Naming and shaming

[CBGB]

Is it ok to mention builders by company name here if you've had bad experience?
We are using builders at moment and during the course of the work we have had 3 groups call into our house who seem to be tracking them down. All 3 say similar reports of how bad they are. Unfortunately our job is finished now and there are some things popping up and they have no interest in fixing anything.
Would be nice to be able to name them, see if anyone else has used them and so that others know what they're getting themselves into.
I know this can be bad as could lead to slander suits etc. But what if a message stating simple facts is posted?

 

[ajapale]

We remove all posts which are potentially defamatory. Fair criticism of an institution or a product is encouraged. Askaboutmoney is not the appropriate forum to claim that you were cheated out of money by a named institution.

Please do not use words like 'ripoff', 'dodgy' or 'scam' in connection with identifiable businesses. Any such references to a company, person or institution will be deleted. For example, one contributor claimed that a named auctioneer had cheated him. This may or may not be true, but we do not want to get distracted by litigation, so we deleted the name of the auctioneer.

Please be very careful about the posts on this and other forums within Askaboutmoney about your experiences in named shops and with named service providers.

The moderators tend to leave balanced factual accounts seeking advice alone. But we tend to delete over the top rants which are just trying to damage the shop in question. We do this primarily because it is unfair to allow anonymous posters abuse a shop. But there are also practical legal reasons for this policy. We have had around 5 threats of legal action over defamation relating to such comments.

I would have to personally put my house on the line to defend the rights of some anonymous posters to make such allegations. So I make the call on whether or not to remove posts or threads which could be considered defamatory.

It is my opinion that describing an expensive shop as a "rip-off" is potentially defmatory. If someone accused me of ripping them off, I would consider that I had been defamed. We will delete all threads which describe high prices by named shops as rip-offs. If you think that you have been ripped off by a named shop and want to discuss your experiences, do so in the newspapers or on Marion Finucane, but don't do so on Askaboutmoney.

In my capacity as an ordinary poster, I disagree with people using the term "rip-off" to mean high prices and this has been discussed to death here. In my capacity as an ordinary poster, I will continue to challenge what I see as the misuse of the term, particularly in headings where it is not clear that the poster means high prices.

But in my capacity as the named owner of Askaboutmoney, I will not allow any comments stand which expose me to defamation proceedings.


Brendan Burgess
Administrator

 

[donee]

but why stop at builders what about 'dodgy' solicitors, doctors, accountants why restrict it to builders..............

 

[CBGB]

why stop at builders? Because this is in the homes and gardens section!

Thanks for the clarification, ajapale. totally get the reasons behind what you said. Even when the people called into my house and told me what the builders had done I wouldnt take what they said as gospel as they have vested interest.

Interesting topic though - how to let people benefit from your own experience - I'm screwed but would feel better if others benefited from my mistakes/misfortune.

 

[Complainer]

how to let people benefit from your own experience - I'm screwed but would feel better if others benefited from my mistakes/misfortune.

Nothing to stop you setting up your own website, so that when people search for the builders by name, they will land on your website. Usual segal requirements about libel would apply of course.