Weight-loss company sues customer for posting negative review to Better Business Bureau

Cory Doctorow 5:00 pm Thu Sep 25, 2014

Roca Labs makes the "Non Surgical Gastric Bypass" (which one expert says is mostly industrial food thickeners) with terms-of-sale that prohibit complaining if you get sick, or don't like the product, or feel like you were ripped off.

The customer they're suing lodged a complaint with the Better Business Bureau; Roca asserts "breach of contract" and "defamation per se," because under the terms of the company's fine-print, any customer complaint is automatically defamatory.

I don't think that's how defamation law works. At all. Even if this woman's comments to the BBB are defamatory (and I'm not saying they are), you can't just have someone sign a contract saying that if they do something, they'll be guilty of defamation.

Either way, all of this should make you wonder just what sort of company Roca Labs is in that it seems to not just sue its own customers for negative reviews, but to work so hard to stop negative reviews and to threaten and intimidate those who make complaints about their experience with the company.

Roca Labs Sues Customer For Posting A Negative Review [Mike Masnick/Techdirt]

(Image: Complaint Department Grenade "Please Take a Number")

U.S. files superseding indictment against Ghislaine Maxwell

U.S. prosecutors have filed a superseding indictment against Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend, longtime business associate, and alleged co-perpetrator of crimes with the late serial rapist Jeffrey Epstein. READ THE REST
SCOTUS rules Donald Trump financial records must be released to NY DA, but House won't get tax returns before election

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Thursday in the Trump financial documents case, and upholds the Manhattan DA's subpoena. In a 7-2 decision, SCOTUS ruled that Manhattan District… READ THE REST
U.S. is investigating claims that TikTok violated children's privacy

The FTC and the Justice Department are investigating claims that TikTok, the popular social media app with close ties to China, violated a 2019 agreement to protect children's privacy. READ THE REST
Short Post, just one paragraph

Dessert cheesecake wafer bear claw fruitcake. Fruitcake chupa chups donut candy canes marzipan. Apple pie sweet roll tart chocolate cake macaroon marshmallow carrot cake gummi bears sweet. Pastry sugar plum… READ THE REST
Save 50% on a 1-year subscription to Dashlane's premium password manager

We all know vital information about ourselves and our private digital accounts can be compromised by cybercriminals. However, many would be frightened to know just how compromised they and their… READ THE REST
The Bite Helper removes the itch of a mosquito bite in seconds

While mosquitoes have certainly earned their title as the deadliest animal on earth, their impact on most of our lives is usually a lot less consequential. But even though they… READ THE REST