Congressional Hearing Focuses On Online Review 'Gag Clauses'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A congressional committee was listening to testimony Wednesday about "gag clauses" that seek to prevent customers from posting negative online reviews about businesses.
Jen Palmer, of Utah, testified before the Senate Commerce Committee, saying a company made her life miserable after she posted a bad review.
She said she made a purchase in 2008 that never arrived and then posted a negative review on the website RipoffReport.com. Three years later, the company, citing a clause in the fine print of the user agreement, went after her and put a $3,500 debt on her credit report.
Because the charge affected her credit score, she was unable to buy the house she wanted and was denied a car loan and credit card. She had to take the issue to court.
"We don't want them to get away with this," Palmer's husband, John, told CBS2 in 2013.
Have you ever had a problem after leaving a negative review online? Tell us about it by tweeting @wcbs880.