NSW Posted Facebook Review - Slander?

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Sk22

Member
19 March 2017
1
0
1
Hi

Just need some help on something.

So today I went into a cafe and had a horrible experience. I wrote a review on their Facebook and I said something like I will be telling my friends and customers not to come here. He private messaged me saying he is going to take legal action for slandering his business and proceeded to tell me that he is going to talk to my boss about it (which I was a customer, it wasn't work related).

So can he take legal action for slander?
 

Lart

Well-Known Member
2 January 2017
22
1
124
As long as what you wrote is 'truthful', and not in any way false, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Sounds more like he is trying to bluff you into removing your review.

Just to add - 'Defamation' is a false statement communicated to someone else with the result to damage their reputation or good name. Defamation through writing is called "libel"; spoken defamation is called "slander."
 

Rod

Lawyer
LawConnect (LawTap) Verified
27 May 2014
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2,894
www.hutchinsonlegal.com.au
Agree with Lart.

As long as what you posted was truthful or honest opinion based on your own experience you will be OK.

You can tell them that if there are repercussions at your work because of their actions you will sue them for damages.

Just a FYI. When NSW rewrote the defamation law in 2005 they abolished slander and libel and everything is now just defamation.
 

Tim W

Lawyer
LawConnect (LawTap) Verified
28 April 2014
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2,894
Sydney
Hi

Just need some help on something.

So today I went into a cafe and had a horrible experience. I wrote a review on their Facebook and I said something like I will be telling my friends and customers not to come here. He private messaged me saying he is going to take legal action for slandering his business and proceeded to tell me that he is going to talk to my boss about it (which I was a customer, it wasn't work related).

So can he take legal action for slander?
I pretty much agree with the above replies.

A coupie of further suggestions...

Take screen shots of the messages for later use.

Then, if you can, simply ignore him. Don't reply, don't discuss, don't negotiate.
Don't engage with him in any way.

If, however, you can't ignore him, then reply to his next threat to sue you with
"Well, go on then!".

I think you'll find that if he doesn't even realise that he can
himself delete anything posted on his page that he doesn't like,
even when posted by somebody else,
that you don't actually have too much to worry about.
 
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