The ABA Journal reports that a Tripadvisor who stayed at a hotel and complained about bed bugs has been sued by the hotel. The couple wrote the review and stated that the hotel didn't take their complaint seriously. The hotel counters by saying they had the room checked by maintenance and a pest control company and no bugs were found.
What do you think about this lawsuit?
My concern is that if the hotel wins, what is to prevent any reviewer from a lawsuit if they write a negative review? What if the couple just complained that the room was cleaned well, that the hotel staff was discourteous, or that the bathroom towels were scratchy — do those types of reviews merit a lawsuit that the hotel could win?
I review a lot of books. The next time I do a negative review, does the author get to sue me? What about if I give the author 3 stars and she wanted 5, is that grounds for a lawsuit?
If the hotel wins, do lawyers now get to sue anytime they get a negative review on AVVO or any of those other sites?
Your thoughts?
Sounds like a slapp suit to me. Make folks afraid to write negative reviews. Tough to prove and to stop, unfortunately.
Posted by: Jack schultz | June 29, 2020 at 04:39 PM