Virginia Woman Sued for Yelp Review

A Virginia woman who wrote a scathing review of a DC contractor accusing him of theft is being sued for three-quarters of a million bucks. While reviews on websites are usually expressions of free speech, libelous claims that have never been proven can land someone is deep hot water.

From the DailyMail here:

Better think twice before you slam a business with a bad review on Yelp – one Virginia woman is being sued for it.

Unhappy with a contractor who worked on her home, Jane Perez logged on to Yelp and posted a bad review accusing the the business of damaging her house and stealing jewelry.

‘Bottom line,’ she wrote on Yelp. ‘Do not put yourself through this nightmare of a contractor.’
The scathing review resulted in a steady exodus of customers for the company and now the owner is suing Perez for $750,000.

Christopher Dietz filed a $750,000 Internet defamation lawsuit against Perez last month, saying the postings on Yelp were false and sent customers fleeing, reports The Washington Post.

Perez, a retired captain in the armed services, said she never she’d be sued over something as common as a Yelp review. ‘I don’t want to see what happened to me happen to anyone else,’ Perez said.

She stands by her reviews, and maintains that what she posted was truthful. Dietz’ business, meanwhile, is taking a beating. He says his reputation was hurt by Perez’s reviews, and alleges her comments cost him $300,000

I was unable to find the original Yelp Review but here is the current one. Snarky reviewers are already hammering Dietz Development as someone who sues their customers. But I think Dietz has a real case. A bad review is one thing, but to accuse a company of theft without proof is indeed libel and defamation.