How to Contact Yelp About a False Review

If you have ever wondered whether you tin can remove Yelp reviews, the answer is yes! Fake and negative Yelp reviews tin crusade irreparable harm to a business's reputation. Fifty-fifty 1 less-than-stellar online review can conduct serious consequences for a concern's lesser line and ability to stay open.

If your business has been the target of a simulated or negative Yelp review, there are things you lot can do to permanently remove them and restore your online reputation. We recommend the following steps to remove unwanted Yelp reviews:

1. If yous know the customer and believe you can resolve the issue with stellar client service, contact them via telephone to try to resolve the issue. Do not respond to the review online directly.
2. Make up one's mind whether the review violates Yelp'southward Terms of Service and Content Guidelines. If there is a violation, y'all can flag and report the content to Yelp through your concern Yelp account, and request that they remove the review.
3. If advisable, pursue more than aggressive legal strategies to remove the Yelp review, including, just not limited to, sending a settlement demand, sending a cease and desist letter of the alphabet, or initiating litigation to obtain a court order to remove content.

At Minc Law, we regularly assistance clients navigate the challenges acquired by negative Yelp reviews. We have all-encompassing experience helping companies remove or answer to fake, negative, and defamatory reviews.

In this article, I will discuss the benefits of removing fake and negative Yelp reviews, how to do information technology, and how long the procedure takes.

When to Remove a Yelp Review

If your business organization receives a negative Yelp review, it is imperative that you human action quickly. The longer you wait to answer to the situation, the more damage the online review tin cause. But it is important to know that how you reply is every bit as important as when you respond.

Beneath, we have a closer await at your options for responding and what best practices are to remove negative reviews from Yelp.

In What Circumstances Tin can a Business Remove Bad Yelp Reviews?

There are ii primary ways to get a review removed:

1. The customer that posted the review can remove it, or
2. Yelp tin can remove the review.

If yous are familiar with the customer that posted the review, you lot may try giving them a call. Do not respond directly to the review on Yelp, because that may draw more than attending to the negative review. Typically, with a little customer service, you may be able to satisfy the customer's concerns and they might voluntarily remove the review before any of this is necessary.

But, if you are dealing with a peculiarly contentious customer reaching out to them could backlash. Some customers render to Yelp to leave even more defamatory and negative reviews, making the state of affairs even worse.

Sometimes, contacting Yelp may be the most efficient method to remove the review. Yelp acts equally the gatekeeper and you volition need to provide them with a sufficient reason to remove the bad review. Not only do business organization owners have to comply with Yelp's rules, but consumers too must follow specific guidelines as well.

In Yelp's Terms of Service (TOS), they specifically land, "We reserve the correct to remove, screen, edit, or reinstate User Content at our sole discretion for any reason or no reason, and without notice to you. For example, we may remove a review if we believe information technology violates our Content Guidelines."

Their TOS likewise lists several reasons why reviews might violate their rules and event in removal. Namely, reviews cannot violate content guidelines, defame a business concern, present fake information (fake Yelp reviews), violate third party rights, or threaten others.

Check to See if the Review Violates Yelp'south Content Guidelines

Yelp'due south Content Guidelines delineate Yelp's expectations when it comes to reviews (and the types of reviews that may be subject to removal). Yelp recognizes that consumers and business owners may not always agree, only they await a certain modicum of honesty and respect.

Yelp will remove reviews that violate their content guidelines, and then it helps to know their rules. When information technology comes to removing negative reviews, these are some of Yelp's most significant content guidelines:

• Inappropriate content. Yelp considers threats, online harassment, and hate speech communication inappropriate. If you spot a negative review with this type of language, you lot should flag the review.
• Privacy. A review should not include photos of other customers (unless they have given permission) and should non list anyone'southward total name.
• Personal experience. Reviews should exist written only about firsthand experience, non something that was "heard" from a tertiary-political party.
• Demanding payment. Yelp should non be used for extortion. Reviews that threaten a business as a way to excerpt payment is a serious violation of Yelp'due south content guidelines.

When dealing with review websites like Yelp it is particularly of import to understand their rules, because every user (whether a customer or business owner) must play by the platform's rules.

When we contact whatsoever review site or review platform regarding negative content, we are careful to utilize their language (when possible), particularly if nosotros are reporting TOS violations. Doing and so increases the chance that the review site will thoroughly review the request and potentially remove the unwanted review.

How Tin a Business Owner Tell When a Yelp Review is Defamatory?

A bad review (or any statement for that thing) may be considered defamatory if information technology communicates false facts that impairment the reputation of another.

In about any defamation case, a plaintiff must generally prove that:

• At that place is a false statement purporting to be fact;
• The false defamatory statement was published by the defendant;
• The argument is of and concerning the plaintiff;
• The defendant was negligent in publishing the statement (or the defendant acted with actual malice or reckless condone if the plaintiff is a public effigy);
• The plaintiff suffered reputational and/or economical damages as a event of the publication.

Y'all should consider whether a reviewer may accept any legal defenses to a defamation merits. For reviews, the legal defenses that oft come into play are the defense of opinion and the substantial truth doctrine.

An opinion is a statement that cannot be verified as either factual or false (e.g., "I have high standards and I believe their cashier was rude."). The substantial truth doctrine applies if the review is truthful, even if in that location may be minor inaccuracies.

Say a customer leaves a legitimate review, but they mistakenly say they visited your business at 2:30 p.m. when they were actually served at 3:00 p.one thousand. This type of review would probable be covered past the defense of truth.

Reviews can too be defamatory if they are faux. A review is simulated if it is written by someone who was never a customer or conveys a customer feel in their review that did not happen. Beneath, we explain how businesses can amend spot fake Yelp reviews.

How Can Businesses Spot False Reviews on Yelp?

If you bargain with a loftier volume of customers and are unsure whether a Yelp review is fake or legitimate, there are sure red flags that point y'all are dealing with a fake review.

Start, we recommend comparing the username and alleged customer experience with your business records. If you cannot match the review to an actual customer or complaint, this is an indicator that the review could exist fake.

You tin can besides spot faux reviews by:

• Analyzing the user's profile and activeness,
• Language they employ, and the
• Timing of their reviews.

Accounts that are new and announced to have been created for the sole purpose of creating a negative review nigh your business may faux. The use of fake satirical usernames should also raise suspicion.

If you observe a pattern apropos the timing of reviews, that may likewise be a red flag you are dealing with fake reviews. For example, a Yelp reviewer that publishes batches of bad reviews on multiple review websites all at one time should agitate suspicion.

Some other cherry-red flag is if you come across several bad reviews posted around the same time on the same business organisation profile. Some individuals try posting multiple bad reviews under different usernames, so similar posts made within a matter of minutes or days could bespeak a false review.

Online Reputation Management Tip: It is wise to monitor your business'due south online reputation to that you can respond to negative reviews promptly. Some means to monitor your online reputation include (1) creating a Google Alarm to monitor mentions of your concern, (2) challenge all online business organization profiles, (3) reviewing your social media accounts for damaging content, and (4) purchasing exact friction match domains.

When Will Yelp Remove a Review For Violating Content Guidelines?

Removing a review for TOS violations is completely within Yelp's discretion. Technically, Yelp tin remove a review even if information technology does not violate ane of their guidelines. On the other hand, Yelp may elect not to remove a bad review fifty-fifty if it does violate their guidelines.

The California Supreme Court clarified Yelp'southward correct to refuse to remove a review in Hassell v. Bird, 5 Cal. 5th 522. To summarize the case, the plaintiff, Dawn Hassell, was an chaser that briefly represented the defendant, Ava Bird in a personal injury case. After some communication difficulties, Hassell terminated the representation and notified Bird of her decision.

Several months subsequently, Bird posted a lengthy defamatory statement on Hassell Law Group's Yelp page. Hassell reached out to Bird, requesting that she edit or remove the review. Shortly thereafter, Bird posted some other defamatory review on Yelp under a dissimilar username. Hassell determined Bird was backside the second review every bit well and responded by filing accommodate.

The Courtroom determined that the statements were defamatory and ordered Bird to delete the reviews and ordered that she was prohibited from posting whatever additional reviews almost Hassell Law Group in the future. However, after several unsuccessful attempts to serve Bird with the social club and remove the reviews, Hassell resorted to contacting Yelp and requesting that they remove Bird's defamatory review instead.

Yelp was served with copies of the court order and asked to remove the defamatory reviews made by Bird (under two different anonymous accounts). When Yelp refused to remove the reviews, they were held in contempt of court. Yelp appealed, taking the example to the California Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court of California rejected Hassell'due south arguments, determining that Yelp was immune from liability under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Specifically, Yelp was not the publisher or speaker who created the defamatory reviews, so they had no obligation to comply with the courtroom club confronting Bird.

While the issue was unfortunate for Hassell, not all cases end badly. The lesson learned in Hassell 5. Bird is that Yelp does not like to be treated as an adversary or compelled to have action.

However, in our experience, that should non discourage concern owners from filing lawsuits to become defamatory content removed. More often than not, if a business organisation gets a court order showing content on Yelp is defamatory and a violation of its TOS, Yelp is usually agreeable to removing the negative review voluntarily. If yous take a strong case and approach Yelp respectfully, they will answer. Many times the person who wrote the review will respond as well.

Reports of copyright infringement, privacy violations (ex. publication of private facts, false lite), and conflicts of interest are taken far more seriously than many other claims by businesses to remove bad yelp reviews. Yelp has likewise published the following commodity, "When Should I Report a Review" that is worth reading on the subject.

Benefits of Removing Bad Yelp Reviews

Removing negative Yelp reviews tin benefit your business'southward conversion rate, growth, and online reputation. Yous do not have to take our word for it though, because there is plenty of data to support why a business should cultivate positive reviews and remove negative ones.

Below, we take a await at some relevant statistics that highlight the importance of online reviews for businesses.

Increment Conversion Rates

Including customer reviews on a business website can increase conversion rates up to 270% and customers who read positive reviews spend 31% more on a business organisation's products, on average.

On the other hand, four out of five consumers changed their minds about a purchase after reading negative online reviews.

Propel Business Growth & Longevity

A one-star increment in your business's Yelp page can lead to a 5-ix% increment in revenue. Businesses tin can also lose up to 22% of potential customers when a unmarried negative review is found online. That loss of customers can jump to nearly 66% if iii or more negative manufactures are discovered.

In the employment context, 84% of chore seekers emphasize that a company's online reputation influenced their task selection, while businesses with a negative online reputation spend on boilerplate 10% more than per rent.

Bolster Your Business's Online Reputation

Your business's online reputation matters more than traditional advertising. In fact, an estimated 75% of consumers exercise not trust traditional advertizement practices (they are much more likely to trust online reviews). Moreover, online reviews touch on the purchasing decisions of 67.vii% of consumers.

In add-on to helping your business concern abound, removing negative reviews tin also foreclose a "monkey come across, monkey do" situation. For improve or worse, consumers tend to follow patterns. People are more decumbent to post bad reviews if they see others posting bad reviews.

Steps to Submit a Request to Yelp to Remove a Review

Before taking any steps towards removing a negative or imitation Yelp review, you demand to preserve evidence of the review. We recommend taking several clear screenshots that show all pertinent details of the review (the username, date of the review, and the review itself).

If you have to take legal action, it is very of import that you have evidence of the original negative or fake review.

Once you take preserved evidence, you lot can review Yelp's Terms of Service to come across if the review violates any of their content guidelines. If the review clearly violates any of Yelp'southward rules, you can report the review.

To report and remove a negative or faux Yelp review, you will need to:

1. Claim your business page at biz.yelp.com;
2. Locate the review you wanted removed in the "Reviews" section of your Yelp business business relationship; and
3. Select the three dots (the "More than Options" button) and click "Report Review."

As well, do not respond direct to the review on the platform. Non but does this decrease your chances of removing the review, only it tin can also draw more attention to the unwanted review.

1. Merits Your Yelp Business Page

To report a imitation or negative Yelp review, you must offset "Claim your business organization" on Yelp.

Claiming a Yelp business page and contour enables you to (one) respond to Yelp reviews via direct message or a public comment, (2) rails user views and custom leads that Yelp generates for your business, (3) add photographs and a link to your business'due south website, and (four) update important business organization information (ex. Business concern hours and phone number).

To claim your Yelp business profile:

• Navigate to biz.yelp.com,
• Click the crimson push button 'Claim your business',
• Then click 'Manage my free listing',
• Enter your concern'south name and nothing code,
• Input your e-mail address and a password to create an account,
• Verify your Yelp business folio by inbound your verification code.

After challenge your business Yelp page and profile, it is then time to locate the negative or defamatory review that you want removed.

2. Locate the Review You Desire Removed

Click 'Reviews' on the left-paw side of your Yelp concern folio dashboard.

You tin can so sort through all past business reviews on your folio to locate the unwanted review(s).

iii. Report the Review

After locating the unwanted Yelp review, click the three dots to the direct right of the review and select 'Report Review'.

Yelp moderators volition evaluate the online review to make up one's mind if it violates their 'Content Guidelines'. This may take several days.

To proceed track of the review and its evaluation status, simply hover your mouse cursor over the flag icon that appears to the direct correct of the review.

One time y'all take reported the bad Yelp review via your business organisation folio, you may need to contact Yelp for further support if you do not receive a response. In the department beneath, I will discuss how long Yelp usually takes to respond to a review, on boilerplate. If you have waited longer than average to receive a response, it may be worth reaching out.

Before contacting Yelp, you lot will need your example number from your original flag submission then they volition know the online review you are referencing.

Hither is a link to their support form. We exercise not recommend submitting this without the support of an adept unless yous are extremely confident. Yous usually only go one shot at this.

Yelp does not have a support line for everyday Yelp users (consumers). They practice take a phone number for concern support (877-767-9357), but this section does not make any decision regarding removing reviews. The right customer support representative may know where to directly your request for removal back up.

Our business firm has established a working relationship with Yelp's legal department and has their direct contact data. When appropriate, we apply these contacts to escalate issues for review.

How Exercise I Remove a Yelp Review That I Posted?

If you posted a client review about a business and would like to remove it yourself, that is a relatively unproblematic task. Yelp support provides a breakup of the steps you will demand to accept:

1. Get to the Reviews section of your business relationship;
2. Click Remove Review (the trash tin icon) below the review you lot want to remove;
3. Click Confirm.

Length of Time to Wait Before the Yelp Review is Removed

Once you report a review, Yelp typically takes anywhere from 24 60 minutessouthward to i week to review the request. If Yelp moderators decide the review should be removed, they will remove information technology immediately and notify the Yelp user that their review violated their guidelines. This is too typically the amount of time Yelp'due south support team takes to answer to escalations.

What Should Y'all Do if Yelp Does Non Remove the Review?

For starters, do NOT respond to the unwanted review on Yelp. This can backfire, and lead to what is known as the 'Streisand Effect', where more unwanted attention is fatigued to the negative review. This may ultimately compromise your legal rights.

Before jumping into any litigation, you volition want to try to resolve the issue with fantabulous client service If that fails, several legal remedies may be preferable to a lawsuit.

Accomplish Out Privately to the Customer

You may be able to become the review removed by practicing stellar client service. If you lot phone call the client, apologize, and offer to make amends they may be agreeable to removing the review.

Constructive client service tends to resolve many situations because most dissatisfied customers just want to feel best-selling.

Consider Pursuing Legal Remedies

If you lot take reached out to the customer and Yelp to no avail, you still take options. Information technology tin be frustrating when your initial efforts show unsuccessful, simply you have some legal tools at your disposal to get a negative review removed.

An experienced online defamation attorney can ship the Yelp reviewer a cease and desist letter of the alphabet or make a settlement demand. Even if this fails, y'all tin can file a lawsuit to obtain a court order to remove content from the net. However, filing a lawsuit should be a last resort. If you exercise not have a sound legal merits, you could trigger the Streisand Effect and draw more negative attending to your business.

At Minc Police, we can assistance y'all weigh your options and select the best legal strategy. Oft, we can remove negative Yelp reviews later clients have failed themselves. We know how to obtain and compile the evidence you demand to make the most persuasive instance to Yelp's legal team. We likewise know how to approach unhappy customers to get them to amicably remove reviews without making the state of affairs worse.

What Can You Practice to Ameliorate Your Concern's Online Reputation While Waiting For the Negative Yelp Review to Be Removed?

Your online reputation matters, so yous should be working to strengthen your online presence. Do what you can (ethically) to obtain more positive Yelp reviews. In many cases, this will effectively drown out a lot of severe negative effects of many negative reviews.

Online reputation management tactics are a corking mode to eternalize your business's reputation. One method of bolstering your reputation entails getting more positive and legitimate reviews.

Three means you can procure more positive Yelp reviews are:

• Appoint with your customers and get feedback,
• Provide a high-quality service and/or product, and
• Claim all online profiles, consummate them, and make them hands accessible to consumers.

Another fashion to meliorate your online reputation is to create positive content. This is something you can do while waiting for a false review to be removed – and it can assist drown out negative reviews.

If y'all practise not accept the time to create positive content (or you are not well-versed in Search Engine Optimization) we recommend working with services like Review Inc. to help strengthen your reputation.

For more data on whether online reputation management tactics are right for you and your business, make sure to read our blog mail service 'Removing Content: Online Reputation Direction vs. Legal Services'.

We Can Help Your Business Remove Bad Yelp Reviews

Bad Yelp reviews can happen to any business. How (and when) y'all respond makes all the deviation. There are several things you can do to protect your business against negative reviews, just we recommend seeking professional aid.

At Minc Law, our do is dedicated to removing defamatory online reviews and other fake content. Not only can we help yous remove unwanted reviews, we know what it takes to terminate online defamation and put an end to cyberspace attacks.

★★★★★

"Unbelievable! I am a C Suite executive who has dealt with the superlative constabulary firms and Aaron, Daniel, and Kaelynn and team are superior in the quality and execution of matters than nearly of these firms. When I had an urgent issue arise related to defamatory content online, Aaron and his team jumped on the matter immediately and within a few days had the content down and deleted. Moreover, we take not stopped there and have initiated litigation to ensure that these are repercussions for such comments. I am writing this out of my ain volition and at my urging considering I would like others to know that if y'all have any issues with content online about yourself, you don't have to feel helpless and can proactively identify and hold those responsible accountable. Thanks Minc Law firm. From bottom of my eye."

Anonymous, Dec xi, 2020

If y'all would like a free consultation to talk over Yelp removal options, you can reach us past calling (216) 373-7706, speaking with a Chat representative, or filling out our online contact class.

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Source: https://www.minclaw.com/how-to-remove-yelp-review/