What to do if you receive a negative Google review?

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Negative Google reviews can significantly damage a company's reputation and revenue. There are various legal options for taking action against such reviews.

What legal options are available in the event of a negative Google review?

Direct action against the author: If the author is known and the review contains false facts, legal action can be taken against them either in or out of court.
Report to Google: Reviews that violate Google's guidelines can be reported directly to Google and requested to be deleted.

In which cases can a review be successfully deleted?

Deletion is possible in the following cases in particular:

• No actual customer contact: If the author has no real experience with the company.
• False factual claims: Reviews that spread false information.
• Insults or abusive criticism: Reviews that serve solely to disparage.

Should you contact Google or the author?

If the author is anonymous, it is difficult to take direct action. In such cases, it is more effective to report the review to Google. Google is obliged to review reported reviews and remove them if necessary.

Is it necessary to consult a lawyer?

In principle, anyone can report a review to Google. However, experience shows that the chances of success are significantly higher with legal assistance. A specialized lawyer can formulate the legal arguments precisely and increase the chances of success.

The legal options also apply to other platforms such as kununu, Trustpilot, or Klinikbewertungen.de. However, the specific terms of use of the platforms should be observed.

The statements represent initial information that was current for the law applicable in Germany at the time of initial publication. The legal situation may have changed since then. Furthermore, the information provided cannot replace individual advice on a specific matter. Please contact us for this purpose.