Complaint Review: Bridgette Simon

EDITOR'S REBUTTAL COMMENT: 

Apparently, the Report author known as "John D." doesn't like us...but he used our website, to, in part, complain about us, for something someone else did, which we have absolutely nothing to do with.  Pretty ironic, and almost comical, don't ya think? 

We didn't have to post this, but Ripoff Report strongly believes in the First Amendment, even when it is about us.  We believe that all businesses will get complaints.  After all, no one can please 100% of the population 100% of the time...and sometimes people just suck.  We also believe that it is how businesses take care of those complaints that separates good businesses from the rest.  We understand that people who have complaints written about them are upset and want to place blame somewhere, especially if they feel the content of the Reports are false.  We also understand that individuals want to blame our website rather than where it belongs, and who ultimately bears liability - the person who wrote the Reports in the first place.  Using the same method that we provide FREE OF CHARGE to all of our users, we would like to “set the record straight” as to the Report posted about our website through this Rebuttal.

First, contrary to "John D.'s" assertion, Ripoff Report is NOT an "extortion site."  That kind of statement tends to suggest a lack of education about how Ripoff Report actually operates (and maybe the law).  John D. may not like our policies...but that doesn't make us an extortion site.

Every user of our website has the opportunity to tell their side of the story, for free, just as we will do here.  True, Reports are intended to be a permanent record, however, we believe that consumers like to see how businesses handle complaints rather than sweeping them under the carpet or otherwise hiding their dispute resolution process.  We certainly encourage users to “set the record straight” and tell their side of the story by using the free methods available to them before they consider other paid Ripoff Report programs such as the VIP Arbitration Program or the Corporate Advocacy Program.  Both of these programs offer different benefits and levels of service which we invite you to review for yourself if you are curious.  The programs aren’t for every business and/or individual though – a lot depends on the business’s/individual's particular needs and many simply choose to go with the free option of filing a Rebuttal, telling their side of the story, and offering up contact information and/or other incentives.  Furthermore, if the dispute is resolved, the author of the original Report always has the ability to come back and file an Update that tells everyone how well the company/individual took care of their issue and or explain how there was a simple misunderstanding!  Hey, we all can make mistakes, right?  It sounds like "John D." did have an opportunity to write a free Rebuttal.

With respect to "John D.'s" statement that "ROR charges $2000 to 'investigate' and remove it" we can tell that that is inaccurate.  Yes, Ripoff Report's VIP Arbitration Program does charge a minimum of $2,000 for the program currently BUT it's not Ripoff Report investigating it nor is an entire post removed.  If this author bothered to read and understand the rules for the Program, he would understand that Ripoff Report has contracted with a panel of professional arbitrators, one of which is a former Arizona Appellate Court Judge...and because they do not work for free...and we can't get our staff to work for free...the program isn't free.  It takes a lot of time and resources to deal with people who are interested in the Program from emails, marshalling of paperwork to the arbitrators, answering questions, etc.  Pretty sure "John D." doesn't work for free and neither does our employees or arbitrators.  Perhaps he has never looked into what professional arbitrators cost?  Or maybe what it costs to actually litigate a case?  If he did, maybe would change his tune a little bit.  Professional services aren't cheap.

Unfortunately, "John D." has essentially blamed Ripoff Report because of alleged falsities having been posted about them, by someone else, on our website.  What is important to remember is that Ripoff Report is merely a public, free to use, interactive website.  We don't write the Reports.  Any of our commentary is clearly marked separately if we do make any comments – as is clear here.  Moreover, we have no way of knowing if a Report author is telling the truth or perhaps the person/company who writes the Rebuttals to the Report is telling the truth...or maybe the truth lies somewhere in between the two stories. 

Let's get real for a minute...do you think for one second that Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Glassdoor, TripAdvisor or any other platform that allows user comments actually vets every comment for the truthfulness or accuracy of the content that is posted?  Ummm, no...no they don't.  It would be impossible to do so.  This is precisely why we allow Reports, Comments, Rebuttals and Updates, for free, by anyone (including the person/company posted about) who has information to share about the situation.  This also includes the ability to upload documents/images that support the position that is being advanced.  By doing so, all sides of the story are able to be heard so other users of the site can make an educated decision about the situation for themselves.  It’s also important to note that all of our users who sign up for a account with the website must check a box indicating that the information they report on will be the truth and that the Report will become a permanent record...so if you file a Rebuttal or Comment, that also applies to that user.  

That being said, "John D." does raise an important point that people should be aware of and that is there are unscrupulous companies (including reputation management companies) that may try to offer solutions for people that are named in a complaint/review or other types of websites.  It's good to remember that not all reputation management companies are the same and if companies are advertising "removal" services, you need to be asking, and understanding, exactly HOW they do that - especially on websites like Ripoff Report that have general non-removal policies.  This can also true even if they offer "legal help" through an attorney.  Not all websites honor court orders - and not all court orders are legitimate.  We've seen it all.  In fact, Ripoff Report started trying to warm people about this as far back as 2011.  Read more here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/reputation-management-the-new-digital-extortion-are-you-thinking-about-hiring-a-reputation-management-company-or-an-seo-company-to-help-repair-your-reputation-or-hide-negative-complaints-warning/nationwide/reputation-management-the-new-digital-extortion-are-you-thinking-about-hiring-a-reputation-814169.

Maybe "John D." does have a valid legal complaint against the author who posted the Report about him.  Maybe they don't.  Ripoff Report makes no determinations either way because we don't know the parties, we don't know the situation, and we certainly didn't write the subject Report.  We leave the determining of facts up to the parties in the situation to hash out on our site or for a judge and jury to decided.  What we do know is that "John D." is taking his frustration out on us, for something someone else did, by posting this Report.  While we can understand frustration...he is literally barking up the wrong tree.

We thank you for taking the time to read this Rebuttal and allowing us to “set the record straight” about "John D's" Report.

Ripoff Report Staff (LD1)

**This information is for general information purposes only.  To the extent any information contained in our Rebuttal relates to the law, be advise that it is NOT intended to be legal advice nor should it be relied upon as legal advice.  If you are struggling with issues online, you are encouraged to seek legal counsel in your jurisdiction that may be able to assist you and address your specific concerns.