Because I have: I recently received an email from Google regarding one of my reviews from last summer (!) of a local ice cream parlor. The owners had accused me/Google of defamation
Presumably belated bc my dude and Iād gone back a few weeks ago to see if I might be able to get a childrenās scoop this time around. Nope. Same weird (negatory) reaction.
This is the (factual) review in question:
We were in the area and wanted a refreshment. We werenāt familiar with Spoonful yet, so we popped into the small shop!
Since I generally prefer smaller portions and therefore only wanted to order a childrenās scoop, the person behind the counter actually asked me whether I had a child
Seriously? Maybe theyāre waiting at home for ice cream? Or are playing around the corner with friends? Or maybe I donāt have any children at all, but want a smaller scoop for myself?
Strange, especially since my favorite place for the best ice cream in Berlin, Hokey Pokey, offers both āregularā and āsmallā scoops, with absolutely zero proof of parentage required
Furthermore, the ice cream was so uninteresting that I canāt even remember the flavor. Guess I wonāt be back.
I find it comical that this is considered defamation, when it was a factual report of my experience. So I wrote another review in English telling everyone about the ādefamationā accusation
Small scoop denial happened to me decades ago. I was refused a childās portion of ice cream, which I had previously ordered for years, because I was āover 12.ā
No, your review isnāt defamatory.
Maybe I should order some ice cream from hospital room service. Yeah, Iām still an inmate.
4 Likes
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
3
I donāt do Google reviews but I did once have a Tripadvisor review removed. Yes, it was very negative. The owner was the father of the guy who actually ran the restaurant (I use the word āranā with some heavy degree of sarcasm) . Before the review was removed, the owner sent me a message saying he was going to get the review removed as he ādidnt believe I was who I claimedā. No, me neither at the time (I think he may have thought I was connected to a chef who had recently left to set up his own restaurant). Anyway, within a few days, Tripadvisor had removed the review. So, I wrote to TA pointing out that this review was one of large number that Iād posted to the site and that the ownerās opinion in the message showed it was a malicious report. Anyway, in due course review was restored. Restaurant didnt last too long - although the one the chef opened is still going strong. You reap what you sow.
Overly sensitive and clueless ice cream shop owners? Absolutely.
Why they wouldnāt allow adults to get a childās portion is beyond me. And then to call it defamation is laughable. Will be interesting to see if your review in English with the mention of defamation also gets removed.
I once wrote a less than glowing Google review of a local deli/farm shop where the service was so clueless I didnāt end up buying the product I was interested in. The owner replied on Google reviews saying how sorry he was that the service fell below standards, he had reinforced staff training and he hoped I might come again. I did go and the service was much more switched on. The owner showed he could engage positively with constructive criticism and in the end it benefited his business as we go to the shop regularly now.
Iāve seen both, with this being one of the most blatant (not to mention hilarious) examples Iāve seen to date. I was looking for my own review of the place, one of the worst meals we had in Philly, but canāt seem to find it here or on google. Must remedy
I believe that constructive criticism should first and foremost be voiced in person at the time ā unless one gets the impression that itās utterly pointless, or will be less than welcome. I think their āpolicyā of having to provide proof of offspring is misguided & ridiculous, and said as much at the time. Itās also a dumb-ass business decision, bc the main reason I prefer smaller scoops is that I can try more than one flavor ā sometimes even as many as 3 or 4!!!
Defamation laws are likely to be stricter here, but ā¦ I literally recounted what happened.
And with the very same thing happening when we went back a few weeks ago! So, itās obviously their policy.
1 Like
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
11
And, as such, canāt be regarded as ādefamationā in the usual legal understanding of the word. Defamation has to be an untrue statement.
Years back, I was once seriously threatened with a libel action about remarks Iād made about someone on another forum. The threat was actually intended to āpersuadeā the site owner to close down (and delete) the remarks. That actually did work - but not before I had time post that a clear defence to defamation is that it was true - and I would happily see him in court, as he had threatened. Result - Harters 1 - Homophobic Fuckwit 0.
I had a cop sent to my house back home over a Facebook dispute gone horribly wrong. It all started with some whiny, entitled lil bitch complaining that the local bookstore, known for well over a decade as a vegan haven, had eliminated any dairy options. He lost his shit publicly & was properly ridiculed for it (I may have been part of that) and things kind of escalated from there.
The cop and we had a good chuckle about it all, butā¦ people are unhinged these days
So you did actually get ice cream, but a larger scoop than you wanted?
You can ask for a kids scoop, and they can say no. They probably wonāt miss you.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
17
I once felt so threatened by someone on a forum that I did actually call the cops. From the racist thugās remarks, I worried that he actually did know where I lived - and he was threatening to come round to ādeal with meā. Cop did turn up, saying it was probably nothing to worry about. Which, as it went, it was nothing to worry about.
My PIC (so far unsuccessfully) has often asked me to tone down my taunting of similar trolls, especially since itās pretty easy to find out where we live.
Of course, Iāve started preemptively muzzling myself on SM for any number of reasons ā having to enter my place of residence without the fear of being detained being a major one.
I always find it amusing, and a bit sad, when proprietors decide that the comments section is where the battle must be fought and won.
Name calling and spurious legal threats have managed to save a struggling business exactly zero times that I can think of.
Heck, a local pizza place got into it with unsatisfied customers so bad the owner up and left the state. He sold the place to former employees, who have brought it back from the dead.
