Bogus Lawsuit-Slinging Rep Management Firm Sued By Pissed Consumer

Techdirt
Solvera -- a reputation management firm allegedly engaging in legal fraud to delist criticism -- is facing multiple legal problems as a result of its highly-questionable services. In late August, the Texas Attorney General filed a complaint against the company, alleging it defrauded courts by filing bogus defamation lawsuits on behalf of possibly-unaware clients, utilizing duped lawyers with bogus statements from fake defendants.

This sort of behavior has been uncovered in recent months through investigations by Paul Alan Levy of Public Citizen and lawprof/blogger Eugene Volokh. It has also been revealed through independent research by Pissed Consumer, an obvious target of these unsavory (and illegal) reputation management tactics.

The Man Who Duped Google Into Suppressing Bad Corporate Reviews

Forbes
....this week Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he had launched his own lawsuit against Dinota and Solvera, claiming they abused the legal system to dupe Texas state judges in Houston and search engines like Google into suppressing potentially legitimate comments posted in the review section of websites...

There is, however, evidence linking Solvera to other controversial practices in the reputation management industry. Owen T. Mascott is listed in California business records as the initial agent for Solvera Group. A California lawyer, Mascott was sued last year by a company that owns pissedconsumer.com, claiming that Mascott helped reputation management companies file bogus lawsuits. Mascott did not respond to requests for comment.

CenturyLink Is Accused of Running a Wells Fargo-Like Scheme

Bloomberg
A review of Yelp and Pissed Consumer finds evidence of irate customers. "They signed me up unauthorized," wrote Sierrah U. of Bend, Ore., on Yelp in February 2015. "I was talking to someone interested in signing up two weeks ago after realizing my modem was incapable I told the guy I didn't want to sign up and I would call back later if I was still interested, he got really upset hung up on me. Two weeks later I receive a bill! With a ton a fees, I don't even have internet with them!"

Did Nabisco ruin America's favorite cookie?

New York Post
It was the last day of 2016 and my friend’s boyfriend was very clear and very upset: The Oreo cookies of his youth were no more, and whatever replaced them tasted like dirt. It was a bold opinion, but he had talking points. Oreos tasted “chalky,” he said, “flavorless,” and “they’re made in Mexico now.” That last point is half-true, but still, America’s favorite cookie switches up its recipe and there isn’t a national outcry? Sounded implausible.

Feds Accuse Sapphire Exec of Extreme Google Scrubbing

Courthouse News Service
MANHATTAN (CN) — Sapphire sales are booming, but one New York City jeweler specializing in the gem stands charged of forging a federal judge’s signature to repair his online reputation. Michael Arnstein, the CEO of The Natural Sapphire Company in Midtown, is known for using sapphires as an ethical alternative to diamonds.

Battle rages online between reviews, reputations

Cincinnati
These businesses offer consumers and businesses help in getting negative information off the Internet. In theory, it’s a worthwhile enterprise. It’s easy to have sympathy for anyone victimized by false information racing around the internet. And any service that helps put a stop to that is doing good work.

Lawsuit against lawyers who allegedly filed improper lawsuits aimed at getting Internet criticism deindexed by Google

The Washington Post
Several days ago, noted Internet lawyer Marc Randazza and his colleagues filed a lawsuit alleging that various defendants were misusing the court system to try to get online criticism deindexed by Google and other search engines. This isn’t the scheme that Paul Alan Levy and I wrote about, though it allegedly has a similar aim: It involves lawsuits filed by real lawyers against real defendants, but the question is whether the defendants are at all related to the posts that they allegedly wrote and that the plaintiffs (or the people behind the plaintiffs) want to see hidden online. (The people at Pissed Consumer first alleged it earlier this year.)

Reputation Management Revolution: Fake News Sites And Even Faker DMCA Notices

Techdirt
Pissed Consumer has uncovered another apparent case of bad reputation management, this one revolving around bogus websites facilitating bogus DMCA takedowns. It previously exposed a pair of lawyers using shell companies and highly-questionable defamation lawsuits to force Google to delist negative reviews hosted around the web. These faux litigants always managed to not only find the supposed "defamers," but to also obtain a signed admission within 48 hours of the lawsuit being filed -- a process that usually takes weeks or months, especially if the alleged "defamer" utilizes anything other than their real name when posting negative reviews.

Common Timeshare Complaints

PRWeb
U.S. consumer advocacy and customer complaints website, PissedConsumer.com, uncovered the most common timeshare complaints just in time for the summer vacation season. A collection of tips was assembled to help vacationers protect themselves from these common problems.

Most Common Gardening Season Consumer Complaints

PRWeb
PissedConsumer.com, uncovered some of the most common customer complaints submitted throughout the gardening season. Complaints range from problems with mail order gardening companies to lawn equipment quality complaints. The company then assembled a collection of tips for 2015 gardeners and homeowners, explaining how they can avoid these common gardening and landscaping problems.

Tips for the Busy Spring Home Buying Season

PRWeb
U.S. consumer advocacy and customer complaints website, PissedConsumer.com, reviewed real estate and moving-related complaints to identify key concerns for home buyers and sellers this spring. Top complaints included theft and damage involving moving companies, high pressure sales tactics from real estate agents, and home sale misrepresentations.

Complaints pile up over shady holiday sites

CBS MoneyWatch
Holiday shopping online can be tricky business. And shopping for holiday trees, ornaments and decorations online can be trickier still. Consumer complaint sites, such as PissedConsumer.com and SiteJabber.com, have been collecting frustrating tales of unfilled orders, merchandise that's sub-par and products that don't resemble what was purchased.

When Will Sears’ (SHLD) Problems End?

BIDNESSETC
Sears’ doomsday seems close now as it continues to suffer from poor customer service and rising complaints that are eating away its market share and worsening sales momentum. The retail giant will announce 3Q results today and it remains to be seen if things can get any worse.

The biggest Holiday Shopping Issues

PRWeb
U.S. consumer advocacy and customer complaints website, Pissed Consumer, reviewed its archives to find the most common shopping complaints from 2013. The issue topping that list was low inventory of advertised merchandise.

Insights on Flower Company Complaints in Time for Mother's Day

PRWeb
Pissed Consumer, collected data on consumer complaints in the floral industry. The goal was to empower customers before they make Mother's Day flower purchasing decisions. Highlights include over 3,400 complaints received and customer losses reported at $230,870.These customer reviews cover large online flower companies as well as local florists.

Get Custom Consumer Data with New Polls

PRWeb
A new customizable consumer polling service was launched by U.S. consumer advocacy and consumer complaints website, PissedConsumer.com. All polls can be customized by special request. This includes the content of each poll, which pages it appears on, and how long each poll is run. Polls are free for journalists conducting targeted research.

New Technology Allows Consumers to Record Video Reviews

PRWeb
Market research firm Opinion Corp’s consumer complaint site, PissedConsumer.com announces today that it is the first to add technology that enables consumers to record video reviews in real time from their web browser while making a complaint. The video reviews are automatically uploaded to PissedConsumer.com and to the PissedConsumer.com channel on YouTube, creating a dual flow of video content by users who wish to review companies and services affecting their daily lives.

Reputation Management: When Your Business is Disparaged Online

Forbes
What do you do when it's your company that has gotten slimed and maligned unfairly in the press or on one of the prevalent consumer feedback sites such as PissedConsumer.com? Do you fix it? Can you fix it? Do you need to hire a pro? It's interesting that "Reputation management" has evolved from a catchphrase to a science to an actual industry. Has anybody run a search on reputation management agencies lately? Prepare to be buried—you'll get at least 25 pages of Google results.

Consumers Can Add Reviews to Pissed Consumer Home Page

PR Newswire
PissedConsumer.com is one of the largest review portals and fastest growing sites in the consumer complaints segment. The site offers many posting options and provides information for consumers in multiple dimensions: industry categories, geospatial analysis, and corporate brand and products.

PissedConsumer.com Introduces Localized Consumer Complaints

PRWeb
PissedConsumer.com, added localization to company reviews. This was done to increase the relevancy of consumer complaints to individual visitors. The integration of a reviewer's location into each consumer complaint or review allows visitors to differentiate between general feedback of a national or regional business and those of their local store or branch.

Need to rant? Sites where you can complain.

WorldNow and KLTV
COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - From restaurants to retailers, digging up details about a company isn't very difficult these days. "More than 60% of us go online before we buy or hire," says Angie's List Director of Communications Cheryl Reed.

How to get what you want from customer service.

CNN Money
(MONEY Magazine) -- Press 1 if you're delusional enough to think that the customer service rep you just spoke with actually gives a damn about your $5,000 cellphone bill, your exploded microwave or cancelled-without-notice flight.

Who's Talking about Your Company Online?

Inc.com
"Unethical behavior by Beachbody...watch out!" wrote one customer on PissedConsumer.com, an online forum, in June. The customer railed against the Santa Monica, California -- based maker of fitness videos, claiming that it charged for something the customer didn't intend to order online. In the comment box, Tiana, a customer service representative from Beachbody, wrote, "I'm so sorry to hear that you had a bad experience." She left her contact information and added, "I would be glad to assist you and help to restore your faith in our company."

Checking Out Your Dentist.

ABC 7 News
After hearing stories about complaints at the state's second largest dental HMO, Western Dental, people have asked what can a consumer do? Of course, knowledge is power. If you have questions about any dentist, check out their license and if they have been disciplined at the California Dental Board website

Online whining: Does it really work?

MSNBC - Red Tape
Does web whining work? Private websites with names like ComplaintsBoard.com and PissedConsumer.com have developed an enormous following among consumers who feel cheated by companies. But are these complaint magnets filling an important role in protecting consumer rights or do they merely serve as online bitch sessions?

iPhone App for consumers

PRWeb
U.S. consumer advocacy and customer complaints Web site, PissedConsumer.com, makes consumer complaints mobile with the launch of a new free app available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Users can download the app through the iTunes store and use it to file and search consumer complaints on-the-go.

Pissed Consumer Phone Number and Contact Information

PRWeb
U.S. consumer advocacy and customer complaints Web site, PissedConsumer.com, reminds consumers that they do not provide telephone support, regardless of misleading posts circulating online with a telephone number supposedly associated with the site. Consumers or company representatives seeking information should use the mailing address or e-mail form available on the contact page located at http://www.pissedconsumer.com/contact.html.

PissedConsumer.com Sees Increase in Consumer Complaints in Slow Economy

PRWeb
"People are visiting consumer advocacy websites to conduct more research before they do business with new companies. With the economy still awaiting recovery, people have less disposable income to part with and they're being more selective about what companies they frequent as customers. While it may stem in part from unpleasant economic situations right now, we believe it's a good thing. Consumers are actively trying to become more educated, they're more willing to share their customer service experiences, and companies have access to this feedback and an opportunity to use it to improve their customer service moving forward."

Savvy Shoppers Now Find Consumer Complaints More Easily at PissedConsumer.com

PRWeb
U.S. consumer advocacy and customer complaints website, http://www.PissedConsumer.com , completed several site enhancements to help visitors research and leave consumer reports faster through a more straightforward Web2.0 interface. Improved search and category-based icons work together to simplify each user's access to consumer information whether they're interested in a specific company or type of complaint (such as for professional services or retail stores).