u/dwydwy79

Location: Canada
I'm looking for some advice from people familiar with Google reviews, business disputes, or Canadian defamation/harassment law.

I've had a situation with a local taxi company that has escalated far beyond what I expected from what originally seemed like a simple question about payment.

I initially contacted the company through Facebook to ask whether they accepted e-transfer. They told me yes, they accept e-transfer. Later, I was told that they actually don't accept e-transfer, and then I was told that it depends on the individual driver/person. I found the conflicting answers confusing.

I then asked whether I could offer some constructive criticism, and they said I could. I explained that I thought their AI-generated website looked somewhat sketchy/unprofessional and that I was concerned some potential customers might be put off by the website and decide not to use the company.

They apparently did not appreciate the criticism and decided to ban me from using their taxi service.

What happened next is important because I want to make sure I'm representing the situation accurately.

I thought our Facebook conversation had ended when they told me, essentially, "thanks for your input, I don't need to repeat myself." I responded "you're welcome." I did not continue the conversation after that.

Approximately 10 minutes later, they sent me a photograph of myself through the Facebook chat and wrote:

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After receiving that, I did not continue contacting them through Facebook.

I later left a 1-star Google review describing my experience.

The company did not like the review and contacted the police. The police spoke with me and, as I understood it, essentially warned me that this could potentially be a civil matter. I was not charged with anything.

Since then, the company has repeatedly reported my Google review in an attempt to have it removed/hidden from public view.

The company is also saying that my review constitutes defamation and harassment and that it "is irrelevant to the review process of this business."

There is another part of this that I find particularly concerning.

In their public responses to my Google review, the company has made statements about me personally that I believe are false. They have described me as mentally ill and have made claims about things they say I did or said that, to my knowledge, never happened.

They have also made statements suggesting that I am holding them for ransom and that they will not pay me "ransom" money.

I have never demanded ransom from them, threatened them for money, or made anything that I believe could reasonably be interpreted as a ransom demand.

What I find particularly confusing is that after they told me any further contact from me by internet or phone would result in the matter being sent to police, they subsequently began using the Google review's public response section to communicate with me.

They have apparently edited their responses to my review to send additional messages, including what they describe as cease-and-desist communications. I would not necessarily receive a notification that they had edited their response, so I would have no reason to know they had supposedly sent me another message unless I went back and checked the review.

So I'm now trying to figure out what the appropriate way to handle this is.

I am not trying to harass the company, damage their business, or make false accusations. My review is based on my own experience. At the same time, I don't want to make a mistake by continuing to engage with them if there is a genuine legal issue here.

I'm particularly interested in advice from Canadians, and especially people familiar with Nova Scotia:

• Does an honest account of your own experience potentially become defamation simply because a business disputes your version of events?
• What should I be careful about saying in a Google review?
• If a business publicly makes false claims about a reviewer, including accusing them of things they say never happened, does that raise a separate issue?
• If a company tells you not to contact them and then uses the public response to your Google review to communicate with you, how should you handle that?
• Should I stop responding to the company entirely and preserve everything as evidence?
• If they continue sending cease-and-desist messages through the Google review, should I speak to a lawyer?
• Has anyone in Nova Scotia dealt with a similar situation?

I have screenshots of the Facebook conversation, including the message where they told me not to contact them, the photograph they sent, my Google review, their responses, and the subsequent edits/messages.

My Review:
My review is based on my interaction with the company through its social media and customer service.

After hearing about the business, I visited its website, Facebook page, and other social media accounts. Some of the posts and advertisements appeared AI-generated to me due to things such as overlapping text, spelling errors, incorrect dates, and content that I found confusing. I contacted the company to ask about this and share my opinion that it could make some potential customers feel uneasy.

During the conversation, I also asked whether they accepted e-transfers. I received different answers, including yes, no, and that it depended on the situation, which I found confusing.

When I explained my concerns about the content, I felt my feedback was not taken seriously. The conversation eventually ended with the company stating that it reserved the right to decline business and that they did not want further contact. They also sent me an older photo of myself during the discussion, which I found unusual.

I have of the evidence conversation that led to this review. Based on my experience, I was disappointed with how the interaction was handled.

As a Canadian, I understand that freedom of expression allows individuals to share their honest opinions and experiences. This review is intended as a good-faith account of my interactions with the company. I welcome others to interact with the company and form their own opinions, and I do not intend for my review alone to discourage anyone from doing so.

If the company believes that any statement in this review is factually inaccurate, I would welcome being directed to the specific statement in question. If an error can be demonstrated, I am willing to correct it. Otherwise, I stand by this review as an honest reflection of my experience.

I'm not asking anyone to contact, harass, brigade, downvote, or otherwise target this business. I'm genuinely looking for advice about how to handle the situation properly and what my rights/responsibilities are as a Canadian consumer and reviewer.