Hello,
It seems that my negative Google review for LuckyBike Bielefeld has struck a nerve with them.
You can read the review here: https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/109412944463727171892/place/ChIJg5UB3a88ukcR9DuWeCaAn_k/@51.9799152,8.4993874,16z?entry=ttu
Two days ago (over a year later), they asked me to contact the service email address to clarify the situation, directly below the Google review.
However, today I received an email from Google stating that LuckyBike has initiated a complaint process to have the review removed.
I am only partially aware of the contents of the complaint letter (as it was forwarded to me by Google in excerpts), but it essentially includes the following: “The review cannot be associated with any incident matching the reviewer’s description. Neither the review of all past events nor the questioning of employees who have contact with the public ensures verification of the account. In the conducted and ultimately unsuccessful investigation, no other circumstances have been identified that would suggest such incidents. Therefore, the basis of the review must be proven by providing suitable and, above all, substantiated information and evidence. If this is lacking, then you (Google) are obliged as a provider to promptly remove the review.”
According to Google, I now have seven calendar days to provide evidence, which will then be forwarded to the complainant without being read.
My concerns:
1) I don’t want to let LuckyBike get away with this.
2) How can I prove unfriendly behavior, especially since this all happened a year ago? I can’t stake out the store to possibly find the employee who treated me poorly, and they could simply deny everything.
3) How can I prove, a year later, that my calls to the service hotline went unanswered?
In short: how can one defend against this? It seems like they just want to delete negative reviews as part of their overall approach.
Alternatively, should I have my review removed and then leave a new one that not only addresses the incident from a year ago but also evaluates the actions described here for deleting my review?
Thank you in advance for your constructive opinions.
Stefan P
by No_Gazelle244