A restaurant in the Aberdeenshire village of Balmedie in Scotland is reportedly considering filing a defamation lawsuit against TripAdvisor after a customer left a negative review.
The owner of the award-winning Cock and Bull gastro pub, Rodger Morrison, said that he may take legal action against TripAdvisor as it refuses to remove what he considers to be a defamatory review.
In the comment, the reviewer complained that he had witnessed a manager at the restaurant fill up an empty bottle of mineral water from the tap and serve it to a table.
Mr Morrison refutes the allegations, saying that this practice is never carried out at the Cock and Bull and that allowing such a remark on its website amounts to defamation on the part of TripAdvisor.
“We’d like to sue TripAdvisor to get this report removed from the website because it is defamatory, it is against the business.
“I am appalled that such unfounded allegations can be aired in an obvious attempt to ruin the reputation of well-established and popular restaurant as they have been here.”
If the lawsuit is filed and the case goes to court, TripAdvisor may need to rely on its professional indemnity insurance to cover any costs.