Strata Wants to Take Legal Action on My Negative Google Review

elux on 09/06/2019 - 18:06
Last edited 11/06/2019 - 16:13

Had really bad experience with a strata company. Lack of communication and transparency. So we changed to a new strata company after all owners (small complex <10 units) agreed. I still feel unhappy so left negative review on Google. They ask me to remove my review otherwise will take legal actions (Defamation Act). Though I feel I wrote the truth.

e.g. no quotes and no approval. We request quote and want to decide the frequency for cleaning and mowing later. It was documented in EGM notes that strata to obtain quotes. Strata send someone for the work and informed no one. We do not know when and how often services being called and unable to check if it's being done. We feel we received much less than claimed amount. Later we saw the bill for cleaning and mowing is over 2000 over unknown period. After my google review, strata explained they have rights to carry out work without approval (below $2000) as it was agreed in Management Agreement. Strata agent did not inform us such thing on EGM when we asked for quotes. They charged us mowing lawns for $154 each time while the local council does it for free.

A lot of other issues as well. My neighbours can confirm my review is true.

Anyway, just wondering should I be worried? They are a small company with less than 10 people. They have two 1 star reviews with no content pluse my 1 star review. I wrote in details under my real name which probably is a stupid thing to do. What should I do next? Should I go for fair trading instead of express my anger on Google review? Should I seek legal advice? Should I delete my review? I'm based in NSW if that helps. Any suggestion will be appreciated. Thank you.

update 11/06/19

Thanks everyone for your valuable replies. Really appreciate it. I am waiting for an actual email/letter from their solicitor to see if they are bluffing or not, and to what extent they want it to go. I will drop the review if it gets too serious (and leave a short anonymous review several weeks later). Also, I submitted a complaint to Fair Trading to chase details of the expense. I guess that's it for now.

Home & Garden

Comments

    • gimme on 12/06/2019 - 20:45

      Do people actually believe fb reviews? Something to be said about the public intellect

      • CalmLemons on 12/06/2019 - 21:41

        Social reviews are the only thing people believe in. It's the same people who spend a whole day fuming then another day plastering businesses with negative reviews then another day posting on ozbargain about it.

        3 years down the track same person wonders why he is dirt poor and some other guy who didn't waste his emotional energy drives around in a RollsRoyce.

        • gimme on 12/06/2019 - 21:55

          I don't disagree but I was specifically referring to FB reviews which is mostly garbage.
          Don't get me started on self proclaimed foodies who go around dishing negative reviews because they didn't enjoy the level of lighting at a cafe while on some 50% off groupon voucher. No regard for how hard it is to run a small business and potential damage it causes. I rarely post a negative restaurant review unless they go out of their way to be aholes. anyway I digress

        • Ash SA on 12/06/2019 - 22:20

          Well the point is businesses can and will get the review sorted - either by scaring you or paying it off to social media.

          And yes the reviews cause them pain or flatter that's why they pay their emotional and financial energy to get it sorted.

          And the review I posted had absolutely nothing emotional, word to word the recorded communication.

          Dirt poor…lol stick it up

          • CalmLemons on 14/06/2019 - 15:37
            +1

            @Ash SA: Just to be specific, I was referring to the poster wasting emotional energy and being dirt poor, not the business.

            You'll find that businesses poorly run, without the aid of negative reviews, eventually go bust anyway.

            My point was that we are the cause of our own suffering, so try not to waste too much energy emotionally reacting to such incidences.

  • ripesashimi on 12/06/2019 - 21:53
    +1

    Inbox me the link of their Google page and remove your original review. I'll handle this for you. How many negative reviews do you want?

  • HeWhoKnows on 15/06/2019 - 19:32
    -2

    Reading through all of OPs complaints, one by one, I cannot see one reason to lodge a negative review.

    It is very evident to anyone that knows how stratas are run that In every instance cited above OP is clearly WRONG or has NO IDEA of whats going on or how strata management is run.

    With 35 years of involvement in strata committees I can tell everyone that OP deserves to be sued for untrue and unjustified claims i.e Defamation!

    YES OP you are definitely GUILTY of DEFAMATION.

    Just pull the review down.
    Dont put another up.
    You have totally embarassed yourself with this personal botch-up.

    If anyone is to put up a review it should be the Committee Chairman or Secretary. Its obvious that OP is not in those roles so has absolutely no permission, justification or endorsement to do so.

    By the way dear OP…Did you get approval from the strata committe to write a review and have them read and approve it first? I bet not!
    If not the strata committee may find reason to sue you for defamation and misrepresentation as well.

    Let others disagree or cast negative votes but that doesnt make them right nor your situation any better Im afraid.

    • bobwokeup on 16/06/2019 - 22:17

      Clearly you are OLD and have no idea!!! Google reviews are for customers to leave there feedback about a company. OP is a customer voicing his frustrations.

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