It happens. Someone posts a rant about you or your business on Ripoff Report (ripoffreport.com). Maybe it’s riddled with inaccuracies. Or perhaps the person who posted the report isn’t even a client, but instead a competitor who trades in fake reviews, hoping to direct potential clients away from your business to their business.

Whatever the case, the bottom line is that the scathing profile on Ripoff Report could be decimating your business.

Under these circumstances, what are your options? Our friends at Kelly / Warner Law offers the following:

Option #1: Snap Back (Hint: Not Always Recommended)

We didn’t say every option provided would be an advisable one!
Though it is highly discouraged to do so, you could snap back at your Ripoff Report detractor by leaving an aggressive rebuttal. But before you post a reply, take a minute to consider the possible consequences. Snapping back, in a snarky or aggressive manner, could result in:

• A defamation lawsuit against you.
• More publicity about the feud, which could exacerbate the issue.
• Alienation of even more clients.

Opting to travel down the proverbial “Higher Road” isn’t always easy, but sometimes it’s a necessity.

Option #2: Do Nothing

It may sound slothful to some people, but sometimes, doing nothing is the best option when faced with an unruly opponent, who may or may not cross a line if provoked. At times, “letting it slide” may be the right thing to do. Don’t react. Instead, build up online content that pushes the negative material so far down the search engine results line that the average person rarely stumbles upon it.

Also, remember that it’s the Internet Age. A lot of people understand that, on occasion, so-called “trolls” write provocative – often false – posts and comments for attention. If the majority of your press is good, people may be able to see past the negative post for what it is – the outburst of someone with unrealistic expectations.

Option #3: Calmly Respond

Business owners can respond to detractors on ripoffreport.com. The caveat? Responding means creating an account. And to create an account, you must agree to Ripoff Report’s terms, which include various legal waivers. It’s best to check with an defamation removal attorney about your circumstances to make sure that addressing your critic online won’t preclude you from taking legal action down the road if necessary.

Option #4: Send an Official Letter to the Poster

It doesn’t always take a lawsuit to get a defamatory post removed from the Internet. Sometimes, a simple attorney’s letter, explaining why a post is libelous, is all that’s needed to compel your adversary to remove – or edit – the material themselves. Ripoff Report, however, does not allow the user to remove or edit the post so you are likely left with the author posting a retraction for the article on the page.

Option #5: Move Forward with a Ripoff Report Defamation Lawsuit

Depending on the details of a ripoffreport.com false review case, sometimes, the best move is filing a defamation lawsuit against the poster. Under certain circumstances, if the accusations are beyond the pale and provably false, the potential injunctive and punitive remedies are worth withstanding a longer litigation process. It’s best to speak with a Ripoff Report removal attorney to determine if your case is strong enough to launch an online defamation lawsuit.

Option #6: Get The Page De-Indexed From Search Engines

Sometimes it’s possible to get a page de-indexed from search engines instead of removing it from a website. And if a web page doesn’t appear in the first seven pages of search results, the likelihood of someone stumbling upon it diminishes exponentially. So, even though the offending page may remain posted, if it’s off the public’s search engine radar, the potential reputation damage can be mitigated.

Getting a defamatory Ripoff Report page de-indexed from a search engine requires a court order. To get one, you must convince a Court that the material in question is, indeed, defamatory.

To speak with an attorney who’s successfully obtained scores of search engine removal court orders, contact Kelly Warner Law.