reputation - both personal reputation and business reputation - and you want to avoid that.

Comments and criticism based on one's own experience are legally protected free speech. Opinion is free speech. But too often opinions based on bad experiences with people wind up being defamatory, wind up wrongly implying a fact, and this can get you in trouble.

Truth and opinion can protect you in a defamation suit, but they will not protect you from having one brought against you.

 

[Y-O-Y]

Thank You Quincy!

I figured that was the case.