• Car Dealer Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
No Result
View All Result

Used car dealer sues Google over ‘fake reviews’ left for his American muscle car business

James Baggott by James Baggott
November 26, 2020
0
Home News

A used car dealer is suing search giant Google over ‘fake reviews’ for his specialist American muscle car business.

Richard Boatwright, who runs David Boatwright Partnership in Braintree, Essex, told the BBC he felt ‘helpless’ after Google refused to remove comments about his business.

Boatwright, who sells American muscle cars like the Challenger Hellcat and RAM pick-ups, provided Google with information the reviews were fake.

He said: ‘We’ve provided them with firm information that shows these reviews are completely fabricated but they’re not interested.’

Making headline news on the BBC news website, the car dealer who imports cars from America and is an official RAM dealer, was furious when he discovered the one-star reviews about his business on Google Maps.

Negative comments included allegations paintwork was ‘scratched’, cars ‘smelt of dogs’ and that the site was ‘just awful’.

A screen shot of the ‘fake’ Google reviews

The large majority of the reviews of the business are hugely positive with a 4.9 star overall rating from 27 comments.

Boatwright said: ‘They’re anonymous, behind fake names, so you don’t really know what to do. You feel helpless.

‘It’s an invisible aggressor.’

  • Dealers warned to watch out for damaging fake Google reviews – and how you can try to combat them

Boatwright said he didn’t think his legal action would be easy but that he would not ‘take it lying down’.

He added: ‘We’re trying to fight back but, for a small company to take on the mighty Google, it’s not going to be easy.’

A Which? expert told the BBC the search giant should do more to ‘shut down fake reviews’. 

Car Dealer is still taking nominations for the Used Car Awards. Entries will close on December 2. For information about the awards click here or to nominate now click here.

Main image source: Google

  • Register as a Car Dealer member and get more out of the website here
  • Car Dealer Mag issue 153 is out now – Read it here
  • Join our breaking news WhatsApp group – Click here to join now

Related Posts

Volkswagen Passat GTE plug-in electric car being charged
News

VW suffers post-tax profit drop of 37 per cent but says that was better than expected

February 26, 2021
Supercar graphic
News

Moving on up: Here are the top 10 used supercars to buy if you want to see a return on your investment

February 26, 2021
Subaru sign via Newspress
News

Subaru adds three dealers to network with plans for at least 15 as part of restructure that will see 10 leave

February 26, 2021
G3 Motorhouse in Failsworth from Google
News

Car dealers must pay out thousands after Trading Standards investigation found they’d clocked cars

February 26, 2021
Mike Hawes
News

SMMT calls for dealers to open ‘ideally before April 12’ as car production levels slump to 12-year low

February 26, 2021
Online car sales on an iPad
News

Fifth of car buyers think online sales will overtake those in showrooms by 2025 – but many think it’ll never happen

February 26, 2021

Want the latest news?

Sign up to Car Dealer's daily news email updates

Subscribe
How many car dealerships does each manufacturer have in the UK? Car Dealerships Locations List 2021 revealed
News

How many car dealerships does each manufacturer have in the UK? Car Dealerships Locations List 2021 revealed

February 24, 2021
Used Car Awards with Mike Brewer and James Baggott graphi
News

Who won what at the Used Car Awards 2020? Mike Brewer reveals our winning car dealers

February 11, 2021
Car Dealer issue 156 front cover and Used Car Awards
Online Magazine

Out now: Car Dealer issue 156 features our Used Car Awards, H.R. Owen CEO Ken Choo and lots more

February 23, 2021
Used car market stronger than ever as August sees sales up by nearly 50 per cent for Big Motoring World
News

Opinion: Here are 10 reasons why I think there’ll be a rapid recovery in car sales when lockdown ends

February 16, 2021
Trophy Cars forecourt
News

Investigation: Meet the hyper-specialist car dealers making their money from weird and wonderful motors

February 11, 2021
Become a Car Dealer Plus member and get more out of this website including free legal advice
News

Become a Car Dealer Plus member and get more out of this website including free legal advice

January 15, 2021
Car Dealer Top 100 – The list in full of the most profitable car dealers in the UK
Car Dealer Top 100

Car Dealer Top 100 – The list in full of the most profitable car dealers in the UK

February 10, 2021
Bitcoin ATM terminal
News

Will car dealers in the UK accept Bitcoin for payment? Dealers speak out after Tesla plans to accept cryptocurrency 

February 18, 2021
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
Call us: 020 8125 3880

© 2020 Blackball Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Car Dealer Plus
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100

© 2020 Blackball Media

Log In
Register
Register
Server C