Ripoff report is now offering a postive reputation program called Ripoff Report Verified that gives firms 14 days to take care of new complaints before critical reviews are posted for an ongoing $90 per month. Businesses may be able to use this to have higher rankings in Google and Bing.
Ripoff report is notorious for getting companies in trouble with bad reviews, fake or real. Owner Ed Magedson believes that there is “99% truth” to all the reports placed on the website and will not remove any reports placed therein. But other business owners say otherwise. Businesses have laid off workers and even closed due to false accusations made on the website. One investment software company’s revenue went from $2.3 million before the reviews started down to $800,000 last year.
The sketchy thing about Ripoff report is that it does not correct false information without payment. Some accuse this to be extortion, but after various legal proceedings, judicial bodies have determined that although they disapprove of the business practices that Magedson employs, he enjoys complete immunity from the law because the postings are made on behalf of third party users. Extortion technically means that the same entity asking for money is the one doing the slandering.