How to Remove a Ripoff Report From Google Search Results

If you’re reading this, you likely have a Ripoff Report tarnishing your hard-earned reputation and costing you business. You feel frustrated, angry, and powerless to fight back against this unfair attack.

I understand how damaging these reports can be – I’ve helped countless clients in your exact situation. The good news is there are proven strategies to remove Ripoff Reports from your Google search results and restore your online reputation.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the most effective options step-by-step, including how to pursue legal action, dispute the report directly, and use suppression techniques. You’ll learn the pros and cons of each approach and get my legal recommendations as an attorney who has been successfully helping client remove Ripoff Reports from Google search results for over 10+ years on the best path for your unique situation.

By the end, you’ll have a clear action plan to permanently delete this Ripoff Report from your search results and take back control of your reputation. Let’s get started.

Understanding Ripoff Report

Ripoff Report is a controversial consumer complaint website that allows anyone to post public reviews about businesses or individuals. It was founded in 1998 by Ed Magedson and has since amassed over 2 million reports.

The site is notorious for its “no removal” policy, meaning once a report is published, it remains live on the site forever – even if it contains false or defamatory information. Ripoff Report claims this policy protects free speech and prevents businesses from silencing legitimate complaints.

This permanent nature, combined with Ripoff Report’s strong search engine rankings, means these negative reports often appear prominently in Google search results for a brand or individual’s name. Having a Ripoff Report in your top results can be extremely damaging, costing you customers, jobs, and opportunities.

While it’s very difficult to remove reports from the Ripoff Report website itself, there are strategies to remove the report from your Google search results, which is ultimately what matters most. However, Google maintains a strict policy of not getting involved in content disputes.

When Can You Remove a Ripoff Report from Google?

Google will only remove a webpage from its search results in very limited circumstances, such as when the content violates the law or Google’s policies. In the case of Ripoff Reports, the most relevant circumstances are:

• The report has been declared defamatory by a court of law. If you obtain a court order stating the report is false and defamatory, Google will typically delist it from search results.
• The report contains illegal content, such as copyright infringement, explicit personal information, or content related to child sex abuse or exploitation.
• The report violates Google’s policies on spam, dangerous, or deceptive content.

Simply disputing the facts of the report or claiming it is inaccurate is not sufficient. Google does not adjudicate content disputes or make judgments on the veracity of reports.If the report does not meet one of these limited criteria, your only recourse is to pursue having it delisted from search results by obtaining a court order. Let’s look at exactly how to do that.

Option 1: Obtain a Court Order

The most effective way to remove a Ripoff Report from Google search results is to obtain a court order declaring the report defamatory. With this order in hand, Google will delist the specific URLs of the report, effectively erasing it from search results.

Here are the key steps to obtain a court order:

1. Evaluate the merits of your case. To win a defamation lawsuit, you must be able to prove the statements made in the report are false and caused you material harm, such as financial losses or damage to your reputation. Merely being upset by the report is not enough. Consult with an experienced defamation attorney to assess the strength of your case.
2. Attempt to identify the original poster. To sue for defamation, you need to know who to sue. Unfortunately, many Ripoff Report posters hide behind pseudonyms or post anonymously. You may need to file a “John Doe” lawsuit and subpoena Ripoff Report for identifying information about the poster. Be prepared that this may not always be possible.
3. File the defamation lawsuit. If you have a strong case and have identified the defendant, your attorney will file the lawsuit in the appropriate court. The exact process varies by jurisdiction but typically involves drafting a complaint, serving the defendant, and proceeding through the discovery and trial process.
4. Subpoena Ripoff Report for poster identifying information. If the author of the post is not known and a John Doe Defamation Lawsuit is file, one of the first things you must do after the lawsuit is filed is subpoena Ripoff Report for IP and other account information to attempt to identify the poster.
5. Obtain a judgment or court order. If you win your case, the court will issue a judgment or order declaring the statements in the report to be false and defamatory. Depending on the jurisdiction, you may receive an order to remove the report or a monetary judgment.
6. Submit the court order to Google. Once you have the court order, you can submit it to Google via their legal removal request process. Google will review the order and, if it meets their requirements, will remove the report URLs specified in the order from their search results.

The exact time and cost of this process can vary significantly depending on the complexity of your case and whether it goes to trial. Expect to spend several months to over a year and anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000+ in legal fees. However, this is the only guaranteed way to completely remove a Ripoff Report from Google.

Taking Legal Action Against the Author for Defamation

As provided in the last section, if the statements made in the Ripoff Report are demonstrably false, suing the original author for defamation is one way to obtain a court order to de-index the Ripoff Report from Google Search results. If successful, this can result in a court-ordered removal of the report and potentially monetary damages. But its important to recognize that this is a serious undertaking. You have to win a defamation lawsuit.

To win a defamation lawsuit against the report author, you must prove the following elements:

1. The statement is false. True statements, no matter how damaging, are not defamation. You must show the report contains objectively false facts, not just opinions.
2. The statement was published. Ripoff Report’s indexing in Google search results satisfies this requirement.
3. The statement caused material harm. You must demonstrate quantifiable damages, such as loss of revenue or job opportunities, stemming directly from the false report.
4. The statement was made negligently or with actual malice. If you are a private figure, you must prove the author acted negligently in making the false statement. Public figures have a higher burden of proving “actual malice,” meaning the author knew the statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

If you can prove these elements, the potential outcomes of a successful defamation lawsuit include:

• A court order requiring the author to remove the defamatory statements
• A declaratory judgment that the statements are false
• Monetary damages for reputational harm, lost income, and other provable losses
• In some cases, punitive damages to punish especially egregious conduct

However, suing the author comes with several challenges and limitations:

• Identifying the author: Many Ripoff Reports are posted anonymously or pseudonymously, making it difficult or impossible to determine the real identity of the poster for purposes of filing suit.Although relief can still usually be obtained when this happens it can make getting a judgment take more time and present more procedural issues.
• Jurisdiction: Online defamation cases often involve plaintiffs, defendants, and websites located in multiple states or countries, making jurisdiction a challenge. You may have to file suit in the author’s home state (assuming you can identify them).
• Judgment-proof defendants: Even if you win your lawsuit, the defendant may not have the assets to pay monetary damages or may simply refuse to follow a court order. You could invest significant time and money into the lawsuit without any actual recourse.
• Streisand effect: Filing a public lawsuit can sometimes draw more attention to the original defamatory statements. Experienced defamation attorneys know how to approach lawsuits and plead allegations in ways that greatly diminish the odds of this happening. Nonetheless, it is a small risk that must be considered in all cases.

For these reasons, suing the report author is only recommended if you have a strong defamation case. Evaluate your options carefully with an experienced defamation attorney before proceeding.

Option 2: Use Ripoff Report’s Paid Programs

If you’re unable or unwilling to pursue legal action, Ripoff Report offers several paid programs that, while not removing the report entirely, can help mitigate its impact.

Arbitration Program

Ripoff Report’s arbitration program allows you to dispute the truthfulness of statements made in the report. Here’s how it works:

1. You pay a fee ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the complexity of the case.
2. An independent arbitrator, typically a former judge or attorney, is assigned to review the evidence submitted by both you and the report author.
3. If the arbitrator determines the report contains false statements, those statements are redacted from the report.
4. Ripoff Report agrees to not post any rebuttals or additional comments on the report.

While this program can result in the removal of specific false statements, the report itself remains live on the site and in Google search results. The title is updated to indicate it has been through the arbitration program.

Corporate Advocacy Program

The Corporate Advocacy Program (CAP) is a reputation management service offered by Ripoff Report. Here’s an overview:

1. You pay a fee ranging from $5,500 to over $100,000, depending on your company’s size and the number of reports.
2. Ripoff Report conducts an “investigation” into your company’s customer service practices and any complaints made on the site.
3. If your company meets Ripoff Report’s criteria for “customer satisfaction,” they update existing reports with a positive notation about your commitment to resolving complaints.
4. Any future complaints must go through Ripoff Report first, giving you a chance to resolve them before they are published.

While this program can help paint your company in a more positive light, it does not remove existing reports. Some critics argue that the high-cost amounts to “extortion” by Ripoff Report.

Overall, Ripoff Report’s paid programs may be an option if complete removal of the report is not possible. However, carefully evaluate the costs and potential benefits before proceeding. In many cases, these programs are not worth the substantial investment.

Option 3: Suppress the Report with SEO

If legal options aren’t viable or you’re looking for a longer-term solution, you can utilize search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to suppress the Ripoff Report and push it off the first page of your search results.

Here are some key strategies:

1. Optimize your owned web properties. Make sure your company website, blog, and social media profiles are well-optimized for your brand name and relevant keywords. Use on-page SEO best practices like optimized title tags, headers, and content to boost their search rankings.
2. Create new, positive content. Publish fresh, high-quality content on your website and external sites that paints your brand in a positive light. This could include press releases, thought leadership articles, interviews, or customer success stories. Optimize this content for your brand name.
3. Earn high-quality backlinks. Google’s algorithms place heavy emphasis on the quantity and quality of links pointing to a webpage. Reach out to industry publications, partners, and satisfied customers to earn links back to your positive content. This will help those pages rise in search rankings and displace the Ripoff Report.
4. Encourage positive reviews. Proactively ask happy customers to leave reviews on popular third-party sites like Google My Business, Yelp, and industry-specific review sites. Positive reviews not only help suppress negative content but also improve your overall online reputation.

While SEO is a powerful tool, it does have limitations:

• Time and consistency. SEO is a long-term strategy that requires consistent effort over many months to see results. It is not a quick fix.
• No guarantees. Search algorithms are constantly evolving and you don’t have full control over the rankings. Even with a strong SEO campaign, there’s no guarantee you can completely remove the Ripoff Report from page one.
• Ongoing investment. To maintain your search rankings and keep the Ripoff Report suppressed, you’ll need to continue publishing positive content and earning links over time. If you stop, you may see the report start creeping back up.

Despite these limitations, SEO should be part of any reputation management strategy. It helps you proactively take control of your search results and build a positive online presence that can overcome the impact of a single negative report.

When combined with legal action to remove the report entirely, SEO is a powerful one-two punch for combating Ripoff Reports and restoring your reputation.

The Path to Removing Your Ripoff Report

Removing a Ripoff Report from Google search results is not an easy process, but it is possible with the right strategy and execution. By understanding your options and following the steps laid out in this guide, you can take action to protect your reputation and minimize the damage caused by these harmful reports.

While each situation is unique, obtaining a court order declaring the report defamatory is often the most effective and permanent solution. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need expert guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to the experienced defamation attorneys of Ninc Law who can help you navigate this process and fight for your reputation.

With persistence and the right approach, you can remove this Ripoff Report from your search results and take back control of your online presence. The road ahead may be challenging, but the peace of mind that comes with restoring your reputation is worth the effort.

If you’re ready to take the next step, call (216) 373-7706 or schedule a meeting online by filling out our online contact form.