Could you get sued for leaving a bad online review? Yes!

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Online reviews can be very helpful when you are looking to buy something or hire someone.

But be careful with what you post, especially if the review you are leaving is negative. Why? You can be sued.

Let’s face it, we’ve gotten to a point in society where some people feel like they can post anything they want without consequences. But that’s not true, and one business is fighting back in court.  So, what can you say and be safe saying it? We all leave reviews about the people we hire or services we use, some good, some bad. But it’s the bad ones that can get you in hot water.

Take for example a couple near Portland Oregon. They posted a poor review about a roofing company in their area, citing what they said was a poor and rude experience they had with the receptionist on the phone. They were tenants, but their landlord was the one who hired the roofers, not them. The company responded with demand letters to remove the poor reviews, then filed a defamation lawsuit worth $112,000 dollars claiming the bad reviews caused reputation damage.

RELATED: Washington couple sued for $112,000 after leaving one-star reviews

So, what are your rights when posting a review? And, what can you say that won’t get you sued?  First, be honest, truth is a solid defense.  Ask yourself when you are done, but before posting, is this a true statement?

“Positive reviews are great to see, negative reviews are important to see,” said Tom Bartholomy of the Charlotte Better Business Bureau. Bartholomy has seen his fair share of complaints about businesses of all kinds. Just know, complaints must be firsthand, they can’t be word of mouth from a friend or family member.

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“Can I be in legal trouble for that? Asked Consumer Reporter Bill McGinty from WCNC. “You could, at that point.  BBB would not accept that as a review, it has to be from the person who experienced it” said Bartholomy.

So long as you are not acting maliciously and your review is your opinion about your experience, you should be safe.

The review business is big business. For some context here, PC Magazine estimates that 39% of the reviews out there are completely unreliable, mostly because they are fake.

That same study said 74% of consumers read a fake review last year.  Be careful. Be honest.

Contact Bill McGinty at bmcginty@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook.