I'm being targeted on pissed consumer… don't know what to do

I am officially going with my gut thought a few months ago that i am being targeted on pissed consumer by a "fake". I had a review show up on pissed consumer. the wording is bad. and it's written like someone who has never been to my business. They mention things that do not nor have not ever existed in my business. But they mainly go on about "bad customer service" so its hard to say it's fake for sure b/c it's rather general. We are a smaller service business and haven't had any problems like what was mentioned. It was targeted and key worded with my business name. Now, 6 months later another review shows up. Almost the same review, simply worded slightly differently? few slight differences. Very vague, again complaint about "bad service". Also claiming to have "lost $" (meaning we would know them b/c we are a small service business membership based) and claiming they "took their business to the other business in town".
The slight differences are again, things that are not nor have not ever been in my business. Not only could someone not say anything bad about said things mentioned, they couldn't say anything good, bc the things referenced DONT EXIST.

I am either being targeted by pissed consumer themselves b/c I won't pay them (possibly b/c the grammar is bad and written like someone possibly not american) or someone just being dirty to our business. We recently won a local voting contest a month ago, so someone could be mad about that, a competitor maybe.

I don't know what to do. I did a lot of seo with social media and I suppressed pissed consumer to page 4. 1 day after this new review and its back to page 3. I know it will keep climbing. I caught it soon enough I will go to work. But I really need some help. Someone is targeting me and they will obviously continue to do so with fake reviews unit I can no longer burry it. I am simply at my wits end. Please help.

You can pm me and I can help you perhaps. We specialize in removing negative pissedconsumer listings. It's a small lengthy legal process but we win if it's defamatory and you get it removed not just buried.

Hi OttosMom,

I feel for you, some people deliberately try to take down profitable competitors and this is very real.

Basically, don't hit them using the hard way but plan for the future of your company. In fact, report the website to Big G and respective search engines you wanted to rank. Be prepared to show testimonies and evidences of your real service.

By doing so, these search engines will target the review websites and do justice for you. By any chance, do you happen to have another competitor with same name and domestic service?

Keep In Touch,
Commoner

Thank you but I don't know who to sue b/c I have no clue who left the reviews. b/c they mention things that don't exist. In addition we are a small service based business. If we had a customer problem I would know. And we haven't had any: no complaints to cancel memberships, no nothing in the past 8 or more months. Sure we've had people quit, but i can't think of anyone who left on bad terms, most I still speak to on social media. This is why I believe its fake. yesterday I sent out an email blast to our list about being voted "best in category". that's the day the review appeared.

Can you give me some specifics on reporting. Actually 6 or so months ago I did that the last time and I never heard form google. i also reported them to the FTC (pissed consumer) for trying to extort me. No response there either but the ranking dropped from page 1 to page 4 shortly after. It's been buried there with out a single view until yesterday. I don't have another competitor locally with the same name but there are others in other states. In fact it says on pissed consumer "have a problem with (business) contact them to resolve it" then you click the link and the address and phone is actually not my business info but that of a biz in another state, let listed as the contact info on my biz and my bad review. Again making me think this is some sort of scam, possibly from pissed consumer themselves even. I will do whatever i have to do about reporting it please tell me.

Hi OttosMom,

I read through your posts and realized that you are taking some precautions but insufficient. Do not attempt to take matters into hands of consumers, proceed to Google and report the website fradulent claims. Next, consult the web server admin of the website by utilizing WhoIs network to take down fake reviews.

Lastly, fight with them by asking your customers to leave reviews/testimonies on your website and any methods to contact them. This enhances your credibility.

Looking Forward,
Commoner

It's not illegal to say something negative about a business. You won't (in my non-legal experience) win a battle in court. Commoner telling you to report it to Google is clearly ignorant as Google doesn't have a form to "Report Things I Don't Like".

Your option is to ignore it or suppress it through reputation management. A good reputation management company can not only help you suppress the negative but also help promote your company in the process.

I do not have a direct experience with the given site but can you not contact the site to verify the credibility of the review and perhaps try to take it down? Alternatively, can you not respond to the claim so visitors can see your response too?

Sadly, no you can't contact the site to take it down. They run a scam and when you contact them they ask you for $900 to remove the review. I posted this thread for help but also get input to see if others experience what I have. 3 days ago I noticed that despite having all 5 star reviews on google my "score" was changed from 5 to 4.9. The same day it dropped to 4.9 is the day I later found out the new "pissed consumer" review came up. This goes to my theory from last year that the new "google score" compiles reviews from around the web. You can't tell me its a coincidence with no activity in months on my google that suddenly someone leaves a pissed consumer and my rank drops from 5 to 4.9.

I was also wondering if anyone with experience with pissed consumer had any input: if pissed consumer was upping their antics, etc. Like I said. I am 99.9 % sure the ppl who wrote the reviews are NOT customers. We live in a small southern community and the review is written in improper english, bad grammar and context like someone in pakistan would write. Further, the review is vague and could be picked apart by any customer of our business b/c the things mentioned are not accurate. (and I'm not referencing subjective things there I'm referring to actual comments on the structure of things, etc that are not debatable) My husband thinks that when I initially contacted pissed consumer to verify the validity of the review and they asked me to pay $900 that that was my mistake, b/c now they are going to keep putting review out there until I pay them. However I have heard if you pay them, they hit you up for a monthly fee to "keep it gone".
And we all know once I give them $ another review is sure to come back. I am beginning to think they have upped their antics.

Suing for defamation is almost useless, because the prick can just open a new page against you on any other free hosting. If it's not totally dumb,he is hiding his IP and you will never catch him. You can only ignore the bad press and focus on good press as suggested above. If anyone has a better suggestion, I would like to hear it.