Chicago Business Files Lawsuit Over Negative Yelp Review
(STMW) -- A North Park neighborhood business is suing a husband and wife for writing a negative review on Yelp, accusing the couple of libel.
Zwick Window Shade Co., 3336 W. Foster, takes issue with a Feb. 6, 2014 review where a customer claims she and her husband never received a set of blinds ordered from Zwick, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in Cook County Circuit Court.
"Still waiting on blinds ordered nearly 4 months ago that were supposed to take 3 to 6 weeks," the reviewer wrote. "My husband and I like to support small, family-run businesses when doing home improvement projects."
The two-star review states Zwick's service was excellent, but the delay in receiving the product was frustrating.
More than four months after the Oct. 16, 2013 purchase, Zwick delivered and installed the blinds, the suit said.
But the company claims in the suit that, because the blinds were eventually delivered, the Yelp review is making "misrepresentations about the alleged non-delivery of the blinds" and is essentially false.
"In the event that your [Yelp] statement is not removed within five days from the date of this letter, my client intends to pursue all remedies available to him at law and equity," according to a letter sent by Zwick's attorney a year after the blinds were installed. "In addition, you must not publicly publish this event in the future."
Despite Zwick's efforts, the review remains on Yelp.
The two-count lawsuit claims libel and seeks at least $50,000 in damages and that the review be taken down.
Calls made to Zwick and its attorney were not immediately returned Friday evening.
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