Negative Feedback Week 8

Maybe free speech isn't guaranteed online...

After perusing Digg, the site where I get all of my news information, I found an article described a legal case involving libel. Chris Reed bought a phone through eBay recently and when the package arrived, the phone that was claimed to be in "good condition", was chipped and damaged. It was also a different model than he had paid for. Reed, disappointed and perturbed, sent the phone back and logged in to eBay to leave negative feedback on the seller's site. It only seems right that Reed would honestly write about the interaction in his feedback. That is why the feedback option is on eBay in the first place.

Nevertheless, the seller took offense and is now suing Reed with libel action. Give me a break. Reed said: 'I can't believe someone can be so petty. All I had done was left an honest opinion and everything I said was true. I thought that was why the feedback service was there. It's not like I wrote anything malicious or called him a conman.'

The seller is complaining that the negative feedback significantly hurt his business and he is not sure he can bounce back from the remark. Though it's true that the remark probably did lower him on the search engines and undermine his credibility, it is for good reason. He lied online about the condition of the product he sold, he should reap the consequences of his actions.

I don't see how the seller will have a chance if the case makes it to court. If, for some reason, the courts rule in favor of the seller, there will be an uproar in online communities. The court should not be allowed to punish a person for honestly and transparently recording his/her opinions online.